Posh/Pijo

[Iris]

To me they mean the same. Maybe I'm not very discerning.

[poli]

Ok, there is a difference between posh and pijo. I have never heard a person being described a posh. Posh usually defines elegant settings such as palaces, or on a lower scale restaurants, theaters,hotel rooms, cars, even clothing and life styles (of course all this can be used ironically) . Pijo is sometimes described in English as nouveau riche. I say (to quote myself) "walking proof that money isn't everything"

[Alfonso]

Tomísimo dictionary states:
posh
elegant and fashionable

DRAE says:
pijo, ja.(De or. inc.).
1. adj. despect. coloq. Dicho de una persona: Que en su vestuario, modales, lenguaje, etc., manifiesta gustos propios de una clase social acomodada. U. t. c. s.
2. adj. despect. coloq. Perteneciente o relativo a estas personas.
3. m. Cosa insignificante, nadería.
4. m. malson. Miembro viril.
5. f. malson. pijo (‖ miembro viril).

Please, note all nuances are derogative (despect.) or rude (malson.), but in this last case it's got a sexual meaning.

I'm not very fond of using dictionaries for solving a lexical question (), but I'm positive the agreement on this is impossible.

[Iris]

You never heard a person described as posh, Poli? What about Victoria Beckham, aka Posh Spice? In England it is used to describe people all the time.

[Jane]

from what you´ve all said so far, I understand that there are various school of thought regarding what Posh or Pijo means, and of course there´re people (like Poli), who have never heard the word used to describe a person...
I guess it´s more of a British/Spanish thing.

[poli]

Posh Spice is just a name like Paris Hilton or Mylie Cyrus (if that's how you spell it.) Posh the word means elegant and cushy like the Palace Hotel, or the palace for that matter. Posh is often used for sarcastic purposes however.( If you want to use hotels as a reference point: from a Madrid point of view what has become of "the Reina Victoria in the Plaza Sta Ana...that's posh" can be interpreted as a sarcastic statement).
Using posh to describe a person sounds like a misinterpretation of the word, but language is flexible and used differently in different places. Britain is good about about being precise about language, but not always. Consider their use of the word
brilliant.

[Iris]

The classes have finished, we only have exams left and my students bought me a really posh handbag (Tous). What do you think that means?

[poli]

I'd have to see it, but usually when gifts are given they are usually given
with kindness in mind, and therefore, the true sense and not the corrupted interp of the word is most likely the case. They like you. They really like you.

[Tomisimo]

Posh used to refer to people is definitely British English slang. In the US is refers to things/settings/buildings/cars/stuff etc as Poli mentioned.

Originally Posted by Alfonso

I don't like people who is said to be pija

Remember, in English people is a plural noun, not singular: I don't like people who are said to be pijos. And if I haven't said it before, your English is really good.

[Iris]

Originally Posted by poli

I'd have to see it, but usually when gifts are given they are usually given
with kindness in mind, and therefore, the true sense and not the corrupted interp of the word is most likely the case. They like you. They really like you.

Thanks, Poli. Being a really modest girl, I had thought the same. I usually get a lot of presents from the students this time of year, and although it is embarrassing it is also highly rewarding. I have to admit I buy them presents and chocolates quite often myself (as competition prizes, to celebrate a special day...) I buy heart-shaped lollipops (suckers, for you) for all my students on Saint Valentine's Day, for example.

[Jane]

Originally Posted by poli

They like you. They really like you.

...

I have to admit I buy them presents and chocolates quite often myself (as competition prizes, to celebrate a special day...) I buy heart-shaped lollipops (suckers, for you) for all my students on Saint Valentine's Day, for example.

... You give them no option.
As my mum used to say... `If they don´t like you, it´s their loss.´ Iris.
BTW, if you were described as posh/pija, then maybe it´s not so negative after all.

Funny, I remember one day I asked Alfonso if he thought I was posh and he said yes... This explains a lot of things...

[Iris]

Thanks, Jane. Sweet as usual.

[Jane]

...

When I'm good, I'm very good, but when I'm bad, I'm better.

[Iris]

There was a little girl,
who had a little curl,
just in the middle of her forehead,
when she was good, she was very, very good,
but when she was bad,
she was horrid.

I used to say this to the kids when they were little...

[Alfonso]

Originally Posted by Tomisimo

Remember, in English people is a plural noun, not singular: I don't like people who are said to be pijos.

Thanks a lot, David. I know it, and I always forgot it. It's a petrified mistake. Do you use this expression?

We say: error petrificado.

[Iris]

Is that a grammatical term?Maybe you could say consolidated mistake...but it's just a guess.

[Alfonso]

Originally Posted by Iris

Is that a grammatical term?Maybe you could say consolidated mistake...but it's just a guess.

I don't think it's a grammatical term, but it's quite used in ELE teaching.
Consolidated mistake sounds good (I know I should say well, to be considered high class speaker).

[Iris]

The difference between sounds good and sounds well is more regional than anything else in my opinion. Americans tend to use adjectives instead of adverbs in many occasions, as far as I know.
You look good
You answered real fast

[poli]

Originally Posted by Iris

The difference between sounds good and sounds well is more regional than anything else in my opinion. Americans tend to use adjectives instead of adverbs in many occasions, as far as I know.
You look good
You answered real fast

If I'm not mistaken un error petrificado is a habitual error in English,
Looks good and looks well have different meanings.
Looks good means looks appealing
Looks well means looks healthly.
Sounds good and sounds well have different meanings too.
If a person who had been ill speaks clearly. You might say, you sound well
Sounds good means lots of things--both figuratively and metaphorically
positive. If you are not sure of the meaning,ask.

[Rusty]

Originally Posted by Alfonso

Thanks a lot, David. I know it, and I always forget it. It's a petrified mistake. Do you use this expression?

We say: error petrificado.

I've never heard of a petrified mistake. Here are some options:

It's a perpetual/constant/habitual/hard-wired mistake.
It's a hard habit to break.
It's burned into my brain.