h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Giving and Getting Flowers - A87830409
Author: Bluebottle - U43530

Inspired by Create U14992038, with contributions by:

U43530 – Bluebottle
U169793 – 2legs
U857383 - Dea
U238591 – deb
U2984809 - loonycat
U780990 - Magwitch
U7799651 – Maria
U222463 - Mol
U176638 - Paulh
U9936370 – SashaQ
U129860 – Sho/Flo
U138596 - Solnushka
U14999781 – Storm
U185992 – Teasswill
U96784 - Wand'rin star
U154942 - You can call me TC

The hope is to show Researchers who perhaps don't use Peer Review very often how rewarding putting an entry into Peer Review and getting it into the Guide can be (although this has again been a bit rushed at the last minute to get it into Peer Review before June).

<BB<

Great way to lead by example BB. Thanks for taking this upon yourself.

gracias BB,

accept this present just bought in the petrol station of h2:

Well done for pulling all that together, <BB< - it looks great!

Was actually, by pure chance, reading an article, last night (may have been USA centrick, I think, judging by the 'tone' of it), which, err, was to do with 'protocol ' and which had an extensive bit on err, general good manners/behavior, eticat, etc... anyhow, that mentioned a few 'rules regarding flowers', I'd not come across before; mainly to do with the colour of roses, and when, or when not, it is 'appropiate' to give roses of a certain colour, to a person one is corting... seriously... oops, if on the few occasions I've given roses (to females), then, oops, if they knew this protocol/tradition/whatever one calls it, then I was apparently 'saying' soemthing with the colour of the roses, that I hadn't realised - But all that protocol, tradition, of the 'meaing' of flowers, in this case, just* of roses, but to the differnt meanings in the colour/number, etc., it does rather rely on the recipient knowing it, as much as it does on the gifter of the flowers, knowing the same; I can't imagine there is much of a universality to this, and so I guess it'll vary a lot from country to country... oh, and on putting this all together, into the entry, from that* conversation thread

One point I don't see addressed is the dreaded 'Prom Corsage'

If your date wears a proper gown with straps it is easy to pin it high up on the strap and let her push it down into position - if she is well endowed and insists on a strapless dress the poor teenage boy is faced with the dilemma that you should place your fingers between the pin and your date's flesh, but there are certain things you're not supposed to touch, especially while her parents are watching.

Cowards just go for a wrist corsage



F S

"but there are certain things you're not supposed to touch, especially while her parents are watching" Yet more advice, and wisdom, I could have done with in my teenage years, and which is a bit late for me, now, as I push ever onwards towards my forthy's hmmm... any advice on how to drop hints* to 'someone' that 'one would like to recieve' flowers?

>> any advice on how to drop hints* to 'someone' that 'one would like to recieve' flowers?

Actually that is fairly easy, just tell them that someone else received flowers while you were with them and it made them very happy! If your partner is particularly dense you might add that you wish somebody would do that for you



F S

I think William migh tpick up the hint quite easily Mind... may have to wait until such time as I have a house with a 'surface' apon which I could place a vase with flowers in... OK... stage one, get rid of lodger, stage two drop hint about flowers to William...

Put an empty vase on the sideboard and remarks like
It would look better with some flowers in it... I an sure you are good enough with words to embelish the hint.
That should do the trick.

I've not seen an 'empty sideboard', or 'table', or, indeed, 'surface' in my house since... hmm, nope, never <damnMessyLodger

In Germany, they have the flowers problem when they have their finishing ball at the dancing school. The boys have to buy the girls a posy, not a corsage. In fact, I don't think a florist here would know what a corsage was. In German it stands for a kind of top which is sort of a bra but goes down to the belly button and counts as outerwear.

For their "prom" or Abiball (short for Abitur - Ball) the whole class turns up together and is not paired off. This probably wouldn't work, as some of them have girl- or boyfriends who are in another year, go to other schools or who have finished school all together. No flowers are involved, but the girls go to town on their dresses and look fantastic.

Interesting TC

Here the prom is usually limited to juniors and senoirs in high school - 11th & 12th grades - the last two years before college or university.

You may invite a date from another school (I did) but you have to get permission from your Principal.

A very few students go without a formal date, the boys call it 'going stag' I forget what single girls were called you were not allowed to bring a date who was in a grade below junior.

It is not uncommon for parents, or working students, to hire a limousine, book a dinner at an expensive restaurant before the dance, and arrange an elaborate 'after party'.

The boys young men almost always wear tuxedos (usually rented) While the young ladies wear formal evening gowns, often for the first time.
It is customary for the young man to call at his date's house, speak a few words to her parents to show his honourable intentions, and learn what rules they expect him to follow (what time she must return home, any places that might be 'off-limits' and other items to avoided) Picturs will be snapped of the happy couple including one when the young man pins the flowers to her dress, the basis of my previous post

F S

That explains several scenes of that happening which we have seen in American films.

To keep the thread on flowers, though. I've been thinking about corsages and buttonholes. I don't think it's customary for men at weddings in Germany to wear buttonholes either. It's certainly not a big thing, and may just be an afterthought or a side order when organising the bridal flowers, church, car and table decorations - so that the groom and the couple's fathers/brothers/uncles have matching flowers on their lapels. But I've sung at dozens of weddings over the past few years and don't think that any of the men were thus adorned.

Thanks everyone - I've added a little more to this.

<BB<

Inspired by the subject of thread and entry, I ordered some flowers for my Mum - for no reason at all - last night.

Even if nothing happens with this entry, I'm glad it's had a positive result.

<BB<

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<BB<