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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2004a bad hair day
Hello, my question refers to the topic. Is that an American idiom and if yes what is its meaning? Merely a day without much luck?? BTW was the spelling correct? Thanks > Hello, my question refers to the topic. Is that an American idiom and if yes > what is its meaning? Merely a day without much luck?? BTW was the spelling > correct? > Thanks bad hair day n phr early 1990s The sort of day when nothing goes right; the sort of day that is not one’s day: “They had a bad hair day, a bad CD-ROM day, who knows?” ?Los Angeles Times [fr the notion that one’s well-being depends on the neatness and order of one’s hair] From _Dictionary of American Slang, Third Edition_ (1995) by Robert L. Chapman ----------- Soon you will notice how much less complaining you do, even on bad hair days. (Denver _Post_, Feb 8, 1994) On a “bad hair day” when you just know that you look terrible and you think that everyone else notice it as well. (_Independent_, Aug 13, 1996) Having survived the first ugly rumours of Friday, September 11 - which really was a bad hair day for Dickie -- he must have thought that the worst was over. Unfortunately, he was dead wrong as the share price continued to crumble. (_Euroweek_, Oct 9, 1998) Regards, masakim > > Hello, my question refers to the topic. Is that an American idiom and if > yes [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > From _Dictionary of American Slang, Third Edition_ (1995) by Robert L. > Chapman I would've placed it earlier than "early 1990s." I owned a t-shirt with a cartoon of a messy rabbit and the slogan "bad hare day," and I like to think I stopped wearing such things long before 1990.  SignatureSML ess el five six zero at columbia dot edu <http://pirate-women.com> > > > Hello, my question refers to the topic. Is that an American idiom and if > > yes [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > a cartoon of a messy rabbit and the slogan "bad hare day," and I like to > think I stopped wearing such things long before 1990. OED has it back to 1988, if that makes you feel any better: bad hair day colloq. (orig. U.S.), a day on which one's hair is particularly unmanageable; (freq. in extended use) a day on which everything seems to go wrong; a period (not necessarily a day) in which one feels unusually agitated, dissatisfied, or self-conscious, esp. about one's appearance or performance. 1988 Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.) 24 July D1/5 Even those who emerge from the sea to casually braid their shiny wet vines into a thick coil with a hibiscus on the end also have *bad-hair days. But let us not waste our pity on them... Let us mourn for the common types with skimpy hair who deserve tantrums. [...] > > I would've placed it earlier than "early 1990s." I owned a t-shirt with > > a cartoon of a messy rabbit and the slogan "bad hare day," and I like to > > think I stopped wearing such things long before 1990. > > OED has it back to 1988, if that makes you feel any better: Well, no. I was old enough to vote then. But I realized I was misremembering, so it's okay -- the shirt said "I just washed my hare and I can't do a thing with it," not "bad hare day." SignatureSML ess el five six zero at columbia dot edu <http://pirate-women.com> > Well, no. I was old enough to vote then. But I realized I was > misremembering, so it's okay -- the shirt said "I just washed my hare > and I can't do a thing with it," not "bad hare day." How about trying: "visualize whirled peas"? I want to know why UNIX variables are preceded by a $. It's creeping capitalism, I tell you! In Russia variables are preceded by \. > bad hair day n phr early 1990s The sort of day when nothing goes right; the > sort of day that is not one's day: <snip> > From _Dictionary of American Slang, Third Edition_ (1995) by Robert L. > Chapman Really? I had no idea. The only meaning I've ever associated with "bad hair day" was 'day on which one can't get one's hair to look good'. I didn't know it had the extension to 'day when things other than one's hair don't go well' too. -Aaron J. Dinkin Dr. Whom Aaron J. Dinkin filted: >Really? I had no idea. The only meaning I've ever associated with "bad >hair day" was 'day on which one can't get one's hair to look good'. I >didn't know it had the extension to 'day when things other than one's >hair don't go well' too. There's a related catchphrase that apparently goes back further than I guessed: "I just washed my hair and I can't do a *thing* with it"...I would have guessed mid-1950s at the earliest, but apparently it was well enough established by 1939 to allow one of Snow White's dwarfs (Happy?) to sing in parody: "I'd like to dance and tap my feet, But they won't keep in rhythm, You see I washed 'em both today, And I can't do nothing with 'em." ....r > Aaron J. Dinkin filted: > > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > You see I washed 'em both today, > And I can't do nothing with 'em." The catchphrase was already old hat in 1934: Shining Hair Comes With Diligent Care Washington Post, Aug 5, 1934. p. S6 The old excuse, "I've just washed my hair; I can't do a thing with it!" is becoming threadbare. >The catchphrase was already old hat in 1934: > > The old excuse, "I've just washed my hair; I can't > do a thing with it!" is becoming threadbare. I wonder when "I'm washing my hair" was first used to beg off a date? "I would love to go out with you, but I'm washing my hair tonight." James "Washing my hair tomorrow night, too" M. > Aaron J. Dinkin filted: > > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > You see I washed 'em both today, > And I can't do nothing with 'em." I searched for "just washed my hair" "can't do a thing" and got plenty of references (a lot of photo captions) but no one seems to think that it's a direct quote from somewhere. It's a simple enough thing for anyone to say, not brilliant wit or something. In the process, I turned up another usage: as Bette Davis put it in 1932 in The Cabin in the Cotton, "I'd like to kiss ya but I just washed my hair!" I thought this must be an example of a non sequitur, but the Internet Movie Database said this was "considered immensely titillating in 1932." I guess it's the delivery. There's a sound file at http://www.reelclassics.com/Actresses/Bette/bette.htm It's that little laugh she puts in. This brings up yet another hair line, the lame excuse that one can't go out with someone "because I have to wash my hair." Not quite the same. At least, it isn't usually said with a sexy titter! SignatureBest -- Donna Richoux > as Bette Davis put it in 1932 in The Cabin in the > Cotton, "I'd like to kiss ya but I just washed my > hair!" > >I thought this must be an example of a non sequitur, but ... Oh no - far from a non-sequitur. If one's partner indulged in what used to be called "bouffant[1]" - possibly involving lengthy preparation and setting with gallons of hairspray, then the lady in question would frequently wish to abstain from any amorous pusuits "in case it musses up my hair" and the whole preparatory process would have to be repeated. Just as effective in repelling boarders as "I have a headache" - despite protestations that a good realease of tension is just the ticket to fix a headache. ...and mussed up hair is very charming when the observer has the secret knowledge and satisfaction of having caused it. [1] Akin to "beehive" q.v. Jitze > Oh no - far from a non-sequitur. If one's partner indulged > in what used to be called "bouffant[1]" - [...] > [1] Akin to "beehive" q.v. I think "bouffant" is more like "big hair" (which I would kill to have -- never mind what or who I'd kill); a "beehive," while it can be rather full, is more of an "updo." A disarranged beehive might be considerably harder to repair than a mussed bouffant or ("bubble"). There are some examples on Google Images. I checked for *hair "beehive"*, *hair "bouffant"*, and *hair "bubble"*. Industrial grade hair spray anyone? Maximum hold? SignatureMaria Conlon Please send any email to the Hot Mail address. >This brings up yet another hair line, the lame excuse that one can't go >out with someone "because I have to wash my hair." Not quite the same. There's no need to get personal, here. I'm absolutely sure that the girls - the many, many girls - that told me that in the 50s had really planned to wash their hair that night and were not offering some lame excuse. >At least, it isn't usually said with a sexy titter! Yes. There were times that I thought it was a snort of derision, but "sexy titter" does sound better. > At least, it isn't usually said with a sexy titter! That reminds me of the old joke about "a titter ran through the audience". SignatureJohn Varela (Trade "OLD" lamps for "NEW" for email.) I apologize for munging the address but the spam is too much. > > At least, it isn't usually said with a sexy titter! > > That reminds me of the old joke about "a titter ran through the audience". Hunting tits, off course. >> > At least, it isn't usually said with a sexy titter! >> >> That reminds me of the old joke about "a titter ran through the audience". > >Hunting tits, off course. Usually a good titter can home in pretty effectively. Best regards, Spehro Pefhany Signature"it's the network..." "The Journey is the reward" speff@interlog.com Info for manufacturers: http://www.trexon.com Embedded software/hardware/analog Info for designers: http://www.speff.com >> bad hair day n phr early 1990s The sort of day when nothing goes >> right; the sort of day that is not one's day: [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Really? I had no idea. The only meaning I've ever associated with "bad > hair day" was 'day on which one can't get one's hair to look good'. That's the way I've used it. >.....I didn't know it had the extension to 'day when things other than one's > hair don't go well' too. To me, it can *include* other things, but the bad hair is a requirement. That is, it can't be a "bad hair day" unless one's hair isn't behaving well. If one's hair looks fine, but nothing else does, one is merely having a normal "day from Hell." Or something. IMO. I saw an article once about a woman who was having a "bad hair life." From the pictures, I agreed. Only a wig would have helped. SignatureMaria Conlon Please send any email to the Hot Mail address. >> bad hair day n phr early 1990s The sort of day when nothing goes >> right; the sort of day that is not one's day: [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > Really? I had no idea. The only meaning I've ever associated with "bad > hair day" was 'day on which one can't get one's hair to look good'. That's the way I've used it. >.....I didn't know it had the extension to 'day when things other than one's > hair don't go well' too. To me, it can *include* other things, but the bad hair is a requirement. That is, it can't be a "bad hair day" unless one's hair isn't behaving well. If one's hair looks fine, but nothing else does, one is merely having a normal "day from Hell." Or something. IMO. I saw an article once about a woman who was having a "bad hair life." From the pictures, I agreed. Only a wig would have helped. SignatureMaria Conlon Please send any email to the Hot Mail address. >bad hair day n phr early 1990s I first heard it in '84, when I was a student and hanging around with American students. I'd always believed its canonical use to be in a film, maybe something like "Pretty in Pink", or similar teen-comedy. -- Do whales have krillfiles ? > >bad hair day n phr early 1990s > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I'd always believed its canonical use to be in a film, maybe something > like "Pretty in Pink", or similar teen-comedy. No sign of it in any '80s movie that I can find, but various sites note its use in the 1992 movie version of _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_. These two sites even go so far as to suggest that _Buffy_ screenwriter Joss Whedon might have coined the expression: http://phrases.shu.ac.uk/meanings/53900.html http://www.idiomsite.com/badhairday.htm As I noted elsethread, the OED's draft entry for the phrase dates it back to 1988. But _Buffy_ might have popularized it -- ProQuest, Nexis, and Google Groups all show a big spike in usage in '92 (further solidifying _Buffy_'s status as one of the 10 Most Linguistically Influential American Movies Since 1980 [TM] [*]). [*] http://groups.google.com/groups?selm=3FE0B00E.87959206@midway.uchicago.edu > As I noted elsethread, the OED's draft entry for the phrase dates it > back to 1988. And the part of ProQuest I still have access to shows it used in the Fort Lauderdale _Sun Sentinel_ (by a piece written by Susan Swartz of the _New York Times_ News Service) on August 3, 1988. It was used in an unmetaphorical way (talking about hair), but in a way that implies to me that she expected people to be familiar with the phrase. SignatureEvan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------ HP Laboratories |In the beginning, there were no 1501 Page Mill Road, 1U, MS 1141 |reasons, there were only causes. Palo Alto, CA 94304 | Daniel Dennet kirshenbaum@hpl.hp.com (650)857-7572 http://www.kirshenbaum.net/ > > As I noted elsethread, the OED's draft entry for the phrase dates it > > back to 1988. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > an unmetaphorical way (talking about hair), but in a way that implies > to me that she expected people to be familiar with the phrase. That's the same citation ("Even those who emerge from the sea to casually braid their shiny wet vines into a thick coil with a hibiscus on the end also have bad-hair days"). Swartz's piece originally appeared in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat (the OED's source) and was syndicated in other papers like the Sun Sentinel. I see the OED citation is even mentioned in Swartz's PR bio! http://www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m4PRN/2003_May_7/101360002/p1/article.jhtml The Oxford English Dictionary has credited her for the first published use of the term, "Bad Hair Day." Her Press Democrat columns are distributed nationally by the New York Times News Service. > > As I noted elsethread, the OED's draft entry for the phrase dates it > > back to 1988. [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > an unmetaphorical way (talking about hair), but in a way that implies > to me that she expected people to be familiar with the phrase. I seem to associate it with 1985-1986, but I can't prove it. > bad hair day n phr early 1990s The sort of day when nothing goes > right; the sort of day that is not one’s day: “They had a bad hair [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > From _Dictionary of American Slang, Third Edition_ (1995) by Robert L. > Chapman Well, that shows how out of it *I* am. Since first hearing the phrase, I have used it literally, of days on which, because of humidity or shampoo or whatever, my hair wouldn't stay combed. Of course, I have always given it a facetious inflection, because Real Men don't care about such things. Signature--- Joe Fineman jcf@TheWorld.com ||: Promotion is the department of a business that is concerned :|| ||: with harrassing and insulting its customers. :|| > Hello, my question refers to the topic. Is that an American idiom and > if yes what is its meaning? Merely a day without much luck?? BTW was > the spelling correct? > Thanks For a literal example, see: http://www.sonic.net/maledicta/BadHairDay.jpg SignatureReinhold (Rey) Aman > For a literal example, see: > http://www.sonic.net/maledicta/BadHairDay.jpg Not to be confused with JBF hair (which I'm not exactly sure how it is different from bad hair). >> For a literal example, see: > >> http://www.sonic.net/maledicta/BadHairDay.jpg > >Not to be confused with JBF hair (which I'm not exactly sure how it is >different from bad hair). James Brown Fried? -- Ross Howard > James Brown Fried? Just Been [expletive] >> James Brown Fried? > >Just Been [expletive] Huh? "Concupiscent" doesn't begin with an F. -- Ross Howard >Hello, my question refers to the topic. Is that an American idiom and if yes >what is its meaning? Merely a day without much luck?? BTW was the spelling >correct? A day during which you do not want to annoy me, because I am already at my threshold of aggravation, beginning with my struggle and failure to style my hair in a presentable manner. Sure, it's idiomatic, but consider how vain people can be, particularly with respect to hairstyle and similar appearances. If you have spent all your free time in the morning attempting to style your hair, and have failed at it, you presumably have a privilege to vent your frustrations toward others. |
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