Worklessness

[vetran]

Feckless?


qh

Hardly

feckless
/ˈfɛkləs/

adjective

1. lacking initiative or strength of character; irresponsible.
   "her feckless younger brother"

[quackhandle]

There needs to be a word for those of a wealthy background, have a privileged education but still end up as thick as tulip and then given executive jobs and appointed a PM.

Feckless?


qh

[SueEllen]

There is - successful!
If you think you could do better then stand for parliament.

Didn't they used to call it "born with a silver spoon in one's mouth"?

Thinking of people like Lawrence Fox. (Didn't know he was expelled from Harrow, who then helpfully ensured no university would accept him.)

Also James Murdoch and Rachel Johnson.

[courtg9000]

There needs to be a word for those of a wealthy background, have a privileged education but still end up as thick as tulip and then given executive jobs and appointed a PM.

its called a Boris!

[vetran]

There needs to be a word for those of a wealthy background, have a privileged education but still end up as thick as tulip and then given executive jobs and appointed a PM.

There is - successful!
If you think you could do better then stand for parliament.

[Paddy]

There needs to be a word for those of a wealthy background, have a privileged education but still end up as thick as tulip and then given executive jobs and appointed a PM.

[vetran]

It is a BS term as most aren't "lazy feckless oiks".

The people who fall into that category are generally:
- students who are mostly aged between 16 and 22. Depending what the surveys are looking at they count.
- older people who aren't claiming the state pension but can scrap enough to live on or in some cases due to unfortunate turn of events have sufficient funds to live on. Some of them are actually looking for work but suffer from age discrimination.
- a parent of a child/children under 5 where childcare costs more than or equal to their wage. The other parent supports them. (I used to be treated by a highly educated one.)
- adult carers of relatives including children of any age with disabilities. It's actually cheaper for a relative to care for them than for the state to do it. (Of the people I know who fall in this category some are supported by the other parent and others work part-time.)


It should be remembered that most of those working age on benefits like universal credit are actually working but part-time.

Many are working cash in hand. Others are being paid awful wages and being topped up by the state. As tax take falls then less and less can be paid for.

[ladymuck]

1758

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/workless

though it was in the 80s I first remember it.

Well there's a thing

[WTFH]

Ah, back in the day when you could go to university and come out with a degree, but now you come out with a massive debt
Ah, back in the day when you could buy a house for 3x the average wage in the area you were working
Ah, back in the day when a low income worker was paid enough to be able to have a roof over their head and food on the table
Ah, back in the day when we ate seasonally and locally
Ah, back in the day when our parents and grandparents brought us up.

[SueEllen]

It is a BS term as most aren't "lazy feckless oiks".

The people who fall into that category are generally:
- students who are mostly aged between 16 and 22. Depending what the surveys are looking at they count.
- older people who aren't claiming the state pension but can scrap enough to live on or in some cases due to unfortunate turn of events have sufficient funds to live on. Some of them are actually looking for work but suffer from age discrimination.
- a parent of a child/children under 5 where childcare costs more than or equal to their wage. The other parent supports them. (I used to be treated by a highly educated one.)
- adult carers of relatives including children of any age with disabilities. It's actually cheaper for a relative to care for them than for the state to do it. (Of the people I know who fall in this category some are supported by the other parent and others work part-time.)


It should be remembered that most of those working age on benefits like universal credit are actually working but part-time.

[Zigenare]

I keep seeing this term which seems to be used by the Torygraph a lot. It feels like it's essentially being used to describe lazy feckless oiks who aren't working.

When did worklessness become common parlance?

Such are the joys of having a generous system of benefits and the lack of a modern equivalent of the Protestant Work Ethic.

[vetran]

1758

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/workless

though it was in the 80s I first remember it.

[ladymuck]

I keep seeing this term which seems to be used by the Torygraph a lot. It feels like it's essentially being used to describe lazy feckless oiks who aren't working.

When did worklessness become common parlance?