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Are You a Middle Class Lockdown Cliché?

Updated: May 10, 2020

Frankly, who cares? But we thought it would be amusing to publish what OGN Daily thinks are the Top 10 tell-tale signs.


1. You have made a sourdough starter Prior to lockdown, sourdough was a word you casually bandied about at drinks or dinner parties, or - with an air of sophistication - selected from the bread basket in a restaurant. But now all of a sudden, you’re brewing the yeasty creation in your home.

2. You've made banana bread OK, it's a natural progression from sourdough fermentation, but it's definitely on the lockdown cliché list. Banana bread, previously rarely spotted beyond a trendy Hoxton café, has caught the imagination of a population stuck indoors. One extra cliché point if you posted a picture of it on social media. Two extra cliché points if you captioned it with: “I don’t normally bake, but….”


3. You've become a 'have-a-go' bartender With your local pub or cocktail hangout now out of bounds, you've taken it upon yourself recreate its magical allure in your home. You've found yourself stocking up on supplies of St Germain, exotic gins, Aperol and tequilia and googled ideas for your mixology moments. For extra cliché points, you've bought a cocktail shaker online from John Lewis.


4. You have weekly Zoom drinks and nibbles

You have become a key player in rallying friends and family for the virtual “Quarantini and Quiz” evenings. And, of course, you have prepared your Zoom background to display just the right amount of books and 'just so' art and trinkets.

5. You have received a food delivery from a local supplier What is it about lockdown that makes receiving a delivery so special? Is it the knowing grin we get from our delivery driver as he hands over our fourth package that day? The simple act of seeing someone who is not your significant other? While we used to sigh at those annoying 'sorry we missed you slips', our daily routine now involves waiting by the door in anticipation of the the next package. And food is no exception. 

6. You’ve bought workout or yoga equipment  The nationwide Working From Home Experiment has presented a myriad of opportunities for purchasing non-essential but necessary items. You also fall into this cliché category if you have purchased new (but not strictly necessary) sports gear or yoga pants.

7. You've made a cameo appearance on TikTok If you have a child in the generation Z age group, you will be familiar with the sound tracks and jerky arm movements that are inherent within a TikTok dance. But a few weeks into lockdown, you may have found yourself roped in to joining (at least) one of the jigs yourself. Guilty?


8. You complete the Joe Wicks or Live like Liv morning workout  Much to your amazement you take up a chunk of each morning lunging and punching the air with enthusiastic glee.

9. You're embracing the world of wellness (to counteract being a 'have-a-go' bartender!?) All these Yoga with Adrienne sessions or Headspace meditation moments have brought out a more… mystical side to you. You’re not sure what's happening to you, but you like it. Namaste.


10. You've done a lockdown challenge  From the Run for Hereos 5km challenge to the 'toilet roll keepie-uppie challenge' (see how many keepie-uppies you can do with a toilet roll then share a video), to re-creating your favourite album cover and sharing it on WhatsApp - lockdown challenges have taken over social media. Extra cliché points for uploading a print screen of your run from the Strava app.


  • How good is your Lockdown Lingo? Are you fully conversant with the new terminology and phraseology?

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