“Po-faced was perhaps applied to such people because they react to insalubrious comments with a look of insufficiently disguised distaste, as if suddenly presented with a used chamber pot. The Oxford English Dictionary also suggests it might have been influenced by poker face, which is one of the senses it gives for the word; that is not quite how it is understood today, but it does imply somebody who is trying not to show a reaction to some happening of which they disapprove.”
Vickie,yes I agree it is a strange term indeed.I suppose also that a poker face might be quite a suitable one when confronted by a used chamber pot.
I once saw a curious chamber pot at an exhibition in England, the bottom of which housed a small head depicting Napleon.I think he would have had to remained very po faced indeed when the chamber pot was in use?
A blogger at Turner Classics last year wrote about Joan Blondell and her career as a bunch of precode films were going to be featured. In their research, the blogger found Blondell’s description of herself, being the carbonated bubbles in the soda…I like that self-description. She was one of my grandpa’s favorite actresses.
What smiling eyes.Smiles with her whole face,hence looks real.Nice contrast to many of the po faced models you see everywhere today.
I’ve always wondered about that phrase:
“Po-faced was perhaps applied to such people because they react to insalubrious comments with a look of insufficiently disguised distaste, as if suddenly presented with a used chamber pot. The Oxford English Dictionary also suggests it might have been influenced by poker face, which is one of the senses it gives for the word; that is not quite how it is understood today, but it does imply somebody who is trying not to show a reaction to some happening of which they disapprove.”
via World Wide Words: Po-faced.
Bubbles and a rubber duck required for the total cute factor.
Did you say bubbles? Upcoming, but I’m afraid no rubber ducks 😉
Vickie,yes I agree it is a strange term indeed.I suppose also that a poker face might be quite a suitable one when confronted by a used chamber pot.
I once saw a curious chamber pot at an exhibition in England, the bottom of which housed a small head depicting Napleon.I think he would have had to remained very po faced indeed when the chamber pot was in use?
Here, among other things, they were known as “thunder mugs”.
Vickie,thank you.Thunder mugs I have never heard the term before.
Dearest V
Doesn’t that just scream *clean*?
Yours ever
The Perfumed Dandy
Confession: I went on a quest to find fixtures just like this when I renovated the bath…
Sudden desire to take a bath…
A blogger at Turner Classics last year wrote about Joan Blondell and her career as a bunch of precode films were going to be featured. In their research, the blogger found Blondell’s description of herself, being the carbonated bubbles in the soda…I like that self-description. She was one of my grandpa’s favorite actresses.
This blogger posts a lot of pictures of Blondell and others from that era. He also posts a lot of interesting old ads, comics, etc.
http://spicyhorror.tumblr.com/
Loved Joan Blondell…cutie