Prunella's Whimsy
2156 Newport Ave V5P 2H9 Vancouver, BC, Canada

Sprauncy (Sproncy) (sp’RAWN-see or shp’RAWN-see) Adjective: -Smart or showy in appearance; dapper. -Showily dressed; fashionable.... Verb form: Spraunce or Spronce -To show off, especially by your choice of clothes. Origin uncertain. Two possible, but unrelated etymologies exist for this word. -The Oxford English Dictionary suggests 'sprauncy' is perhaps related to (slang) sprouncey meaning cheerful, which The English Dialect Dictionary is garnered from The Ancient Language and Dialect of Cornwall (F.W.P. Jago, 1882) -However, sprauncy is also, it appears, one of those unusual Jewish words that appears to be a genuinely original invention of British Jews. -sprauncy connotes something between stylish and opulent. This comes from: http://www.thejc.com/judaism/jewish-words/sprauncy if you care to read the full text. Used in a sentence: Well would you just look at sprauncy Mr. La-dee-da there with his surtout and top hat, who does he think he’s fooling?

Today is the birthday of Gabrielle "Coco"Chanel. For our dress of the day we have selected one of the highlights of our collection, this evening dress from 1926 of blue silk chiffon trimmed with ombréed blue silk fringe. (KSUM 1997.71.7 ab).

Grandiloquent Word of the Day: Flamfoo (flam-foo) Noun: -A gaudily dressed woman who thinks she represents the height of fashion (Lady Gaga for example).... From Scottish variant of FLAMFEW (a gewgaw, trifle, fantastic thing) Used in a sentence: "The dress she'd chosen for her paranymph was so gaudy, the poor lass looked like a flamfoo!" The flamfoo... We all know her, the one at the club who looks like she just escaped from the circus. Just where precisely did she find that outfit? Did she somehow snatch it from a fever-induced nightmare of Ralph Lauren? And that hair style, if you could call it such...? Really? Emerald green and hot pink eye shadow, that's what we're doing now? Okay. Sure, why not? Well, she could use a lovely postcard with a few helpful tips on proper clubbing attire, couldn't she? Go ahead... Send it anonymously if you must. http://www.zazzle.com/flamfoo_gaudily_dressed_woman_postcar

You may, if you might be so inclined, contribute as little as a dollar per month, to help keep this fine page rolling along. Thank you! :) https://www.patreon.c...om/Grandiloquent_Word Crinkum-crankum (krink-um-krank-um) Noun: -Something full of twists and turns. -Something elaborately twisted or tricky. -A thing fancifully or excessively intricate and elaborate. -A fanciful name for any object that is full of twists and turns -A Victorian slang term for a woman's commodity. Alteration of crinkle-crankle - a serpentine garden wall. First Known Use: 1670 Used in a sentence: Here I am, Riding on a black ram, Like a [strumpet] as I am; And for my crinkum-crankum, Have lost my binkum-bankum; And for my tail’s game Am brought to this worldly shame. Therefore good Mr Steward let me have my lands again. A woman’s commodity: the private parts of a modest woman, and the public parts of a prostitute. Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue by Francis Grose -1784

Today on the blog - all about making your own Miss Fisher wardrobe. These are the slides from my Costume College class, along with a link to the PDF handout with recommended sewing patterns.