The meanings of stripes

Cravatonotes

Further reading
Fink, Thomas and Yong, Mao
The 85 Ways to Tie a Tie
London: Fourth Estate, 1999

Laver, James
The Book of Public School Old Boys, University, Navy, Army, Air Force & Club Ties
London : Seeley Service 1968
Derivation
The term cravatomancy is a neologism, a compound word derived from the French cravate, neck-cloth and the Greek μαντεἱα, divination, hence telling the future through ties. The ancients did not wear ties, as far as we know, so the term emerged when Sweder noticed the blue and yellow tie I wore on election day, 6 May 2010, and thought it foretold a Tory-Lib-Dem coalition.

26 May 2010

The meanings of stripes

With these striped ties, the wearer takes a risk. Is he wearing the insignia of the Old Custardians or the Royal Loamshire Yeomanry round his neck? Will an old and enraged club-man accost him and demand to know why he is wearing a tie only awarded to those elected to membership? Will someone remind him of the time they roasted Clegg Minor over a slow fire?

Posted by Tom Roper on 26 May 2010 at 09:03 PM in Stripes | Permalink

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