Klarinet Archive - Posting 000082.txt from 2005/06

From: Tom Flavel <tom@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Personal prejudice
Date: Fri, 03 Jun 2005 05:12:38 -0400

On 02/06/2005 21:44:35, Ormondtoby Montoya wrote:
> Tom?Flavel wrote:
>
> > So, pinkje is little little finger... how this
> > related to the clarinet, I have no idea
>
> Americans (at least) often name the keys that are used in long
> fingerings: "pinkie keys".
>
> However, in English, pinkie sometimes has a 'wimpy' or 'sissy' or
> 'foppish' connotation --- as when a teacup is held with the little
> finger extended. Hence Tony included "diddumses" in his original jest.

I've never heard pinkie it to mean wimpy (I'm English), simply to refer
to the little finger. Curious.

Apparently teacups were held with the finger extended by the upperclass
only. Why? Well (so I was told), that finger was used to dab mustard on
food when eating - extended to prevent it from smearing against the cup
- and of course, only terribly posh people could afford mustard...
apparently. For some reason I am dubious - it seems too cute a story to
be real.

> Parts of the United States (such as Pennsylvania) were settled by the
> Dutch, and therefore the Dutch derivation could be straightforward and
> could have nothing to do with being wimpy or foppish.

According to worldwidewords.org, it went via Scots, first. 1808 seems
surprisingly recent!

--
Tom

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Klarinet is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org