happy? - June 18 (The Plains of Waterloo)

Subject: happy? - June 18
From: Abby Sale
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 09:07 AM

        On the eighteenth in the morning  [ie, 6/18/1815]
           Both armies did advance;
          On this side stood brave Albion's sons,
            On that the pride of France.
          The fate of Europe in his hands,
            Each man his sabre drew,
          And death or victory was the word,
           On the plains of Waterloo.
  
                  "The Plains of Waterloo" from Gavin Greig, Folk-Song
                   of the North-East, 1909; Article LXXIX 

Copyright © 2005, Abby Sale - all rights reserved
What are Happy's all about? See Clicky

Subject: RE: happy? - June 18
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 11:53 AM

"There was a brave old Scotchman
at the Battle of Waterloo
The wind blew up his petticoat
And he didn't know what to do"

As sung by Pike in Dad's Army.

Subject: RE: happy? - June 18
From: Azizi
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 09:22 PM

Men wore petticoats?

Hmmm-how word usages change!

Subject: RE: happy? - June 18
From: Azizi
Date: 18 Jun 05 - 09:38 PM

petticoat
Petticoat
"A petticoat is an article of clothing for women; specifically an undergarment to be worn under a skirt or dress. The petticoat is a separate garment hanging from the waist . The practice of wearing petticoats was well established by 1585. Its uses differ from place to place. In India, petticoats are worn underneath a long drapable saree."

For more fashion descriptions, click Fashion Glossary
-snip-

But http://www.allwords.com/word-petticoat.html provides this information:

Petticoat
noun

1. A woman's underskirt.
2. historical
Skirts in general, or those worn by boys in early childhood in particular.
Form: petticoats
3. Said eg of organizations, tactics, etc: relating to or lead by women; feminine or female.

Example: petticoat government
Etymology: 15c: from petty adj 1 + coat.

Subject: RE: happy? - June 18
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 04:26 AM

Men didn't wear petticoats, Highland regiments wore kilts, thus the joke.

Subject: RE: happy? - June 18
From: Abby Sale
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 01:08 PM

Well, sure it's a joke but also (just barely) a possible correct usage. That Skirts in general part tells you. From Oxford: ORIGIN from obsolete 'petty coat,' small coat.

But so many words do change, go sideways, reverse:

sophisticated - once a severe derrogatory of silly/false reasoning

bad

rout (as in Of the Blues)

must be many hundreds of examples

Subject: RE: happy? - June 18
From: Le Scaramouche
Date: 19 Jun 05 - 01:15 PM

Sophisticated would have been someone into sophistries.
Villain, knave, cute, terrible, awful, gay, as you said, hundreds.

Allen