nouveau pauvre

Almost the opposite of nouveau riche, but usually the nouveau pauvre have had contact with the nouveau riche. How to tell the two groups apart:

nouveau riche

• when give a choice, buy the most expensive thing.
• are eager to tell you how much money they make.
• are embarassed by how little money their parents made.
• worry about their legitimacy in this new group.

nouveau pauvre

• when give a choice, buy the least expensive thing.
• are eager to tell you how little money they make.
• are embarassed by how much money their parents made.
• worry about their legitimacy in this new group.