Lower class for me > I am originally from a tiny village in Eastern Europe. This is where I grew up. My family are farmers.

I love watching people's faces when I tell them that 'I am a student' - because I look my age. 35 years old. They think that I have gone bananas or that I am taking the mickey. I usually don't specify. I never tell people what exactly I am doing. It's not their business.

If I really need to break the ice and say something, I simply say that I write a book...

Then I talk to them about law, and normally people find the whole conversation very very boring. They change topic.

Agree with Mackem. I'm not a PhD [yet], but I'm an RA at the moment. When people ask what I do, I just say I work at the university and leave it at that. Most people don't pry.

As for pulling us down a peg...delightfully cynical, man after my own heart. "Those who cannot, criticise those who can"