Bananafish Archives, February, 2002: Re: clarification

Subject: Re: clarification
From: catie mcdonald (catiemc@hotmail.com)
Date: Thu Feb 21 2002 - 20:37:51 GMT

good call, scottie. the first definition of the word is what you describe: the corse cloth. the definition i noted is, i believe the 2nd or 3rd. so we're both right.

also thanks for the phrase "to wear the fustian." this is the first i have heard that phrase, but i makes a lot of sense.

by you replying to my post, i feel that i am now officially part of the list!

catie mc

>From: "Scottie Bowman"

>Reply-To: bananafish@roughdraft.org

>To: "Bananafish"

>Subject: clarification

>Date: Thu, 21 Feb 2002 19:21:28 -0000

> I'm as near as dammit certain I first encountered 'fustian'

> when Miss Halliday took us through The Merchant of

> Venice in Lower Prep, Newtown School, Waterford in

> the autumn of 1940 just as Milch & Sperrle were retiring

> to lick the wounds inflicted on them by my future comrades

> of Fighter Command - & observed with profound satisfaction

> by my then eleven year old self.

> Long term memory suggests that the phrase 'to wear the fustian'

> (acquired around this time) refers to the fact that actors of

> the Elizabethan age wore primitive stage costumes made

> from this particular type of coarse cloth. So, by association,

> we link the clothing with the kind of declamatory, hot wind

> baggery issuing from it.

> An example, I believe, of metonymy.

> Right? Right.

> Scottie B.

>* Unsubscribing? Mail majordomo@roughdraft.org with the message

>* UNSUBSCRIBE BANANAFISH