A man goes up to a rather wrinkly woman, and asks her what her name is.
'Beatrice,' she simpers.
'And how old are you?' asks the man in response.
The only reply he gets is a slap in the face before the woman stalks off in the opposite direction.
And so we wonder, how on earth was 'old girl' a term of affection in Enid Blyton's universe, when even asking women about their age is such a sensitive question. Read about its history to find out more!
HISTORY
Queen Elizabeth the First ruled till a ripe old age. By the time she died, she had eaten so many sugary delicacies that her teeth had rotted black, and her flame coloured hair had faded to a wispy white. Let's face it - she was quite old.
One loud-mouthed courtier made the mistake of calling her 'old' in public. Well, you ask, was he executed? Beheaded? Baked in a pie for his monstrous offence? No, he managed to survive. Because when Elizabeth approached this courtier in a rage, he cunningly replied, 'Your Majesty, this is a compliment in my meagre little town of Kent. We call all our favourite ladies 'old girl'!' Elizabeth was won over by this response (rather dim-witted of her, we must say), and declared 'old girl' a national term of affection.
DEFINITION
A term of affection for your best friends. Synonyms: dear, old thing.
WHEN TO USE IT
When one of your friends does your homework for you, or when they treat you to a large scoop of ice cream. (Make sure that your friend is female before using it)
YOU ARE READING
The Revised Enid Blyton Dictionary
FanfictionHave you ever been reading a good, old fashioned Enid Blyton novel, when you were suddenly halted in the middle by a confusing word? Have you ever wondered where on Earth Enid got all those posh phrases? Well, look no further! From startling back-hi...
