The chattering classes is a politically active, socially concerned and highly educated section of the "metropolitan
middle class
The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Com ...
",
[''Chattering Classes''](_blank)
2006 Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a co ...
especially those with political, media, and academic connections. It is a generally derogatory
term, coined by English journalist
Auberon Waugh
Auberon Alexander Waugh (17 November 1939 – 16 January 2001) was an English journalist and novelist, and eldest son of the novelist Evelyn Waugh. He was widely known by his nickname "Bron".
After a traditional classical education at Downsid ...
,
[''P.McGuinness chattering classes, coined by Auberon Waugh''](_blank)
2004 The Sydney Morning Herald
''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...
often used by
pundits and political commentators.
United Kingdom
It is sometimes used to refer to a
liberal elite
Liberal elite, also referred to as the metropolitan elite or progressive elite, is a stereotype of politically liberal people whose education has traditionally opened the doors to affluence, wealth and power and who form a managerial elite. It is ...
, but its first use by British right-wing polemicist
Frank Johnson in 1980 appeared to include a wider range of pundits.
Indeed, the term is used by people all across the political spectrum to refer to the journalists and political operatives who see themselves as the arbiters of
conventional wisdom
The conventional wisdom or received opinion is the body of ideas or explanations generally accepted by the public and/or by experts in a field. In religion, this is known as orthodoxy.
Etymology
The term is often credited to the economist John ...
. As such, the notion of "chattering classes" can be seen as an
antonym to the older idea of an unrepresented
silent majority
The silent majority is an unspecified large group of people in a country or group who do not express their opinions publicly. The term was popularized by U.S. President Richard Nixon in a televised address on November 3, 1969, in which he said, " ...
, made notable by the U.S. Republican Party President
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
.
United States
In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, the term has come to be used by both the
left and
right
Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical ...
and to describe political opponents, with Stephen Perrault of the
Merriam-Webster dictionary suggesting that the term has "connotations of idleness, of useless talk, that the noun 'chatter' does. ... These people don't amount to much — they like to hear themselves talk."
[Kornblut, Anne E]
''The Peculiar Power of the Chattering Class''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
. April 2, 2006. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
See also
*
Intelligentsia
*
Thought leader
A thought leader has been described as an individual or firm recognized as an authority in a specific field and also as business jargon.
Meanings Go-to expert
From the perspective of a thought leader as the 'go-to expert', being a thought leader ...
References
External links
BBC wordhunt entryThe Guardian: How the chattering classes turned to talkThe Chattering Classes
{{socio-stub
Political terminology
Political catchphrases
English phrases
Propaganda in the United States
1980 neologisms
Middle class culture
Class-related slurs