London: Hamish Hamilton, 1956

8vo, pp. 114. Original maroon, lettered in silver to spine. Illustrated dustwrapper. Offsetting to endpapers, a little bubbling to front pastedown, a very good copy in a very good dustwrapper, some darkening to rear (white) panel and a few small closed tears to top edge.

First edition of this collection of essays on the then hot topic of U and non-U social dialects ('U' standing for Upper Class). Contributors include Alan Ross (who coined the phrase), Nancy Mitford (whose essay The English Aristocracy popularised it), Evelyn Waugh and John Betjeman. 'Greens' versus 'vegetables', 'sweet' versus 'pudding', 'home' versus 'house'.....an academic rumination which turned into a national conversation.