Hyacinth Bucket Syndrome

Nickname for the middle class desire to maintain pre-recessionary appearances at any cost.

In an article headlined “Brits suffer from ‘Hyacinth Bucket Syndrome,’” Moneyextra.com likened the imprudent behavior of many recession-hit Brits to Hyacinth Bucket, the social-climbing star of the classic 90’s Britcom, “Keeping Up Appearances,” who went to extraordinary lengths to impress her neighbors (including pronouncing her name “bouquet”).

Apparently, while more than half of British home-owners are struggling with debt, at least a third would rather save face with friends and neighbors than reduce their spending:

Despite the call by experts to downsize, Brits remain fixed on keeping their lifestyle the way it is. Like the character Hyacinth Bucket from the much-loved 90’s sitcom, it’s women who suffer most from the idea of downsizing. Over half of the women surveyed, compared to 50% cent of men, admit their home reflects who they are and downsizing would have a detrimental impact on their “status.”