"mauve Hungarian band/music"

[Garson O'Toole]

Here is what one critic says in a footnote:

732. mauve Hungarian band: dressed, presumably, in mauve, a rather
labored aesthetic joke (in recognition that these were the 'mauve'
Nineties, mauve, with green and yellow, being characteristic colours
of the decade).

http://books.google.com/books?id=20v7lhXAkQcC&q=%22in+mauve%22#v=snippet&

Another critic contends that Wilde is practicing literary synaesthesia
and says: we should not be surprised that mannerist poets like John
Donne or Oscar Wilde have occasionally recourse to such downward
transfers as "a loud perfume" or "mauve Hungarian music" and "the
scarlet music of Dvorak," for witty effects.

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Issues+in+literary+synaesthesia-a0167430891

There is also this important advice given to Dorian Gray: Never trust
a woman who wears mauve, whatever her age may be, or a woman over
thirty-five who is fond of pink ribbons. It always means that they
have a history.

Surely this statement must be included in a complete analysis if any
band member is female,
Garson

On Sun, Aug 29, 2010 at 9:59 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Joel S. Berson" <Berson at ATT.NET>
> Subject:      "mauve Hungarian band/music"
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> What did Oscar Wilde mean when he had Lord Goring say "I believe they
> have got a mauve Hungarian band that plays mauve Hungarian music. See
> you soon.  Goodbye."?
>
> Joel
>
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