Wednesday, December 2, 2015

SAGANews item intrigues a member

I received an email concerning the latest issue of SAGANews from a SAGA member in Australia:

As an Australian SAGA member I need to ask you for assistance. Receiving SAGANews today I am interested in the article on silk ribbon pattern weights, but am a loss as to what BB's are. 

Can you help me, I am intrigued. 

I must admit I had not thought of someone not knowing what BB's are. I emailed her the answer and am sure there is something similar in Australia, but it got me thinking about how, even though we share a common language, how something simple can be confusing!

This is especially pertinent to me, as I have had to adapt many of the words I use, as coming from England, again, the common language, but very different words and usage.

Take haberdashery. In the UK that means buttons, threads, ribbons, zippers-what Americans would term as notions, not items in a menswear department such as hankies, socks etc. Imagine my confusion when, newly arrived in  America, I asked where to find the nearest haberdashery shop!

And here is an interesting tidbit for you:


Saint Louis IX, King of France 1226–70, is the patron saint of French haberdashers. In Belgium and elsewhere in Continental Europe, Saint Nicholas remains their patron saint, while Saint Catherine was adopted by the Worshipful Company of Haberdashers in the City of London

Oh, and one question- how come SAGANews has reached Australia, but not got to me in Connecticut yet?

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