In the thirties they called them 'gold diggers'

Sam Wollaston is right (bluuuuue mooooon, you saw me standing aloooooone) to be less than completely convinced that 'there really is "a new breed of women" as we're told', who practise 'rinsing', or women getting blokes to give them stuff, often really expensive stuff, for no return.

I give you Miss Adelaide (the Famous Fiancee) doing her act at the Hot Box in Guys and Dolls with 'Take Back Your Mink':

This seems to me yet another instance in which an existing, sometimes even age-old, practice is facilitated by the internet, but commentators seem to imagine was created by it.

***

In other news, I went to collect my new glasses this week and was told that they'd been delivered nearly 2 weeks ago (having been told a deliver date of this week), but Boots Opticians no longer contact people to let them know their glasses have arrived. I think they could at least suggest that people ring themselves... the situation is not satisfactory.

Anyway, these are the new specs. Still adjusting to new prescription.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

cassandre

Ugh, yes, the trope of the grasping woman using her wiles to extract expensive presents from men with no return is commonplace in the Middle Ages (see for example the Roman de la Rose and Francois Villon) and the Renaissance (see for example L'Amye de Cour by Bertrand de la Borderie. And probably it's in Ovid's Ars Amatoria too, now that I think of it. Usually a cynical old woman gives "practical" advice to amoral young women about how they should use their beauty to rake in the profits while they still can. And all the texts in question that portray women in this way are of course authored by men.

So not a new idea, but one with an illustrious history.

Oh, and by saying that the authors are men, I don't mean that some women weren't actually carrying out the practice in real life. But the whole scenario does fit very nicely into masculine misogynistic stereotypes.

princess

Ironically shortly before reading this I was watching youtube clips of Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend.

jesse_the_k

I like the specs a lot. The color, in fact, reminds me of the trendy green mixture you sported last year. Any plans for teal toe polish?

Also I have a British culture question for you: are adults who wear socks with sandals seen as totally fashion-backward geeks? (Not among Our Crowd, of course, who are willing to wear and admire just about anything.)

oursin

So far, no toe-polish plans...

Socks with sandals are definitely a no-no Among My People, along with ankle socks on grown women (except with trainers, obvs).

mme_hardy

I like that seawatery color a lot, and it should complement your hair.

It's Always More Complicated

The wandering thoughts of a wandering hedgehog