Pygmalion
Act 1
Why would better english be required of a lady's maid or shop assistant than of a lady?
Why would better english be required of a lady's maid or shop assistant than of a lady?
I think that Higgins is partly joking and partly serious. He is speaking of social hierarchy here. Even a maid's assistant needs good English to be representing a lady of distinction. A shop lady needs to sound sophisticated enough for people to take her and her merchandise seriously.