Penniedarling

Radio 702 were talking about 'Welcome Wagons' yesterday and lots of people were ringing in telling stories of being welcomed into their Suburb and so on... when I remembered way back... in late 1970!

We were in California on the last leg of our 3 years of traveling around the world when we called into San Jose to catch up with Louis, Sheila and Eugene Daugherty, we'd met them in Europe somewhere while on our travels and as we were going to be in the US after they got home we exchanged addresses.

Louis and Sheila had just moved into San Jose and the 'Welcome Wagon' had been with lots of wonderful goodies, information and discount or free vouchers.   I needed a haircut and as Sheila had a 'Free Haircut' voucher and was never going to use it she gave it to me.

So along I went to this hairdresser, who never said a word, never asked me where I came from or where I'd moved into or any of the questions I thought I may have been asked, I guessed my accent gave me away to some extent although in that time not many Americans had ever heard of Australia, thinking we meant Austria!

The only thing this Hairdresser said to me was... 'Do you want BANGS?'    I was horrified, what the hell was she saying, what were bangs!  I was so shocked I can't remember what I said, probably just said... 'okay'...  very meekly.  Boy I was glad to get out of there!  I didn't want to be arrested for cheating the Welcome Wagon!

 That's our London Taxi on the right with Sheila in the camper van beside us, we are amused at the garb this man is wearing to go to the showers.

 Then we bumped into Louis, Sheila and baby Eugene in a park while having a lunch break somewhere in Austria.

 Me in California with my 'San Jose Bangs!'    (I just noticed I am rolling wool, I was taught to knit by my Great Aunt Carol when I was 5 years old and I've never stopped, no matter where I am, I've always got some knitting underway. )

The Daugherty's were Louis parents who lived in Phoenix, Arizona and were so very generous and hospitable to us when we called in on our travels around the USA.

Why?  Why?  Why????   please tell me WHY?  Americans call a simple fringe a 'Bang'.

Here's what Wiki says...

1. 1.

   a sudden loud, sharp noise.

   
   

   "the door slammed with a bang"

   
   

   synonyms:

   sharp noise, crack, boom, clang, peal, clap, pop, snap, knock, tap, slam, bump, thud, thump, clunk, clonk, clash, crash, smash, smack; More stamp, stomp, clump, clomp; report, explosion, detonation, shot; informalwham, whump "the door slammed with a bang"

   • a sharp blow causing a sudden, loud noise.

     
     

     "I went to answer a bang on the front door"
   • a sudden painful blow.

     
     

     "a nasty bang on the head"

     
     

     synonyms:

     blow, hit, punch, knock, thump, rap, bump, thwack, smack, crack, slap, welt, cuff, box; More informalbash, whack, clobber, clout, clip, wallop, belt, tan, biff, bop, sock, lam, whomp; informalslosh; informalboff, bust, slug, whale; informaldong; datedbuffet "a nasty bang on the head"

2. 2.

   North American

   a fringe of hair cut straight across the forehead.

   
   

   "she brushed back her wispy bangs"
   
   I asked Wiki the question... 'Why do Americans call a fringe a Bang?'   here's the reply...
   
   The term bangs originally referred to a hair cut bang-off (straight across at the front), although the term is now applied to diverse forms of hair stylings. It is probably related to bang-tail, a term still used for the practice of cutting horses' tails straight across.

Labels: Europe by London Taxi, Friends, Pennie