1860s problems

Regular readers will know that I love old books on etiquette for their combination of timeless, rock-solid advice and things that have turned into baffling absurdities with the passage of decades or centuries. The passages quoted here are from The Gentleman’s Book of Etiquette, and Manual of Politeness by Cecil B. Hartley, 1860. Its publication […]

Too much impetus in mounting, and other Victorian problems

“Imagine a lady dressed in mauve silk, with a mauve bonnet, and emerald green kid gloves!”

The “cut direct”

“Scarlet and solferino are deadly enemies, each killing the other whenever they meet.”