tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post794630379442684760..comments2024-03-16T00:21:43.240+00:00Comments on Separated by a Common Language: fancy dress and costumeslynneguisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-65191934835573765582010-04-30T21:48:41.450+01:002010-04-30T21:48:41.450+01:00I've had to close comments for this entry beca...I've had to close comments for this entry because of persistent spammers. Sorry!lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-32050633743148612432010-03-21T09:53:30.327+00:002010-03-21T09:53:30.327+00:00@Stig: Yes and Mickey Rooney too, and possibly oth...@Stig: Yes and Mickey Rooney too, and possibly others who remarked on an outfit (p{a/y}jamas, birthday suit) rather than a costume that required taking on a different persona. (That was what led to my conclusion that Americans don't always understand the term.)lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-50600531193920624152010-03-20T22:58:56.584+00:002010-03-20T22:58:56.584+00:00Would it appear David Schwimmer didn't underst...Would it appear David Schwimmer didn't understand the question and was in fact thinking about dressing fancy? <br />Oh yeah, also<br />Damon Dash is an idiot.Stighttp://www.findthefilm.com/fancydress/adult_stig_costume.phpnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-2997297936500605712010-02-09T18:54:32.955+00:002010-02-09T18:54:32.955+00:00"costume" would be a clue, but to my AmE..."costume" would be a clue, but to my AmE ears, the words "fancy dress" would just about cancel that out. Without the prompting of this entry, I'd think of one of those formal masked balls you occasionally see in historical movies. Dressing up as Marie Antoinette or a Roman centurion, that sort of thing. I definitely wouldn't think of going as a pumpkin! <br /><br />In the US, a costume party would only happen around Halloween. A theme party can happen any time of year, though, and I'd expect some costumes, along with food and music, that line up with the theme.TJhttp://tchemgrrl.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-86924887091873820662010-02-02T10:00:03.803+00:002010-02-02T10:00:03.803+00:00Of course, transatlantic confusions on this topic ...Of course, transatlantic confusions on this topic can go the other way too... Shortly after my [BrE] wife met my [AmE] brother in Florida, and we were all going for a swim, she mentioned that she'd need her costume. This of course led to jokes about going swimming in an AmE-style "costume", the favorite of which seemed to be a gorilla suit. <br /><br />To this day, we can hardly mention going to the beach without some reference arising to doing so dressed as a gorilla.Stringhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04937677857357562280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-19668426170104489962010-01-31T23:26:39.349+00:002010-01-31T23:26:39.349+00:00I think the original statement by JCO was ambiguou...I think the original statement by JCO was ambiguous as to whether she understood or intended the BrE sense. A Fortuny dress by now is an antique, something (as a poster mentioned) to be found in the dressing-up box or elsewhere in the attic. Elaborate garments of a prior age are standbys at costume parties. So it'd be both fancy dress AND a fancy dress.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-26198673238299087782010-01-31T15:29:31.052+00:002010-01-31T15:29:31.052+00:00Not many opinions expressed on the topic, but I ha...Not many opinions expressed on the topic, but I have removed the ones with links to fancy dress costume companies.lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-37164654121031697692010-01-30T04:32:19.022+00:002010-01-30T04:32:19.022+00:00Delete all postings that contain advertising.Delete all postings that contain advertising.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-52686926151278727352010-01-29T21:51:17.635+00:002010-01-29T21:51:17.635+00:00I do a lot of weeding out, but in the cases where ...I do a lot of weeding out, but in the cases where I've left them, it looked more like they'd actually read the post, so I was tempted to delete, then thought it might not be fair. Though, I suppose, they're getting advertising without paying for it, so that's not 100% fair either.<br /><br />What think you?lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-40179993334865028762010-01-29T21:48:03.097+00:002010-01-29T21:48:03.097+00:00I don't know whether you normally do more weed...I don't know whether you normally do more weeding out, but I'm curious to see that this post has garnered several spam comments about fancy dress.Roshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02669423378438380019noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-37626200427335602592010-01-29T07:20:23.602+00:002010-01-29T07:20:23.602+00:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.David Bretthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10122404238966897521noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-1521000809474189632010-01-27T23:41:08.324+00:002010-01-27T23:41:08.324+00:00I've also finally got OpenID to work! Huzzah.I've also <i>finally</i> got OpenID to work! Huzzah.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-82484467418203253112010-01-27T23:40:01.311+00:002010-01-27T23:40:01.311+00:00I went to an erotic themed fancy dress party a whi...I went to an erotic themed fancy dress party a while ago. The best costume was a woman in a towel, plastic cap and gold tinsel wig...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-67102416349838623242010-01-27T09:07:23.591+00:002010-01-27T09:07:23.591+00:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.sexy costumehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04853622602823763068noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-5331442088672086562010-01-26T20:22:50.151+00:002010-01-26T20:22:50.151+00:00Our family of four went to a friend's fancy dr...Our family of four went to a friend's fancy dress party as the Simpsons once. We coated our faces with yellow paint and sprayed our hair yellow or blue (as appropriate). We painted the face of one of my daughter's dolls, too, so she would stand in for the baby, Maggie. It wasn't until we got to the party that we realised we'd left the baby behind (which, on reflection, was exactly the sort of thing that <em>would</em> happen to Maggie).Amandahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16642836504821695236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-24116333308333554742010-01-26T19:42:03.695+00:002010-01-26T19:42:03.695+00:00A quick burst of etymology. This is all out of my ...A quick burst of etymology. This is all out of my memory, which is why it doesn't include any dates.<br /><br />"Fancy" was originally a noun and meant the human imagination.<br /><br />"Fancy dress", which I believe dates from about the 19th century, is therefore clothing that you've thought up using your imagination, depicting some imaginary character.<br /><br />"Fancy" decoration on cakes, etc. is similarly decoration that you've invented out of your own imagination. Extra squiggles, lace, curlicues, flowers, etc. Which led to the idea of "the opposite of plain" and generally better or at least more expensive.<br /><br />To say "I fancy X" is the same as saying "I can imagine myself doing/having X". In other words, "I want X".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-56322599927114300182010-01-26T18:21:53.300+00:002010-01-26T18:21:53.300+00:00to bring the discussion back to why a tuxedo, I on...to bring the discussion back to why a tuxedo, I once went to a 'Bad Taste' fancy-dress party in evening dress---I mean that WAS bad taste for me.<br />So perhaps...<br />:-)Richard Howland-Boltonhttp://howlandbolton.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-66968866358289398562010-01-26T17:19:56.240+00:002010-01-26T17:19:56.240+00:00@Julie: Apologies, thought you meant the verb, for...@Julie: Apologies, thought you meant the verb, for some reason. Monday madness, no doubt.Spanish Cowhttp://spanishcow.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-80170458198046255882010-01-26T10:30:24.918+00:002010-01-26T10:30:24.918+00:00"I know someone else who was invited to an un..."I know someone else who was invited to an underground-themed party. Are they very popular, or might this have been the same party?"<br /><br />Yeah, they're pretty popular. I've been to a couple, and I don't go to all that many fancy dress parties since I left university.Ginger Yellowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06103410278129312943noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-51933456274439061912010-01-26T00:20:07.131+00:002010-01-26T00:20:07.131+00:00@Spanish Cow:
I didn't quite mean that. I thin...@Spanish Cow:<br />I didn't quite mean that. I think most Americans know the verb fancy, although we'd never use it.<br /><br />I meant the adjective fancy...the one that leads us to envision very different things from the phrase "fancy dress." For me, at least the work "fancy" often (depending on context) carries connotations of expense or some kind of pretense to wealth. (Did you see her fancy new car? Must've cost a bundle.)<br /><br />Oh, and "costume," lacking specific context, does not include anything you'd normally wear. (Performers excepted -- everything they wear on stage is costume.) So "costume party" is a very clear description. People I know don't normally rent costumes.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14376545097377854998noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-33291890412821041202010-01-25T22:51:36.445+00:002010-01-25T22:51:36.445+00:00Back in the early 1960s, my wife received an invit...Back in the early 1960s, my wife received an invitation (in writing) to an "Apache Party". This was intended to be an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_(dance)" rel="nofollow"><i>apache</i>-dance party</a>, but my wife (who has notably high cheekbones) appeared dressed as an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache" rel="nofollow">Apache</a>! Ultra-humiliation.<br /><br />Paul Danon: <i>Tuxedo</i> may mean either the black (or midnight blue) jacket or the whole ensemble, which is also known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_tie" rel="nofollow"><i>black tie</i></a>, the formal-but-not-ultraformal wear of American males.<br /><br />Mollymooly: At costume parties hosted by reasonable adults, as opposed to teenagers, either homemade or rented costumes are perfectly acceptable. The costume I described in my comment above was, I suppose, bought; at any rate there was certainly no question of returning it!<br /><br />(In AmE, as I guess everyone knows, we hire only persons; things are rented, or sometimes leased.)John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-39274596001328358712010-01-25T18:22:20.678+00:002010-01-25T18:22:20.678+00:00I don't think my first attempt went through, b...I don't think my first attempt went through, but I haven't seen it, so I'll post again. <br />So now, after reading this, I have to wonder what AC/DC mean in "Some balls are held for charity and some for fancy dress"? Since I'm American, I've always interpreted this to mean formal events, but from the lone Australian post, it would seem that they have the UK sense, but I have difficulty with a costume party being described as a ball. (on the other hand Dilsnik does not, so I suppose it could be the case) So which is it?Boris Zakharinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16560756640621720539noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-57954273067930171832010-01-25T17:30:32.569+00:002010-01-25T17:30:32.569+00:00@biochemist: Yes, I'd completely forgotten tha...@biochemist: Yes, I'd completely forgotten that. My grandmother, who was a middle-aged woman in the 1950s (actually, she was very little older than I am now, which is really rather shattering!) always referred to a coat-and-skirt combination, which I would call a suit, as a "costume".Mrs Redboots (Annabel Smyth)https://www.blogger.com/profile/11270027663691257254noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-31306960850013307092010-01-25T16:23:09.854+00:002010-01-25T16:23:09.854+00:00Just recently became aware of this difference when...Just recently became aware of this difference when trying to explain to a group of American relatives that I'd recently been at a 'fancy dress wedding'...they were looking at each other, no doubt thinking, what's so unusual about that? To answer the question, I went as Shrek. :)<br />To go back to Julie's question about 'fancy', it is different in specific contexts, yes. One thing I keep noticing over here is in the sporting domain: whereas a TV presenter in the UK might ask his studio panel of 'experts' who they 'fancy' to win the upcoming match, the oft-repeated question here is 'who do you like?'Spanish Cowhttp://spanishcow.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28787909.post-23472766089247432882010-01-25T16:19:18.310+00:002010-01-25T16:19:18.310+00:00@Ginger Yellow: Hm, I know someone else who was in...@Ginger Yellow: Hm, I know someone else who was invited to an underground-themed party. Are they very popular, or might this have been the same party?lynneguisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10171345732985610861noreply@blogger.com