| blueshearer
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| 438876. Wed Nov 12, 2008 5:15 pm |
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Apparently during the nineteenth century fans were used as a tool for discreet comunication.
Holding a fan to your left ear apparently communicated "follow me".
Twirling a fan in the left hand meant "We are being watched"
Touching the handle of a fan to ones lips conveyed "I long for your kiss".
What a strange custom - Mrs B and myself have been invited to a dinner party and blow me if Im going to start gesticulating with a five foot electrical gadget in order to make conversation - it all sounds quite dangerous and unnecessary.
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| cornixt
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| 438896. Wed Nov 12, 2008 5:49 pm |
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| It doesn't sound very discrete to me. |
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| thegrandwazoo
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| 438916. Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:15 pm |
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From what I've seen on Match of the Day touching the average fan to your lips would be most unhygenic.
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| thegrandwazoo
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| 438917. Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:20 pm |
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Note to all you pedants. Yes I know I spelt unhygienic wrong.
BTW
When I saw the title of this thread I thought blueshearer had encountered his young lady friends at the match again.
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| CB27
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| 438931. Wed Nov 12, 2008 6:54 pm |
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Talking about his young lady friends, I was in between meetings today and on a train coming from Uxbridge about half four this afternoon (a little over an hour ago) and as I was sitting there reading my notes as the train pulled out, a group of school girls (looked about 16, but in uniforms) were standing on the platform all giggling along when one of them suddenly lifted her top completely to show her bra.
Now, granted, being a red blooded man I found that an exciting split second view, but I can't help thinking "no, she's underage, you shouldn't have looked".
Don't know whether it was a dare or something, but she'll have to be very careful, there's some really creepy people out and abotu on the trains around that time of day (I try not to count myself as one). |
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| Flash
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| 438936. Wed Nov 12, 2008 7:02 pm |
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We cover the language of fans in the upcoming Christmas Special. Here's a sneak preview of the notes on Stephen's card:
| Quote: | The language of the fan was a 19th century invention (although it’s often depicted as an 18thC practice there aren’t any contemporaneous 18thC sources for it at all) to allow young women to send coded messages across a crowded room. The list of signals was devised and published by Maison Duvelleroy, the most prestigious fan-makers in Europe. Founded in 1827 in France, Duvelleroy only closed down in the early 1980s. In their heyday, the best artists in Paris would design Duvelleroy fans; many were decorated with lavish jewellery.
By the middle of the 19thC, flowers were a dominant motif on fans, especially wedding fans. They complemented the Victorian ‘Language of the Flowers’ and it was this that inspired Duvelleroy to publish his fan language. His list was mainly a marketing gimmick and a bit of fun; many people would have been familiar with it as he gave one away with every fan sold, but it’s hard to imagine that many women would have flashed flirtatious messages across a crowded ballroom using a code which was known to everyone in the room. The list was as follows (we’ll give a copy to each panellist):
Carrying in right hand in front of face: FOLLOW ME
Carrying in left hand in front of face: DESIROUS OF ACQUAINTANCE
Placing it on left ear: I WISH TO GET RID OF YOU
Drawing across the forehead: YOU HAVE CHANGED
Twirling in left hand: WE ARE WATCHED
Carrying in right hand: YOU ARE TOO WILLING
Drawing through the hand: I HATE YOU
Twirling in right hand: I LOVE ANOTHER
Drawing across the cheek: I LOVE YOU
Presented shut: DO YOU LOVE ME?
Presenting a number of sticks, fan part opened: AT WHAT HOUR?
Touching the unfolded fan in the act of waving: I LONG ALWAYS TO BE NEAR THEE
Threaten with the shut fan: DO NOT BE SO IMPRUDENT
Gazing pensively at the shut fan: WHY DO YOU MISUNDERSTAND ME?
Pressing the half opened fan to the lips: YOU MAY KISS ME
Clasping the hands under the open fan: FORGIVE ME I PRAY YOU
Cover the left ear with the open fan: DO NOT BETRAY OUR SECRET
Shut the fully opened fan very slowly: I PROMISE TO MARRY YOU
Nancy Armstrong, in her book Fans, refers to some 18th century fans that were made in such a way that one could hold up the fan and pull back a tiny section revealing a letter of the alphabet behind it - spelling out each word rather than remembering each fan 'signal'. Rather slow, and of course requiring good eyesight. At the time, young ladies had regular lessons in deportment and fan use from their dancing masters. In France it was said that ‘One distinguished the princess from the countess and the marchioness from the commoner’ by her use of her fan. |
Of course it's pretty unlikely that a young couples would conduct a flirtation across a crowded room by using a code which was clearly visible and known to everybody in the room who had a copy of the leaflet. So we reckon it was just a marketing gimmick, really. |
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| Davini994
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| 439013. Wed Nov 12, 2008 8:55 pm |
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| The other question is how did the chap that all these things were aimed at respond? Did he have to bend over and waggle his coat tails? |
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| Flash
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| 439019. Wed Nov 12, 2008 9:13 pm |
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| Well, quite. |
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| blueshearer
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| 439037. Wed Nov 12, 2008 10:37 pm |
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| Fans as communication aids are not the answer. Having just hauled the electric gadget to the dinner party and swung it around the dining room to see what reaction would ensue the only response I got was to be ejected into the street. Prior to this I held the implement to my ear as recommended and had to be escorted to the bathroom with blood pouring from my head. I think I will stick to deipnosophy in future. |
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| Timon
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| 439136. Thu Nov 13, 2008 2:09 am |
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| blueshearer wrote: | | I think I will stick to deipnosophy in future. |
Now there is a word out of left field - I like it very much.
But as the hour is late and dinner conversation is long behind us - even the postprandial port and cigars are a thing of the past - I up you your deipnosophy and wish you joy in your antejentacular reveries.
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Bibamus, moriendum est. |
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| Reddy
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| dr.bob
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| 439206. Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:31 am |
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| blueshearer wrote: | | Apparently during the nineteenth century fans were used as a tool for discreet comunication. |
Hmm, this forum is described as:
| Quote: | | The only place on the internet where you'll find people intelligent enough to discuss current affairs and hot topics without descending into flame wars. |
This is obviously some new definition of "current" that I was not previously aware of. |
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| Reddy
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| 439210. Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:40 am |
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| I also didn't realise that the language of fans was such a controversial subject. Did I miss something? |
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| Timon
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| 439223. Thu Nov 13, 2008 11:59 am |
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Well the fact we are discussing it today makes it topical and that it may have been placed on the wrong forum makes it controversial. ;-)
The language of fans? Looks like Japanese to me.
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Bibamus, moriendum est. |
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| Celebaelin
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| 439260. Thu Nov 13, 2008 1:31 pm |
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[insert name] is sooooo HOT!!!!!!
I <3 [insert name]
etc etc
Also post 24638 and those subsequent.
Oh, and the nauseating post 408283 and those of its ilk. |
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