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carolinanadeau · 6 months

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In Praise of Sally Ann Howes

As I've made it one of the purposes of my blog to share photos and songs and general positivity about the wonderful English actress Sally Ann Howes, I thought I'd make a post to talk in much more detail about all the great things about her and why I adore her so much!

This classy English beauty possessed a highly expressive face and eyes, an astonishingly powerful soprano, a great sense of humor, and the world's most charming laugh. One thing I cannot stop saying about Sally Ann is that she did not and does not get nearly enough credit and recognition for her immense talent and prolific career, and it's precisely for that reason that I'm here to do my part in giving it to her!

This overlong rambling post is a combination of biographical information and my personal fawning over her performances... whatever I felt I most wanted to put out there in the world and what I'd like people less familiar with her to know.

Click on Keep Reading and I'll take you on a journey!

As she preferred to work on the stage and didn't really pursue a film career, the catalog of Sally Ann's work that can still be viewed today is unfortunately small - though you can find almost all of her early films on the internet if you look hard! In her early film days, mostly made before she was able to pursue her true passion of musical theatre, her extraordinary singing talents weren't utilized by the producers at all.

However, we were fortunately blessed with exactly one musical film role from her, and it's an iconic one: the aptly-named role of Truly Scrumptious in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), the golden-haired, golden-hearted candy heiress who falls in love with and eventually marries Dick van Dyke's character Caractacus Potts after joining him and his children on a madcap adventure. She's a sweet, intelligent ingenue with hidden depths and one of my favorite sorts of character arcs - the uptight, lonely woman who becomes more and more warm and open as she discovers newfound freedom and joy in life and falls in love.

There is something about Sally Ann that just glows in every scene of Chitty, and it's not only that bright blonde hair! The way she widens her eyes sometimes, the way she raises her eyebrows, her gentle and soft presence in the happiest scenes, and the particular airy lilt she has to her speaking voice are all so distinctive and appealing, and I can't take my eyes off her. And her smile! When I say she glows it's barely even a metaphor, the woman just emits light.

(Funnily enough, I started to realize that many of the laudatory quotes I've found about her also refer to her in this way, like this quote from a 1965 TV Guide article, from playwright Sidney Kingsley: "She's luminous as an actress. I mean that literally. In Brigadoon she really lit up the stage.")

For me, I'm weak for any actress who can do the defrosted-ice-queen trope so incredibly well. Truly starts out as closed-off and prim, and nearly reverts to that state when she and Caractacus have a Big Misunderstanding near the end, but in the scenes where she's happy and carefree, the warmth just radiates off of her.

She also has the most adorable chemistry with Dick van Dyke in an annoyances-to-friends-to-lovers relationship that absolutely shaped my young brain. Whenever Sally Ann and Dick glance at each other, whether with irritation and frustration early in the film or with warmth and affection later on, their chemistry is obvious and natural, and there's so much expressed in each one of those glances. One has no difficulty believing that these characters are going to be very happily married.

(Here's a cute on-set interview where she talks about, among other things, how easily she and van Dyke clicked.)

While I acknowledge that the character of Caractacus Potts was absolutely originally planned to be an actual Englishman, Dick van Dyke played him with an American accent, and to me they will always be an adorable English-American couple. It's a whole part of the charm of this pairing to me!

Sally Ann also had a great relationship with child actors Adrian Hall and Heather Ripley who played Jeremy and Jemima Potts, and did her best to help make them more comfortable and happy during the many very long days on set. Having been a child film star herself, she knew a great deal about how difficult and alienating it could be. The genuine affection the three of them shared is obvious in their scenes together, especially in the extremely adorable "Truly Scrumptious" number, and it really makes the developing mother-child relationship between the characters so believable.

The beach scene, where so much of the relationship between Truly and Caractacus and the Potts children is developed, is incredibly cute and heartwarming, and a lot of that rides on Sally Ann's performance and how her previously prim-and-proper character shows herself to be warm and loving, once she (literally) lets her hair down. We've already seen how happy the Potts family is together; now we see how Truly fits in perfectly and makes them all even happier.

Look at her! Literally glowing!

(One thing I should mention: I think both the plot and the love story of CCBB are greatly improved if one just treats the "dream sequence" as real events, which was possibly the original intention anyway, so just note that is always the perspective I'm coming from here. It's the only way to make some things make sense and for the characters and their relationships to fully develop.)

"Lovely, Lonely Man" is Truly's big solo moment, and was probably the least comprehensible part of the movie to me as a kid (lol), but is now indisputably one of the very best parts to me as an adult. It's an exquisitely beautiful love song, especially the bridge, and I somehow love it more and more every time I rewatch it. Sally Ann's dreamy, graceful movements and the way the whole scene is shot make her look like a princess, and the slow build of the song is masterfully done. She has this distinctive crisp way of articulating her words while singing, especially the closing consonants like N and M, that I just love to listen to. The string section and the building countermelodies are so beautiful it makes me want to weep. Everyone involved in creating this scene and song deserved an award, I'm being so serious. While it's not the highest of soprano songs and doesn't fully show off Sally Ann's astonishing range, she shows an incredible amount of vocal control here through the many diminuendos and crescendos, and she's mesmerizing to watch and listen to. One of her "glowiest" scenes, for sure!

While I've seen people call this song irrelevant to the plot, I strongly disagree - the romance is part of the plot, of course, and while I didn't fully understand the meaning as a kid, this song establishes how much Truly's outlook on life and hopes for the future have already changed since meeting Caractacus, and how much happier she is with the poor Potts family than she's ever been in her life of luxury. Plus, now we know for certain that she's head over heels for Caractacus, but he doesn't know... increasing the dramatic irony of the pining and yearning to follow!

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In the reprise of "Hushabye Mountain", which was sung in a much earlier scene by Dick van Dyke alone, Caractacus loses the will to continue the song because he's overwhelmed with emotion thinking of his children being held captive. Truly comes in to aid him with the final verse - another pivotal moment in the developing romance - and Sally Ann's singing here is nothing short of breathtaking.

And of course, I can't neglect to mention the "Doll on a Music Box" number, where Sally Ann, who was not a trained dancer and in fact considered herself to be "appalling" at it, performs an incredibly precise, incredibly impressive clockwork song-and-dance number while on a spinning turntable! She practiced it so well that she managed to successfully complete the shot in a single take, prompting the stage full of extras to burst into applause.

This is another important character moment for Truly, though it's disguised in a diegetic performance: though it's another thing that went over my head as a child who only got to see the movie once, the lyrics about being trapped up on a music box and longing to be freed by love pretty clearly symbolize how trapped the real Truly's high-society life makes her feel, and how she yearns to break free from class restrictions and live happily-ever-after with Caractacus, as it's only with him and his family that she really feels free.

Then there's that incredibly warm romantic look that Truly and Caractacus share at the end of the song when she silently acknowledges the love confession he's just made while singing in counterpoint with her, though they're still in a dangerous situation and can't give themselves away by appearing too human and breaking their disguises... sadly this vital moment is cut off on all the Youtube videos of the scene I can find, because none of the people who clipped it understand that that's the whole point of it all, apparently. But here's a gif!

The character of Truly doesn't exist at all in the original (quite different) book by James Bond author Ian Fleming - surprising, I know, given her name! - and, honestly, the fact that Truly and the romantic subplot of this movie exist are why it had such a strong impact on me as a child, and very much why I fell in love with it again as an adult. Even though the score is wonderful anyway and the story is charming and magical, I can confidently say that I would not have become as completely enchanted or had such a strong desire to revisit it again and again if there'd been no Truly and no love story. The fact that Sally Ann's performance makes Truly so loveable is, obviously, a pretty crucial factor there.

Sally Ann's delivery of "Well, Mr. Potts... now you'll have to marry me!" after Caractacus kisses Truly... that slide from prim mock-outrage to the playful, warm, you-can-hear-the-smile-in her-voice conclusion is flawless. Not even exaggerating when I say that this was the moment that made me into a hopeless romantic as a 9-year-old child. Sure, this wasn't the first movie I'd seen where two people fall in love and live happily ever after, but I distinctly remember that this was the first romance story that had me in a giggling, kicking-my-feet, "I ship it so hard" state of mind. And after revisiting it as an adult for the first time last year, I have confirmed that yes, child me already had great taste in fictional romances!

Oh, I could say so much about the difference in her body language between the two scenes where Caractacus carries Truly out of her car that's become stuck in a pond. The first time, Truly is affronted and extremely embarrassed by the situation, holding herself so stiffly and awkwardly to avoid an accidental embrace that she causes him to nearly lose his balance and drop her. The second time, when they're in love and they know it, she snuggles right up into his arms without hesitation and it's the cutest thing ever. Sally Ann was 5'6" but looks so tiny in that scene!

(And that kiss! Maybe I'm getting off-topic here in terms of strictly focusing on Sally Ann's contributions, because Dick van Dyke deserves tons of credit for making this kiss so good... but wow, the kiss. Several times I have called it "the Most Kiss they could have gotten away with in a children's movie." Again, giggling, kicking my feet etc.)

While Truly's costumes and hairstyling are rarely historically accurate (the film is set around 1910), the stylized nature of her fashion is iconic and memorable in itself. Sally Ann also completely pulls off playing a fresh-faced ingenue who is 12+ years younger than her actual age - and I do wonder if the aging-down of Sally Ann is at least part of the reason why Truly wears her hair loose throughout most of the movie! Either way, it works perfectly and I was shocked when I first learned how much older she was than her character. (If you watch her in The Admirable Crichton, where she is also in Edwardian costume and was closer to Truly's actual age, she really doesn't look all that much different. If anything, I think she looks even more glowingly beautiful in Chitty!)

Also, as for Truly wearing her hair down... it may just have been an intentionally anachronistic stylistic choice, but in-story, I think it actually contributes to her character by showing a willingness to flout convention and pursue whatever will make her happy instead of what's expected of her, which happens to be a key theme of her character arc.

Another thing that led me to adore Sally Ann as a person as I learned more about her over the last year: in the 1960s, she appeared as a panelist in quite a few episodes of the game show To Tell the Truth (as well as a few episodes of Password), and these can be found on Youtube. I really adore how her personality shines through - she's unfailingly bubbly, witty, self-deprecating, and a bit quirky. Just listening to her speak is a delight and she has one of the best laughs I've ever heard. Here is one of my favorite little moments that I clipped.

By all accounts, she was a delightful person to know and work with, witty and clever, very professional, and very serious about her craft. She also always maintained a great affection for and pride in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and her role as Truly, which is always a wonderful thing to know about an actor in a beloved role.

Another bonus: here is a super charming interview with her after a backstage disaster at What Makes Sammy Run? on Broadway.

She was also, along with Twiggy and Diahann Carroll (as Julia Baker), one of the first three celebrities to have her likeness made into a Barbie doll.

Two of her earlier films I recommend are the comedies Fools Rush In (1949) and The Admirable Crichton (1957), if you can find them (hint-hint, you can.) You may also be able to find the 1966 TV movie of her reprising her Tony-nominated role of Fiona in Brigadoon with Robert Goulet, and although I feel like the oddly close-up way the film was shot kinda does a disservice to the actors at times, it's still amazing to be able to see and hear her in a role she performed on Broadway.

Richard Rodgers once called Sally Ann "the greatest singer who ever sang on the American musical stage." Now, I don't quote this to claim this superlative as some kind of objective fact. If you know anything about me, I am very, very strongly opposed to pitting women against each other and all the Golden Age sopranos are absolute queens who deserve crowns, no matter how much mainstream success or present-day name-recognition they have/had. I just think it's phenomenal that she received such high praise from a man who worked with many of the best musical theatre singers who ever lived... and to think, many people today have never even heard her voice. Without her performance as Truly Scrumptious, it's possible almost nobody would in the future! I am so glad that Sally Ann's lasting legacy was ensured by such a beloved film role.

Sadly for us, many of the theatrical roles which she originated (and thus, for which cast albums featuring her exist) were in shows that either flopped quickly or at least did not enter the theatrical canon, so she never achieved the level of mainstream recognition she clearly deserves. But Sally Ann also played such legendary and challenging roles as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, Fiona MacLaren in Brigadoon (for which she received a Tony nomination), Maria Rainer von Trapp in The Sound of Music, Anna Leonowens in The King and I, and, much later, Desiree Armfeldt in A Little Night Music. She received great acclaim for all of these performances and, judging by what we know of her process on My Fair Lady, was excellent at making roles distinctly her own and never merely imitating another performer.

Even in her iconic original role of Truly Scrumptious, you don't get to hear the true full power of Sally Ann's extraordinary soprano. For that, I highly recommend listening to "Another Time, Another Place" from Kwamina (1961), and "Something to Live For" from What Makes Sammy Run? (1964). I'm always sad that we don't have any recordings of her in her "fiery" star turn as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady, but you can at least hear her do a Cockney accent, be silly, and sing "With a Little Bit of Luck" with Bing Crosby here!

If it weren't for the enduring success of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, few people might have even heard of Sally Ann Howes today, and that would be a terrible loss. I cannot overstate that I am so grateful that we all know who she is because she played this role and we get to see her give this radiant performance of a character that's all her own. Maybe this sounds strange, but I think the fact that this was Sally Ann's only musical film role (and the ONLY role most people will ever see her in) makes it even more precious, and makes everything she brings to the character that much more distinctive and unique and special.

Both for all of the talent and charm she brings to the role itself, and everything else that I and many other fans have been able to learn of so much of her otherwise-obscure work because of it, the world is incredibly lucky to have the lovely Sally Ann Howes immortalized as our Truly Scrumptious, and I wouldn't have it any other way 💖

#*mic drop*#sally ann howes #chitty chitty bang bang #and that's why you should vote for... wait there's no poll involved? I may have gotten carried away ;)#ok so I doubt anyone will even pay attention to this post but if you are going to tag or comment on this BE KIND AND POSITIVE ABOUT HER #like this is obviously a labor of love on my part here... don't be weird or backhanded. I don't need to hear how you disagree or whatever #and no pitting women against each other on my posts I am so serious #this is a fan post! this is a stan post! this is a celebration! do not derail!#I feel like I need to sprinkle holy water on this post before I release it out into the world #oh Sally Ann we're really in it now #also parts of this are poorly written I know. it's literally just an infodump about my Special Interest English Lady what do you expect lol #the switches between formal tone and informal fangirling are intentional btw #this is what I'm using my degree for apparently #I know I mixed in a lot of character/story analysis here and maybe that's slightly off-topic from lauding her performance but hey #it's not like I'm getting graded on this. and I mean you can see these things in her character BECAUSE of her performance #take my hand. love her with me. life could be a dream #you know the lyric in Hamilton - 'I wrote my way out'? that's what this was for me. I wrote my way out of a mental health crisis with this #when I came up with this idea I was going to save it for her birthday but that is sooo far away. so I'll post now and reblog it then!#I'm shocked tumblr can even handle whatever I'm trying to do here #I wouldn't have put SO many photos except that I needed to use multiples so I could make them smaller!!#my original post #long post

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nostalgia-tblr · 6 months

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the marvel how-can-i-shoehorn-more-stuff-about-medieval-queens-into-this-fanfiction universe

#'medieval' here used as a shorthand for a period that also covers early modern #that untitled sifki sequel may or may not have another 'btw her maids totally know her menstrual cycle' moment in it #i know the readers LOVE those #(they don't. i assume?)#and the frostmaster 'anne boleyn' thing is gonna open with a Very Tasteful bit of neck-admiring #i've actually been branching out a bit in my readings though. i even read one about a KING recently. one written by A MAN even :O #tho i still favour my kindle categories of 'dead queens (uk)' 'dead queens (not uk)' and 'historical women (not queens tho)'#see? i read upon diverse historical topics. (or 'divers' as the primary sources would have it.)#btw if anyone can rec a non-fiction book in english about wu zetian i'd be forever grateful thanks in advance

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saintbuffy · 3 months

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desperately want to talk to someone about books/the stuff I’m reading

#especially Flannery O’Connor and southern gothic in general and writing in that genre!#or Rainer Maria Rilke #or Anne Carson #those are my big three right now #though I am also really wanting to read this book I found in Asheville about max ernst told from the POVs of his lovers #and I have a longgg tbr #also very into regional fiction from NC #also the south in general is fine but #I’m trying to be a North Carolinian writer specificay #specifically*#I’ve got a few I’ve been meaning to read by NC writers #also vampire stories!!!!#and regional ghost stories/local legends and lore #I’m veryyyy into folklore especially southern #and romance of course I’ve been reading a lot of romance lately especially regency #but I want to turn my attentions towards books that will help me grow as a writer #because I rlyyyy want to grow #I feel kinda stagnant lately and haven’t written a story since … may or maybe April #anyway #talk to me about books!!

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antisisyphus · 9 months

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anne and diana shouldve lezzed out. this has always been my opinion on the matter

#i liked the adaption tho i feel like it handled its black & first nation chars somewhat clumsily #im sure poc have written posts abt it that i will read.#but when i read the books i was a staunch gilbert hater. like why would anne have hang with some guy when her beautiful talented kind bff #IS RIGHT THERE #although this may be me projecting bc i had a diana-like friend in my life and im sure i was quasi in love with her for all of elementary

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kingbuffy · 1 year

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About the Twilight Remake News...

Yeah, no thanks. This is a bad case of studio executives misinterpreting the Twilight Renaissance. They think that because a lot of people are talking about Twilight that that means fans want more. Not necessarily the case; most people are all about Twilight rn because we've grown up and we've learned to enjoy the series again if not in a slightly mocking and critical way. Sure there are some unconditional lovers, but for the most part it's a joke. Studio executives famously don't understand jokes. Twilight is not good, I have fun with it, but it's really bad. The show can't be good and a Twilight adaptation unless the showrunners were to fundamentally change the source material. And at that point just make something new!

Also: How accurate to the books is the adaptation gonna be?? Are they going to exploit the Quileute Tribe again just to call them dogs and mongrels, and not give them any royalties for using their names again????

Are we gonna have to suffer through Confederate Jasper again??

What about the disgusting anti abortion rhetoric from the last book, or the horrifying imprinting, that basically forces Jacob to be an unwilling groomer and potential pedophile?

Genuine question, do we really want this?

#Mind #these topics in the books are written like they're fine and a-okay #with no actual textual discussion.#which is why i say that anne rice and smeyer have a lot more in common than people may think #twilight reboot #twilight saga #twilight

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smallhatlogan · 3 months

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saw the opinion that "iwtv show would be better if Claudia actually lived" and like, she's my favorite character but no she is one of those characters who absolutely needs to die and make you feel bad about it

#also i think it would be kind of disrespectful to anne rice all things considered. and while you may dislike her u still gotta #consider why iwtv was written in the first place

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incorrect-jojolands-quotes · 4 months

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So, I wrote a fic about Barbara Ann.

#the jojolands #jjba #jojos bizarre adventure #jojo part 9 #jjba part 9 #jjba jojolands #jojolands #barbara ann joestar #ao3 fanfic #more of a backstory for her #my headcanons on what her life is like and why things are the way they are #i think this is the longest oneshot i've written so far #the author may have been projecting a bit while writing this

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partiallypearl · 2 years

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andylind (would you like to write them? 😁) + 12

prompt: things you said when you thought I was asleep

anne i hope u enjoy this bc i have no idea if it's good or not

The cottage was silent when Rosalind snuck in, the baby in her arms wide awake but content. Andreas was asleep on the couch, his arm draped over his wound which was haphazardly wrapped in gauze.

A shitty job, Rosalind thought to herself. She had taught him better than that.

She stepped closer, tracking mud into the house, and balancing the baby on her hip. She stared at Andreas, her eyes scanning the bruises and cuts that covered his chest, as well as his face. Soft, despite his broken nose, and the slight grimace on his lips.

"I taught you better than this." She muttered to herself, knowing that truthfully, she hadn't. Nonetheless, she shifted the baby in her arms so she was holding it - her, she reminded herself, out in front of her body. She walked closer until she was right beside the couch, and Andreas was right below her, the way he usually was.

The baby hummed, eyes focused on Andreas's face as well, and Rosalind sighed, placing her on top of Andreas's chest, watching as she curled up on him.

Andreas's arms came up to hold the infant to his chest, and Rosalind bit back a frown at the show of affection. It was stupid, the idea of her being jealous of an infant, an infant she had brought to him.

But Rosalind had never been a particularly logical person when it came to things that belonged to her - and he definitely fell under that category.

"I'll be back." She muttered under her breath, grabbing the throw blanket off the couch and draping it over them. "Don't forget our plans. And please for fucks sake Andreas, don't get yourself stabbed again. I don't have the time to deal with this shit."

He didn't respond to her, deep in his sleep but there was a small smile on his face. Rosalind had the startling realization that she only ever wanted to see him smile like that for her.

Solaria above.

#andreas of eraklyon #ftws rosalind #rosalind hale #andylind #fate the winx saga #ftws #anne tag #*mine #*mine: fic #i have never written for this ship before #so this may be absolute shit LMAO #idk how rosalind thinks #i was trying to go for evil but idkkkk

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vogelmeister · 1 year

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one of the worst things i have ever done in the name of art is decide that the final monologue would be in poorly written dutch and then have to translate that into English and then decide how you’re going to display this bc its way too much dutch for the little footnotes you have been including when a character does use a dutch word but also you also like,, need to translate this into english so now you have an appendix and that's way too fancy but it's still in Dutch and you still need to put it in English and it's not even hard Dutch like its basic yet your head hurts still looking at it even though you know what you did and what you wrote and words are hard and you simultaniously know and don't know and this long ramble is exactly how your brain was operating at the time so yay. me.

#and before you wonder why it's in dutch i'll tell you the worse my dutch is the better my point comes across #its meant to represent the moment where you have been hurt badly and you struggle to understand your feelings about it #so yea literally the worse it is the better the point of “i don't understand how i feel right now and i can't express it” comes across #anyways yeah felt wrong. hated doing it. but it had to be done.#i feel bad for whomestever has to perform merel in any form #bc if the two page monologue i wrote in a previous work isnt enough. bc lbr thats evil.#like I look at that monologue and go. oh. oh boy thats intimidating #if you have been here a while you know what i mean #i think this may be worse even though its shorter #purely bc its written in my poor dutch #at LEAST theres no monologue in goud that makes me go 'the convincingness of this character relies on this monologue's delivery'#at least not for merel . maybe for anne-fleur #but eh write the monologues that if i was asked to perform would make me shit twenty two bricks yeah whatever #also like i know een beetje nederlands i may as well use it or try no matter how shit it is thats why its in my brain #this makes it seem impressive. its not. its really basic. which is again the point #and it confuses merel to no end #bc like writing is her thing! so to suddenly not ge able to write emotions and simply be like ‘im angry’ would indeed be shocking #if you read it u would see what i mean #dagboek (english version) is the new taylor's version and we fight at dawn.#at least maybe i know tuesday in dutch. maybe. we will see. i mix her and thursday up #dutch language found dead

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yeoldenews · 7 months

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While we’re on the subject of names, is there an explanation for how traditional nicknames came about that are seemingly unrelated to, or have little in common with, the original name?

ie- John/Jack, Richard/Dick, Henry/Harry/Hank, Charles/Chuck, Margaret/Peggy/Daisy, Sarah/Sally, Mary/Molly, Anne/Nan, etc

I am actually over a week into researching a huge follow-up post (probably more than one if I’m being honest) about the history of nickname usage, so I will be going into this in much, much more detail at a hopefully not-so-later date - if I have not lost my mind. (Two days ago I spent three hours chasing down a source lead that turned out to be a typographical error from 1727 that was then quoted in source after source for the next 150 years.)

As a preview though, here’s some info about the names you mentioned:

The origins of a good portion of common English nicknames come down to the simple fact that people really, really like rhyming things. Will 🠞Bill, Rob🠞Bob, Rick🠞Dick, Meg🠞Peg.

It may seem like a weird reason, but how many of you have known an Anna/Hannah-Banana? I exclusively refer to my Mom’s cat as Toes even though her name is Moe (Moesie-Toesies 🠞 Toesies 🠞 Toes).

Jack likely evolved from the use of the Middle English diminutive suffix “-chen” - pronounced (and often spelled) “-kyn” or “kin”. The use of -chen as a diminutive suffix still endures in modern German - as in “liebchen” = sweetheart (lieb “love” + -chen).

John (Jan) 🠞 Jankin 🠞 Jackin 🠞 Jack.

Hank was also originally a nickname for John from the same source. I and J were not distinct letters in English until the 17th Century. “Iankin” would have been nearly indistinguishable in pronunciation from “Hankin” due to H-dropping. It’s believed to have switched over to being a nickname for Henry in early Colonial America due to the English being exposed to the Dutch nickname for Henrik - “Henk”.

Harry is thought to be a remnant of how Henry was pronounced up until the early modern era. The name was introduced to England during the Norman conquest as the French Henri (On-REE). The already muted nasal n was dropped in the English pronunciation. With a lack of standardized spelling, the two names were used interchangeably in records throughout the middle ages. So all the early English King Henrys would have written their name Henry and pronounced it Harry.

Sally and Molly likely developed simply because little kids can’t say R’s or L’s. Mary 🠞 Mawy 🠞 Molly. Sary 🠞 Sawy 🠞 Sally.

Daisy became a nickname for Margaret because in French garden daisies are called marguerites.

Nan for Anne is an example of a very cool linguistic process called rebracketing, where two words that are often said/written together transfer letters/morphemes over time. The English use of “an” instead of “a” before words beginning with vowels is a common cause of rebracketing. For example: the Middle English “an eute” became “a newt”, and “a napron” became “an apron”. In the case of nicknames the use of the archaic possessive “mine” is often the culprit. “Mine Anne” over time became “My Nan” as “mine” fell out of use. Ned and Nell have the same origin.

Oddly enough the word “nickname” is itself a result of rebracketing, from the Middle English “an eke (meaning additional) name”.

I realized earlier this week that my cat (Toe’s sister) also has a rebracketing nickname. Her name is Mina, but I call her Nom Nom - formed by me being very annoying and saying her name a bunch of time in a row - miNAMiNAMiNAM.

Chuck is a very modern (20th century) nickname which I’ll have to get back to you on as I started my research in the 16th century and am only up to the 1810s so far lol.

#names #nicknames #onomastics #history #asks #nicknames are really hard to research you guys #there is so much info out there and it's almost all nonsense #and I'm talking academic books with listed sources not buzzfeed listicles #some guy in the 18th century forgetting to mention Bill on a list of common nicknames does not mean it wasn't in use at the time ma dude #i've had to get very creative with sources #god bless word for word murder trial testimony

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heavenlymorals · 4 months

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I feel like a lot of people forget that the Van Dir Linde gang was actually famous in their universe- Dutch Van Dir Linde was as famous as the real life Butch Cassidy. The gang had as much infamy as the Wild Bunch or the Dalton gang. Arthur Morgan, John Marston, Bill Williamson, Javier Esculla, Lenny Summers, Charles Smith, Sean McGuire and more were probably as famous as the real life Doc Holliday, Jesse James, Black Bart, Rufus Buck, Ike Clanton, the Sundance Kid, Wild Bill Hickock, and more.

Sadie Adler would've been just as famous. She was a gunslinger like the real life Calamity Jane and Anne Oakley and she was an outlaw at one point like Laura Bullion, Pearl Hart, Belle Star, The Cassidy Sisters, and more.

The other women of the camp would've probably been less popular but still very intriguing figures to people in the future.

In the newspapers, we see that there are songs about Dutch's boys and books too. Trelawny mentions them being on dime novels. In the future, the pieced together story of the Van Dir Linde gang might've gotten adapted into a movie, similar to "Butch Cassidy and the Sun Dance Kid" or "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford". They could've gotten biopics, documentaries, and more.

Historians and fans of the wild West era would dig up records, find pictures, and maybe even track down people who were apart of the gang, accomplices to the gang, or victims of the gang. They would try to piece together stories to figure out the mystery of what actually happened to the gang.

People would argue over things that happened in the gang and have their evidence to back it up. Letters written by gang members would become so valuable. If they ever someone come across Arthur's journal, it would probably be considered one of the most valuable pieces of documentation to ever exist for that time period.

The guns of the gang would probably be kept in museums if found. Albert Mason's portrait of Arthur Morgan would be found in history books, same as other pictures.

Dutch would probably be a very controversial figure in history- some would hail him as a failed hero and others would condemn his violence no matter the reason- they wouldn't know what the people in the gang knew- especially in the end. Same with the rest of the gang members.

They'd probably all get romanticized. Hosea and Dutch's friendship, the raising of the boys, Dutch and Annabelle and his fued with Colm, Mary and Arthur, John and his family, Javier being a revolutionary- no one would know the full story.

And then there is Jack- he may live to see the 1960s and 70s and 80s. He may have grandchildren who'd pull him into a theater to watch a retelling of the gang that he was a part of at one point. He'd be amused. He'd think that the actor playing his father was too clean looking, too pretty. He'd think that the movie Arthur was too skinny. He'd think that the man playing Dutch had a funny voice as he tried to mimic the accent. He'd laugh and make notes in his head of the historical accuracy. He'd feel sorrowful at the deaths of the characters- he knew them at some point. And no one at the theater would know that the old man with the rowdy bright eyed boys who brought him there was Jack Marston, the last of the Van Dir Linde gang.

Jack might talk about it to the public. He might do interviews. He might even write a book about his father, the infamous John Marston. Those would be priceless. Even Beecher's Hope might be kept around and visited as a historical site for history goers.

And honestly? It is such a bittersweet thing.

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maefansblog · 4 months

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By Popular Demand, I have procured some fanfictions that I enjoyed based on the tropes that I mentioned. It may seem like a lot, but honestly, this is a starter pack.

(If you don’t like one of them, skip it and choose something that you will like! 💕)

I hope you truly do enjoy reading! 💕

1. Colin and Penelope elope.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/50966071

Guernsey by MissusTarq

https: 1st//archiveofourown.org/works/55460359

Run Away With Me Honey by Katie_500

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46112719

What happens in Gretna Green by Fire_Lily89

2. Penelope runs away from the ton, Colin Finds her

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55353838

The Disappearance of Penelope Featherington By hippiechick7897

https://archiveofourown.org/works/44388109#main

Let me hope you by PolinxFeatherbridge (not in English, but this is so worth it!)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29520279

Mistress of Choice by some_mad_luge

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53390371

I’d crawl to you by Em_with_a_y

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53416630

With Love, Penelope Anne Featherington by Anna071202

https://archiveofourown.org/works/40376523

Scattered Flowers by cortlandia33

https://archiveofourown.org/works/54640174

Flight of the Featherington By Royal Sorcerer

3. Pen tells the Bridgertons about Marina

https://archiveofourown.org/works/49189453

Colin Sees You As You Are by Gah_gah_gah

(This is my absolute favorite!! Hands down!!! Love love love! They keep raising the bar and adding new elements and I love it!) 💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

https://archiveofourown.org/works/52163260

Butterfly’s Reverlry by Cassandra Goth

https://archiveofourown.org/works/41858946

Ought to Know, Regardless by logogram

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48690097

Love on the Run by logogram

(mix of Marina &elopement)

4. Penelope gets hurt, and Colin gets in protective mode.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56026375

Fair ground Attractions by PenelopeR

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56534680

Attentions Sweet Center by clara_may

5. The unwed/unplanned pregnancy.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39639282

Fill of Love by logogram (this is a series with different endings. Unplanned pregnancy)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55492477

Ten Fingers, Ten Toes by Em_with_a_y

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56063380

Afterglow by thatgirlinredandgold

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53850778

A Little Piece of You by Mimimoon 2007 (Modern AU/Sad)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56058757

Lost and Found by Booklover 1217 (still in progress)

6. Married Colin Time travels back to Season 1

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39220443

Romancing ever after by georgialee06

https://archiveofourown.org/works/31632029

Lord Whistledown by M_mck

(This is an incomplete fic^)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56429677

Love You With My Past & For My Future by At_the_Gates

7. Penelope and Colin's affair (it's only for this couple... you know the show hinted at it)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56010202

Lady Debling’s Lover by Tinuviel_Undomiel

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55820368

(to be the one) to walk in the sun by DollyPop, starryspindel

https://archiveofourown.org/works/56054719

Penelope married Debling by elhigd

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48389512

Find our Way Back by kermitthefrogstanaccount

https://archiveofourown.org/works/55409005

Illicit affairs by obsidianpurple

https://archiveofourown.org/works/48307435

Stay by LadyThistledown

(Modern AU with Marina)

https://archiveofourown.org/works/39332433

Love Under the Velvet Sky by PaperTulips232

(beautifully written/ Colin and Marina elope, Penelope moves on.)

Lady Whistledown Revealed:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53768401

A Truth You Can't Unlearn

https://archiveofourown.org/works/38398903

turn around bright eyes By threefundamentaltruths

(This is so devastating! I love it! Eloise reveals who Penelope is and the Family turns on Penelope and Colin.)

Amnesia:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/53768401

But they were real to me by unsavorablefavors

💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕💕

Here is a Truly Devastating Piece of Fiction that I only recommend if you need to cry and want to feel bad about your favorite characters. But it's so well written that you sob through the pain. :

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30490611

Let Me Go Whilst You Stay With Me By Leuqar_RappaPort

🙈🙈Oh Colin... You would have loved AO3. 🤣

Hope you all enjoy! Make sure to leave your thoughts in reblogs/tags/or the message! I love to read them! Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts?

Also, if you have any recommendations, send them my way! 💕

This was an idea sparked from my last post:

@mostharshrepose @karis-the-fangirl and anyone from my last post:

I hope this helps. 💕

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