non-U
(chiefly, Britain, colloquial, dated) Not U; not characteristic of the upper classes, particularly regarding language.
Etymology timeline
Born ~1907 · 2 years of recorded useSeen in the wild
Canada’s exports to countries other than the U.S. hit yet another record high in March. Exports to non-U.S. countries rose 9.1 per cent in March while imports from countries other than the United States fell 2.2 per c…
➤ The token is available on Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana, allowing for 24/7 on-chain trading and settlement, targeting non-U.S. investors.
Photograph: Thurston Hopkins/Getty Images Photograph: Thurston Hopkins/Getty Images [View image in fullscreen](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/sep/22/how-talk-posh-glossary-non-u#img-1) Nancy Mitford: de…
The issue of U and non-U could have been taken lightheartedly, but at the time many took it very seriously.
Is it non-U to possess them, or just to call them that? (And, if so, what did my 1950s social betters call them?) [– _Hajor_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Hajor "User:Hajor") 7 July 2005 19:29 (UTC) Possessing f…
Definitions
(chiefly, Britain, colloquial, dated) Not U; not characteristic of the upper classes, particularly regarding language.
“The issue of U and non-U could have been taken lightheartedly, but at the time many took it very seriously.”
I may also note here that the U-demarcation is of two types: – (1) a certain U-feature has a different, non-U counterpart as non-U wealthy / U rich; (2) a certain feature is confined to U-speech and it has a counterpart which i…
“Canada’s exports to countries other than the U.S. hit yet another record high in March. Exports to non-U.S. countries rose 9.1 per cent in March while imports from countries other than the United States fell 2.2 per cent in March, data showed.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“➤ The token is available on Ethereum, BNB Chain, and Solana, allowing for 24/7 on-chain trading and settlement, targeting non-U.S. investors.”
— Bluesky· May 2026“Photograph: Thurston Hopkins/Getty Images Photograph: Thurston Hopkins/Getty Images [View image in fullscreen](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2014/sep/22/how-talk-posh-glossary-non-u#img-1) Nancy Mitford: decidedly U, even if she didn't invent the term.”
“The issue of U and non-U could have been taken lightheartedly, but at the time many took it very seriously.”
“Is it non-U to possess them, or just to call them that? (And, if so, what did my 1950s social betters call them?) [– _Hajor_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Hajor "User:Hajor") 7 July 2005 19:29 (UTC) Possessing fish-knives branded one not only bourgeois, but nouveau riche.”
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