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OK so its prom dress season....

felixthecat said:
But 'ball' isn't quite right. And you need to have some other descriptive term - leavers ball, 6th form ball, whatever. Prom means a formal event for 16-18 year olds at school leaving age, but none of those terms are required as its a descriptive term all by itself,

Dance? Disco? It isn't either of those - and again, they require an additional term to describe what the event is for.

I love words and I love using the english language - and prom is just another word with a distinct meaning.
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We seemed to cope before, sixth form ball, freshers ball, leaving ball etc.

People in the UK have been known to, y'know, put a bit of a frock on before the Americans suddenly made it ok to do..:p

I never went tho! :)
 
sparklefish said:
Anyway, back to the clothes which is clearly the most important bit. ^^^ this is a great idea. They are gorgoeus. :cool:
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the girl already wants to buy one of those with her next pay packet. I blame that PieEye woman - the daughter saw the pix from Aquas party and fell in love with that frock Ms PieFace was wearing!
 
felixthecat said:
But 'ball' isn't quite right. And you need to have some other descriptive term - leavers ball, 6th form ball, whatever. Prom means a formal event for 16-18 year olds at school leaving age, but none of those terms are required as its a descriptive term all by itself,

Dance? Disco? It isn't either of those - and again, they require an additional term to describe what the event is for.

I love words and I love using the english language - and prom is just another word with a distinct meaning.
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I love words and the English language too.

Which is why I get annoyed when people blindly use Americanisms when there's a perfectly good British English word to use instead - it kills the regional variations in English which are one of the language's joys.

Also, an American "Prom" while a similar event to a "Leaving Ball" is a different thing because it exists in a different culture. So the implication of starting to use american terminology to describe and event here is that it is taking on elements of the american prom tradition.

Not that I'd really know because I've never been to a Prom and my school didn't have a leaving ball or anything like that.

Oh look, it's nearly time to finish work. I'll off and "ride" the "subway" back to Brixton now.

:mad:


P.S. The next time a british person tries to call an exhibition an "exhibit" I'm probably going to kill them.
 
felixthecat said:
Ok, this is where i do my devils advocate bit.

English is a language that has borrowed and bastardised words from languages all over the world, usually words that we have no single word to describe - such as canoe, schadenfreude etc.

So why not prom? Just because its American?

Thats a bit of a pathetic reason, innit?
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Pathetic or not, I guess my feelings on all this stem (only tenuously relevantly I spose) from my spending a lot of my adult political life (especially early on) protesting seriously against REAL American imperialism in the world, whether 'cultural' (McDonalds, etc.) or much more importantly the US Military Industrial complex steamrollering it's arrogant 'democratic' will throughout the world, and if you in any way demur or object you're a cheeseating surrender monkley 'liberal' (ie, to Republicans, communist).

Not liking certain Americanisms in language is a side product of my serious politics on this ... although there's the counterargument of course that a lot of people willingly and eagerly adopt many Americanisms the twats :o . So it's complicated ... all sorts of issues bundled up ....

The 'evolution of language' thing is is a frequent argument, it's not a new one, it gets trotted out to defend the IME ever increasing number of Americanisms in UK English.

Well devils avocate backatcha and YES, it is precisely because prom is both an American idea and an American word that I object to it. It may in the end be irresistable, it may be an inevitable part of language 'evolving' (or being taken over? You choose!) but that doesn't mean we have to like it. You say the prom thing has been around for years, all I can say is that it was totally unknown in my day (I was at school mainly in the 70s).

I'm not some xenophobic reactionary that can't cope with other cultures, other forms of English, the process of language changing, I've been to the US twice and had a great time over there. Doubtless I use all sorts of borrowed words and pharases, some American, myself. But the prom thing seems particularly alien and objectionable somehow, can't quite put my fnger on exactly why, but a few people in this thread seem to agree!

The storm in this teacup is spiralling .... :D
 
WILL ANYONE THINK ABOUT THE DRESSES? :mad: :mad: :(

But slightly more seriously, does it really matter? It's a word, an unoffensive word for a party where everyone dresses up, has a laugh, sneaks some booze in and cops a feel in the erection section. That's it. I prefer the word prom actually because ball just sounds stuffy, old fashioned and upper class. Disco sounds 80s and dance makes me think of 70 year olds.

Bring on the fucking prom. :cool:
 
OK - we got the dress:) *breathes sigh of relief*

And yes, it was from TKMaxx:) Only £50 - bargain.

And its fucking GORGEOUS.:cool::cool:
 
According to wikipedia - "The British synonym for the North American event would be Leavers' Ball, Leavers' Dinner or informally Leavers' Do..."

Clearly, wikipedia is never wrong. ;)
 
rogue_lettuce said:
According to wikipedia - "The British synonym for the North American event would be Leavers' Ball, Leavers' Dinner or informally Leavers' Do..."

Clearly, wikipedia is never wrong. ;)
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Oh my god, don't start that again. :eek: ;) It's all about the clothes, who gives a toss what it's called. :)
 
Ha - pictures will be forthcoming on the day of the prom. the dress is totally lush - its silk, beautiful shades of royal blue and turquoise which suits her so much, bias cut so rather slinky with one diagonal shoulder strap. She almost didn't try it on cos it was labelled a size 6......but it was an american 6:D.

She also tried on a fabulous Valentino number that was £199 (reduced from something like £4000) but too big and she is so not autumnal colours (thank god cos I wasn't going to spend £199 ).

So if there is anyone in Bristol who's a size 10/12 who wants a bargain designer evening dress, get thee quickly to the Cribbs TKMaxx!
 
I'm missing this, my daughter didn't go to her prom and a son isn't so much fun, black tux and the only choice he had to make was cumberbund or not! :(
 
upinsmoke said:
I'm missing this, my daughter didn't go to her prom and a son isn't so much fun, black tux and the only choice he had to make was cumberbund or not! :(
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Awww.:(

I'm actually quite enjoying the whole thing - there have been many discussions about shoes and hair as well as the dress:D

God help us if she ever decides to get married:eek:
 
felixthecat said:
Awww.:(

I'm actually quite enjoying the whole thing - there have been many discussions about shoes and hair as well as the dress:D

God help us if she ever decides to get married:eek:
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I just told my son i wish he was a girl and why :D thankfully he isn't traumatised and informed me that his gf wants to ask me to take her shopping for her dress as her mum doesn't do any clothing thats for anything other than horseriding ...yay!!!!! :D
 
Ah Felix - she's a babe! Beautiful dress, she looks absolutely lovely.....did you cry?
 
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