Darcy comes to admire Elizabeth's lively spirit, generous nature and confident refusal to be cowed by her social 'betters'.

Merrick uses the appearance of frankness and honesty as a tool to impress his social betters.

Wheatley's thrillers and occult stories were written for "material success and to ingratiate himself with those he perceived to be his social betters," said Petit.

If he did the job right, he would keep the rank and keep on giving orders to his social betters.

Despite the Broons' perpetual deference to their social 'betters'.

For those unable to afford a summer house, many hotels were built, where the slightly less affluent could spend the holiday months rubbing shoulders with their social betters.

These nouveaux-riches citizens could be mocked and despised for copying their social betters.

Nancy is the mother of the family, physically and mentally strong and unafraid to stand up to anyone, even her social 'betters'.

Before the poor get access to more desirable housing, the market requires that their social betters be satisfied.

As with blasphemy or lèse-majesté (crimes against a god or a monarch), crimes against one's social betters were punished more severely.