Dress cute

Posted by Smokey Stover on September 15, 2009 at 15:32

In Reply to: Dress cute posted by ESC on September 15, 2009 at 12:30:

: : : : : "Paris Hilton was immortalized this week when the new edition of the 'Oxford Book of Quotations' hit shelves, and her contribution wasn't simply 'That's hot.' The book includes her quote: 'Dress cute wherever you go, life is too short to blend in.'"

: : : : :

: : : : : Words to live by.

: : : : That's not perhaps the most common turn of phrase, but the advice is sound and the grammar passable. Just yesterday SWMBO and I watched a program similar to "What Not to Wear," but with two English women teaching some clueless American woman to dress nore stylishly. They didn't actually say "dress cute," but they insisted that she put color and flair into her wardrobe, as life was too short to spend hiding under a drab outfit.
: : : : SS

: : : Uh, SWMBO?

: : She Who Must Be Obeyed.
: : I'm guessing you were watching "Making Over America" with the hosts of the original British "What Not To Wear" - Trinny Woodall and Susannah Constantine (the American show was a knock-off).

: I loved the British series but have never watched the American version. Ditto "The Office."

: Everything is a phrase. I was searching for "she who must be obeyed" in connection with the British mystery series Rumpole of the Bailey. Found the expression has a longer history. en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/She_%28novel%29

RRC is right, SWMBO and I were watching Trinny and Susannah in "Making Over America."

H. Rider Haggard was a prolific novelist, relating the adventures of Allan Qatermain in numerous novels, including "King Solomon's Mines." and also making a big hit with "She," and at least one other nevel about Ayesha (She).

Of the eight movies (starting in 1908) based on "She," I saw only the 1965 version with Ursula Andress. Thus I recognized the source for Rumpole's sotto voce references to his wife Hilda as "She Who Must Be Obeyed," when "Rumpole of the Bailey" appeared on TV in 1978. I would guess that many men of Rumpole's generation (and John Mortimer's) would have read H. Rider Haggard's book.

Haggard was seriously interested in improving agricultural practices in parts of the British Empire, but is remembered for his adventure novels, sometimes credited with having created the "lost world" genre, still going strong on movie and television screens.

The movies inspired by Haggard's books are intelligently discussed at:

www.denversfbookclub.com/ haggard.htm

H. Rider Haggard at the movies

Dress cute David FG 16/September/09
- Dress cute ESC 19/September/09
  - Dress cute Smokey Stover 19/September/09
    - Dress cute David FG 20/September/09