"How to employ the formidable weapon of coquetry"

Jag sitter och bläddrar lite i "How to boil a flamingo, and 49 other lessons in the lost art of being a lady" av Allison Vale och Alison Rattle (en fantastisk liten bok!) för att hitta lite exempel att skriva in i min 1700-talstenta jag håller på med just nu, men det är väldigt lätt att fastna bland essäerna i denna bok. Under kapitlet jag valt som rubrik på detta inlägg står bland annat hur man bör använda sig av sin solfjäder för att signalera till lyckligt utvalda:

"A fan becomes a lady as much as a sword becomes a gentleman and you should strive to become the mistress of your weapon: skilfull in its handling and motions, and fluent in its language........You may learn the merry flutter, the angry flutter, the amorous flutter, the modest flutter; indeed, any person within wind of your fan should be capable of discerning your mood from the merest twitch of your wrist.


To fan quickly: I am engaged to be wed.
To whirl the fan in the right hand: My heart belongs to another.
To whirl the fan in the left hand: Be careful! -all eyes are upon us.
A resting fan on the right cheek: No, left cheek: Yes
To flutter the fan threateningly: I cannot tolerate your imprudence!
To fan languorously: I am already wed.
To draw the fan across the hand: I find you utterly distasteful!
To draw the fan across the cheek: I love you.
To hold the fan in the right hand and place it in front of the face: It would please me if you were to follow me.

Many a fine g entleman has been led astray by the frantic fluttering of untutored or over-heated young ladies. Take care to be precise in your fanning motions should you wish to avoid ever being misunderstood."


Inspired by an article in The Spectator, june 1711"