Date:  Sun, 20 Nov 1994 10:36:05 -0800

From:  Audrey Wright <awright[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]SEACCD.SCCD.CTC.EDU>

Subject: Re: afterthought on braids



I wonder if the reference could also be "culturally" determined, or even

"politically" determined. For instance, my mother was a cosmetologists.

In her usage, 'braids' and 'pigtails' would never overlap in meaning.

Pigtails stick out from a single point, and do not have the connotation

of even attempting to be 'hair sculpture' while braids (which can include

hairwrapping) usually with the intent of providing a creative style, i.e.

hairsculpturing. Politically speaking perhaps, I know enough women, who

feel that what happened to Bo Derek and her 'braids' was such an insult

to African/African American women that they would never, never refer to

her style and 'braids'.



Personally, I have been wearing 'braids' for more than 20 years. I know

of no one who would call them pigtails.



Audrey



?1;0c



On Sun, 20 Nov 1994, M. Lynne Murphy wrote:



> when people say "braids" they usually mean braided pigtails (a la

> pippi longstocking?) because that's the prototypical way (in u.s.

> culture, at least) of wearing braids (plural). but i could say "bo

> derek had her hair in braids" or "...wore braids" meaning cornrows as

> well, if the context allowed it. i do think, though that "braids"

> have to hang. so, if you had someone with a cornrowed style that

> stayed close to the scalp, i'd say that their hair is "braided" not

> that it's in "braids". (however, "braided" can be used for hanging

> braids as well.)

>

> i would not be at all surprised to learn that in addition to (or

> instead of) regional differences, one would find gender differences

> in the interpretation of these words. i know i've had arguments w/

> men from the same region about their use of hairstyle names that i

> didn't believe were accurate descriptions. (things like: him: if

> you're hot, put your hair in pigtails. me: pigtails are for kids.

> him: you always wear a pigtail. me: that's a ponytail, there's a

> difference.)

>

> lynne

>

> ____________________________________________________________________

> M. Lynne Murphy         e-mail: 104lyn[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]muse.arts.wits.ac.za

> Lecturer, Dept. of Linguistics         phone: 27(11)716-2340

> University of the Witwatersrand        fax:  27(11)716-8030

> Johannesburg 2050 South Africa

>