"Shabby genteel": What is its history and generally accepted meaning?

[Scholar_Beardpig]

@Nava

The name of the lugar no, but I do remember that neither did Don Miguel. The name of the region, which affects such things as the existence of latifundios or not, La Mancha - which did, and does, have latifundios (very large tracts of land). Placing the start of the story in La Mancha vs, say, Galicia is as significant as setting a story in Texas vs Vermont.

… I was going for a joke with you, 'cuz the first line of the book is En un lugar de La Mancha, de cuyo nombre no quiero acordarme… I was hoping you’d say something like, ‘I don’t care to remember it.’

Achhh, never mind…