The Upper Crust: A Slice of High Society 🎩
🕰️ History & Origins: The term “upper crust” harks back as far as 1835, credited to Thomas Haliburton’s Sam Slick tales where it described something much more delectable than societal elite: pie. Think of the upper crust as the prized, golden-brown top of a pie or loaf of bread. It doesn’t take much imagination to see why this illustration made society’s upper echelon salivate.
📚 Iconic References: In literature, The Clockmaker (1835) by Thomas Haliburton first referenced this now classic cliché by saying, “It was none of your skim-milk parties, but superfine uppercrust.” Fast forward to 1850, and it was well integrated in common parlance as indicated by James Fenimore Cooper in Ways of the Hour.
✍️ Related & Similar Terms:
- High Society: This doesn’t deal in pie but certainly deals in privilege. These folks probably have a taste for artisanal loaves.
- The Elite: No pie in sight here either, though they’d probably dig in with gold-plated cutlery.
- Blue Bloods: Aristocrats who might’ve been slicing the upper crust of loaves for centuries.
- Nobility: Those with titles, not necessarily tarts.
📖 Literature, Books, Songs, Poetry & Movies:
- Literary Note: Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations captures the nuance of class divisions without the pie analogy.
- Movie Nights: For a humorous twist, check out Gosford Park – societal hijinks guaranteed.
- Tunes: Listen to Uptown Girl by Billy Joel for a modern take on the upper crust lifestyle.
🤣 Humor-Filled Quote: “High Society is a basilisk that stares at the public and the public happily to choke on gazing it,"—Oscar Wilde had it right, always a pie metaphor if he’d been a Baker.
💡 Inspirational Thought: Remember, even the ‘upper crust’ is just a part of the pie. Strive for being wholesome and authentic—because the true worth isn’t just found in flaky exteriors.
👋 Farewell: May your linguistic journey be as rich and tantalizing as the choicest pastries life offers! Until next we fall into the crusty delight of dried breadcrumbs of antiquated expressions, keep the wonder stirred.
