Can someone explain to me 'shabby gentile?'

[c.d.]

What do they call the current trend of wearing pajamas (including slippers) out in public? This has become very common in my part of town in the past few years.

- CFL

"Casual Friday" run amok???

c.d.

[Debra A]

Here's the description of the outfit:

A BODY FOUND IN THE THAMES
The body of a man unknown was recovered from the Thames yesterday off Wapping and conveyed to the Wapping mortuary for identification. The following is the description:- Age about 45; height about 5ft 7in.; dark moustache and side whiskers turning grey, bald at top of head and blind in right eye; dressed in dark tweed jacket and vest, black and white check trousers, white cotton shirt; brown socks and lace boots. Letter "D" tattooed on left arm.

Here's the same man is said to be dressed in a 'shabby genteel manner'

Lloyds List 27th November 1888
FOUND IN THE THAMES
Last evening Mr. Wynne E. Baxter, the coroner for South-east Middlesex held an inquest at the Shadwell Vestry-hall on the body of a man unknown, which was found floating in the Thames off Wapping, on Friday last. Alfred Chapman, a waterman , deposed that on Friday last, at 9.45 p.m., he was in his boat off Hermitage Wharf, when he found the body of the deceased floating in the water. He secured it and took it ashore at the Hermitage Stairs, and handed it over to the police. So far as he knew there were no marks of violence on the body but the deceased had evidently lost the sight of one eye. Stephen Brown, inspector of Thames police stationed at Wapping, deposed that he searched the body, but only found an old pipe and a brass wedding ring. The man was dressed in a shabby genteel manner, and was apparently between 40 and 45 years of age. On the left side of the body there was a "D" tattooed, which the witness supposed meant that the deceased was a deserter from the army, as it used to be the custom to brand deserters in that way. The body had evidently been in the water about two weeks, and was probably that of a man who was seen to throw himself off Lambeth-bridge on Nov 3. The jury returned a verdict of "Found Drowned."


His death certificate says that the man was found in the Thames on the 24th Novemeber 1888 and had been in the water about two weeks; dating his death to around the 10th November, despite the newspaper suggesting he was a man seen jumping on the 3rd.

[GUT]

Shabby Chic.

Think of the fellow who bought a new suite for his daughters wedding, wore it frequently including to her 25th wedding anniversary and you’re getting the idea.

[Pcdunn]

Just plain lazy?

[GUT]

What do they call the current trend of wearing pajamas (including slippers) out in public? This has become very common in my part of town in the past few years.

- CFL

Gross????

[Sam Flynn]

What do they call the current trend of wearing pajamas (including slippers) out in public?

Bedroom chic?

[C. F. Leon]

What do they call the current trend of wearing pajamas (including slippers) out in public? This has become very common in my part of town in the past few years.

- CFL

[Vincenzo]

'Shabby genteel' described people like clerks who didn't use their muscles to make a living but worked in an office or bank. They were people who didn't really have the income to keep up a certain standard of dress for their way of life, but clung to lower middle class status cos it was a rung up from working class.

Thank you!

[Rosella]

'Shabby genteel' described people like clerks who didn't use their muscles to make a living but worked in an office or bank. They were people who didn't really have the income to keep up a certain standard of dress for their way of life, but clung to lower middle class status cos it was a rung up from working class.

[Mayerling]

Resisting urge to retort "That's Franken-STEENE!" ala Young Frankenstein-- oh wait, I didn't, did I... ?

"You're kiddin'. Well...you can call me "EYE-gore!!"

[Mayerling]

There's a book written originally in 1840 called "a shabby genteel story"
If anyone feels inclined you can purchase a copy for as little as 1p
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/081...2IL&ref=plSrch

I am not sure but William M. Thackeray certainly pushed the idea of the "shabby genteel" type in his fiction. So did Dickens (best example is Mrs. Sparsit in "Hard Times", who adores the "self-made" millionaire industrialist Josiah Bounderby, until she discovers his hideous secret at the end.

Jeff

[Mayerling]

Jew would know...

Sort of reminds me of an early snippet of conversation by Woody Allen in one of his films, concerning going into a record store and being asked by the clerk if he wants to hear some Wagner.

[Mayerling]

Think Mr Micawber, before he left for Australia.

Actually Mr. Micawber before he is hired to be Uriah Heep's clerk (before he turns the tables on Heep).

[GUT]

Sounds like GUT's long lost relative

Or more to the point like Gut today.

[GUT]

Can identify with that.

Abelard shirts,John Karindonous boots,Conte de Roma suits,designer ties,etc.
Picked up a strep infection in November 1982. Meh.

Just plain shabby these days.....captain tracky daks

I still wear boots to work that Mrs Kanandonis sold me about 20 years ago.