G-string

[James A. Landau]

In a message dated 5/6/2003 12:22:47 AM Eastern Standard Time, douglas at NB.NET
writes:

> think the G-string (originally a string supporting a loincloth or so) was
> most likely named after the lowest string of a violin

The Making of America Books database has only one hit, in an English
translation by one Charles G. Leland of Heinrich Heine's "Pictures of
Travel".  (The original German title is not given.  The title page gives the
publication date of this English edition as 1856, but the copyright date on
the reverse of the title page is 1855.)

Pictures of travel.
Reisebilder. English.
Heine, Heinrich, 1797-1856.
471 p. front. (port.) 19 cm.
Philadelphia,
J. Weik,
1855.

Page 353 Heine is critiquing a German poet named Platen: "Unlike the true
poet, language was never yet his master; on the contrary, he has become
master of it, playing on it as a virtuoso plays on an instrument. The more he
advanced in this mechanical facility, the higher opinion did he form of his
own powers of performance; he learned how to play in every manner and metre;
he versified even the most difficult passages, often poetising, so to speak,
on the G string, and was vexed when the public did not applaud."

This seems to suggest that in the 1800's the G string of a violin, but not
the other strings, was used as a literary metaphor (albeit a rather obscure
one).

            James A. Landau
            systems engineer
            FAA Technical Center (ACB-510/BCI)
            Atlantic City Int'l Airport   NJ   08405   USA