Formal Dress Forum

[Eliot Wilson]

Certainly, with an impending doctorate in the subject, I suppose I have some claim to calling myself an historian. More so than Tony Robinson, or, dare I say it, Phil Harding: "'Ello, Oi'm from the West Country. Oi got an 'at and drink zoider, so Oi know about flint-knaaaaaaping."

Has anyone ever extended the first syllable of "knapping" further than Phil Harding? I somehow doubt it.

[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."

[Stuart]

Could it not be said that Phil Harding is known as an archaeologist, rather than a historian?

[Eliot Wilson]

I prefer to think of him primarily as a professional cider drinker.

[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."

[RJ Covino]

Quoting Eliot Wilson from 15:19, 24th Aug 2005
Certainly, with an impending doctorate in the subject, I suppose I have some claim to calling myself an historian.

OK, I think you missed the jist of my question by a bit, as we've delved off into people I'd like to see shot - or am I missing the point? Is your Ph.D. classed as History on its own?

I've always opted for "Ancient Historian" even though, I suppose, I'm of the wider 'Historian' genus (Ancient Historians as a species - ewwww). It stops people asking silly questions about WWII, or, indeed, anything after the death of Caesar. In that regard, of course, you could claim to be a "Modern Historian" and probably receive the full support of the Dean of the Faculty of Arts...

[hr]

http://www.ralphcovino.com

[exnihilo]

I prefer to tell people I'm an astronaut. This is almost entirely because I wearied of saying I was a Mediaeval Historian only to have some spotty, SNP badge-wearing, eighteen year old ask me to tell him all I knew about the Picts and to then challenge me on the basis of some Penguin book he'd read on the subject.

If I'm in the pub, kids, I don't want to talk about history. OK? And I certainly don't want to talk about Picts/Scots or Gaelic/Scots/English in a modern political context.

Does anyone else fear that we're drifting from the topic?

[Eliot Wilson]

If I'm in a tutorial, it's by no means certain I want to talk about history...

Back on-topic, however, hats. When, where, how not to look a twat.

Thoughts?

[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."

[Dave the Explosive Newt]

The trilby - any use other than comedy value? My grandfather was known to wear one, and I went driving around in one I borrowed from a friend in Sheffield the other day. Instead of waving to people who let me out of junctions, I doffed my hat. Unfortunately, this obscured my view of their expressions (and, indeed, the road) but I was told that they were all hillarious.

On the plus side, it covered up my receeding hairline.


[hr]

Will Watson. Medical Student. Cake Lover.

[Mr Comedy]

Quoting Eliot Wilson from 16:05, 24th Aug 2005
I prefer to think of him primarily as a professional cider drinker.

I think that he's throroughly beaten by the real zider professionals, The Wurzels.

[Eliot Wilson]

One of whom was/is Scottish.

[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."

[Mr Comedy]

[quote]Quoting Eliot Wilson from 14:17, 25th Aug 2005
One of whom was/is Scottish.
[quote]

Leading to the excellent song - Haggis Farewell.
Awesome chat.

[Guest]

Then he is Professor The Most Reverend Trevor Hart.

Not quite, the religious honorific would come first - 'The Most Reverend Professor A. B.', but even this is incorrect as 'Professor' is an appointed position and so would stand alone (this is also tru even if the Prof. has a knighthood or peerage title!)

I'm sure that most posters to this list are aware that one should never mix either academic, military or religious styles together willy-nilly. Awards from The Sovereign may be used with religious honorifics (as in The Rev. Sir A. B. but this is quite rare, for obvious reasons), but never properly with academic titles.

[Eliot Wilson]

So Ian Kershaw, for example, cannot properly call himself Professor Sir Ian Kershaw? Hmmm. I'm unconvinced by this.

[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."

[RJ Covino]

Quoting Eliot Wilson from 20:36, 25th Aug 2005
So Ian Kershaw, for example, cannot properly call himself Professor Sir Ian Kershaw? Hmmm. I'm unconvinced by this.

Indeed, I have never heard of the Chancellor, Professor Sir Kenneth Dover, referred to as anything but that.

[hr]

http://www.ralphcovino.com

[exnihilo]

You doubt the authority of the mystery poster? For shame, for shame.

[Eliot Wilson]

I'm funny that way.

It does occur to me that "The Rev. Sir..." would be a very unusual style, as I believe there is some kind of prohibition on clergymen accepting orders of chivalry. I suppose one could have a baronet who went into the church - it isn't absolutely unknown.

[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."

[Laura]

What about "The Rev. Dr'- academic and religious, but if your degree was of the theological kind this surely wouldn't be mixing it 'willy nilly' as the unregistered poster suggests. I wrote a letter several days ago to a Rev. Dr, which I believe is what he likes to be referred to as.

Sir Kenneth Dover's correspondence says exactly that.. 'Sir Kenneth' rather than 'Prof. Sir Kenneth' but he might just be modest...

[hr]

"Twenty years to the week since I was President of the Oxford Union, editor of isis, jeunesse doree I find myself the early morining toast of the ITV telethon: standing on my head, unravelling the world's biggest jumper, leading the dawn sing-along with Rustie the Caribean Cook. Something's gone wrong somewhere..."

[Eliot Wilson]

Quite so, "The Rev. Dr" is a common style (Jamie Walker, Ian Paisley). Besides, you could argue that "Reverend" is an "appointed position". The argument is unravelling somewhat.

[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."

[Laura]

If you mean from hats to multiple titles of various people then I guess it is slightly....

People seem to be anonymously and desperately trying to steer you all off topic.

[hr]

"Twenty years to the week since I was President of the Oxford Union, editor of isis, jeunesse doree I find myself the early morining toast of the ITV telethon: standing on my head, unravelling the world's biggest jumper, leading the dawn sing-along with Rustie the Caribean Cook. Something's gone wrong somewhere..."

[RJ Covino]

Quoting Laura from 00:25, 26th Aug 2005
Sir Kenneth Dover's correspondence says exactly that.. 'Sir Kenneth' rather than 'Prof. Sir Kenneth'

That most likely due to the fact that it is personal correspondence and not related to teaching. See http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/classics/people/index.shtml

Two other points:

1) What is a "morining" and/or "Caribean"?

2) Have all of the readers of this board seen the photos of the Serjeant wearing Sir Kenneth's magnificently frogged piece of AD? That'll teach him not to leave it on the hat rack in Lower College Hall...

[hr]

http://www.ralphcovino.com

[Eliot Wilson]

Show us the photos!

[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."