Formal Dress Forum

[exnihilo]

Erm.

Proper shop? As opposed to black market brollies?

Carried in whichever hoof is more comfortable for the carrier.

[Eliot Wilson]

I like the idea of buying an umbrella from a bloke down the pub, cash only, no questions asked. You ain't seen me, roight?

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[David Bean]

Quoting Ian McFarlane from 00:52, 19th Aug 2005
Just to try and align the subject of umbrellas with that of formal dress: Obviously, in inclement weather, either a gentleman or a lady may be umbrellaed. The umbrella must be black, and must be very, very tightly bound. It should be bought from a proper shop. Of that I am sure, but also I understand that it should always only be carried in the left hand, perhaps someone could confirm or correct me on that point.

Where did you get this from? And don't you think that stipulating a specific appropriate colour and hand to carry it in, is unhelpfully arbitrary?

[hr]

"Don't ask me what you know is true, don't have to tell you, I love your precious heart. I - I was standing, you were there, two worlds collided, and they could never tear us apart" - INXS

[exnihilo]

It smacks of a level of pretension event his board doesn't often see.

[Ian McFarlane]

Proper shop? As opposed to black market brollies?

I suspected I would elicit this sort of response, but come on! quality can hardly be assured from the Millets of this world.

Carried in whichever hoof is more comfortable for the carrier.

Hmmmm, I'm not sure.

You ain't seen me, roight?

An Auntie Ella for some of your sausage, china.

unhelpfully arbitrary?

Yes, as is the case with so many formalities. I must add though, some consider dark blue umbrellas to be acceptable - quite what possesses them to be so sartorially lax, I really don't know.

a level of pretension

Pretension's the name of the game in the this neck of the woods, Mr Joss.

moo

(my appologies to Lady Youth for not being out getting rat-arsed tonight, poor show I know.)

[exnihilo]

Pretension's the name of the game? Is it? I always thought that pretension was acting as though one is something that one actually is not.

It's not pretension if you're not pretending, in short.

[RJ Covino]

Quoting exnihilo from 01:34, 20th Aug 2005
It's not pretension if you're not pretending, in short.

But it IS pretension if you spend your Sinner time trying to show off in an attempt to interpose your lips directly on Mr Wilson's arsehole...

"Oh, Eliot, have you perchance met my uncle, Lord Twatface? Do tell him you know me" and whatnot.

[hr]

http://www.ralphcovino.com

[exnihilo]

Yes, that would certainly qualify.

Perhaps some of the new bugs would do well to learn that the act which convinces their peers of their blue-bloodedness doesn't wash with the more elderly. Possibly because a) we've seen it all a thousand times before and b) we know an awful lot more by sheer dint of age and are, therefore, more apt to spot the errors.

Just a thought.

[Little Miss Giggles]

A bit harsh, Ralph.

[Ian McFarlane]

lol, ah the venom.

[exnihilo]

Neither harsh nor venomous, and not directed at any one person in particular. Very, very true, however. I'm sure Messrs Wilson, Martin, Covino and others would all agree that we've lost count of the number of 18 or 19 year olds we've met who would have us think them Mr Worldly-Wiseman but whose obvious pretensions shine out like a beacon. The number of people who would have us think that in one year of adulthood they had learned all there is of the world and were now jaded with the weight of their own wisdom.

St Andrews is a place cursed with young try-hards who would probably be a deal more pleasant company if they stopped acting 40 and, in the words of a friend of mine, 'shook a few monkeys out of their trees' and simply allowed themselves to be themselves. It's no crime to be ignorant when you're young, it's certainly no crime to be young when you're young. There's time to learn things for real which will stand you in better stead than any thin veneer ever could. It is a crime not to want that.

[RJ Covino]

Quoting Little Miss Giggles from 11:52, 20th Aug 2005
A bit harsh, Ralph.

That's Doctor Covino to you, whomever you are.

[hr]

http://www.ralphcovino.com

[Little Miss Giggles]

Quoting RJ Covino from 17:07, 20th Aug 2005

That's Doctor Covino to you, whomever you are.

Oooooooh well done chicken! We can both be doctors, though I will obviously be one of the more useful variety :p

[Eliot Wilson]

What, a physician with the courtesy title of 'doctor', you mean?

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[BasilSeal]

Can you carry things in hooves?

Quite right that man on the pretensions of physicans concerning the use of the title "Dr.". It annoys me no end that these flesh mechanics think that they're as educated as a proper Doctor, such as myself.

Incidentally, on the subject of doctorates, does anyone know of anjyone with a St Andrews D.Litt., earned through publishing a book? I have a book out--and damn fine it is--arguing for a market in human kidneys--and would rather like to apply for a D.Litt. being a graduate and all. The robes are very fetching.

And, by the way, the Brigg it is!

[Eliot Wilson]

The only person with a DLitt to whom I have any connection is Peter Blair's grandfather, Col. Dr J.S.G. Blair (a jolly nice fellow, too). Mr Blair might be able to furnish further details.

I too have my eye on the saffron-and-white, in the fulness of time.

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."

[exnihilo]

I'm just nuts about saffron.

[exnihilo]

I'm just mad about saffron.

[RJ Covino]

Quoting BasilSeal from 04:54, 21st Aug 2005
Incidentally, on the subject of doctorates, does anyone know of anjyone with a St Andrews D.Litt., earned through publishing a book?

I think the short answer is no. The earned D.Litt. isn't for a single publication but, rather, for an entire lifetime's worth of achievements in a field of academic endeavor. You'd have to have produced one hell of a book in order to meet the criteria as set out by the Senatus' statutes regarding the D.Litt. - for it would have had to have made a singular contribution to your field which had revolutionized the way in which all scholars look at your subject and earned you an international reputation. A pretty tall order for a single volume.

The guidelines are available on the St Andrews University homepage.

I would hate to have you apply, pay the 500 knicker to have your work assessed, and then come up short purely due to not having a full understanding of the requirements for the degree.

That said, there is a woman loosely attached to my former department (the School of Classics), Dr Elizabeth Craik, who holds an earned D.Litt. To the best of my knowledge, she is the last person to have earned a D.Litt. and received it. I believe she collected 30 or so years' worth of books and articles before applying.

To bring this back to Academical Dress - I hate saffron yellow. I will be very happy to hang up my M.Litt. hood in the coming months for good.

That said, I suspect I'll quite get over my aversion to said color when I acquire D.Litt. robes.

[hr]

http://www.ralphcovino.com

[Eliot Wilson]

Quoting exnihilo from 13:42, 21st Aug 2005
I'm just mad about saffron.

Saffron's mad about me.

[hr]

Bill and Ted beat the Grim Reaper at Twister

Bill: "You played very well, Death, especially with your totally heavy Death robes."

Death: "Don't patronise me."