Confirmed bachelor

Posted by David FG on March 13, 2010 at 07:47

In Reply to: Confirmed bachelor posted by Smokey Stover on March 13, 2010 at 03:03:

: : I have searched the site for the phrase "confirmed bachelor" and it only came up once, but in reference to the phrase "cloverboy." I would like to find out the history of the phrase "confirmed bachelor," particularly to discover when it first held the connotation of homosexuality.

: I didn't know that the phrase ever held to connotation of homosexuality. Obviously a man without female companionship in his life can expect gossip, but I don't think it has always accompanied the status of "confirmed bachelor," nor do I think it does now.

: We don't have a parallel phrase "confirmed spinster," or at least I haven't heard it. Still women living alone except for a female comapanion can expect comments. Rosa Bonheur, possibly the most famous painter of horses in the 19th century and undoubtedly the most famous woman painter of her time, got all kinds of gossip because she lived with a woman. Geez Louise, who care?

I disagree slightly with SS. It certainly was one of those 'coded' phrases that everyone understood that used to appear in obituaries (especially). In the days when homosexuality was a crime, and even after that when attitudes were considerably less tolerant than they are (thankfully) now, it was not 'done' to state that a man was gay.

Another classic phrase that was widely used was 'he didn't suffer fools gladly' - which was code for 'he was bloody rude'.

DFG

• Confirmed bachelor Baceseras 13/March/10
  • Confirmed bachelor David FG 14/March/10
    • Confirmed bachelor Smokey Stover 14/March/10
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        • Confirmed bachelor David FG 15/March/10
          • Confirmed bachelor Baceseras 15/March/10