horsemaning

[victor steinbok]

I'll go for Door Number Two, Monty! Yes, they are clearly spelling it
wrong--but, apparently, that's a part of the joke:

http://www.horsemanning.com/

> Horsemanning, or fake beheading, was a popular way to pose in a photograph
> in the 1920's. Sometimes spelled horsemaning, the horsemanning photo fad
> derives its name from the Headless Horseman, a character from “The Legend of
> Sleepy Hollow.”  According to legend, the "original" horsemanning photo was
> discovered at a flea market. After a series of horsemanning photos began
> trending on Buzzfeed, people got inspired to recreate the horseman.
> Horsemanning is experiencing a revival and is best known as the new form of
> planking.  Check out our gallery which even includes some famous celebrities
> horsemanning!


Even then, it may be more Mayne Reid than with Washington Irving... Either
way, I'm turning into a grumpy old man and pronouncing it "horsemanuring".
As for the 1920s connection, there was a 1922 film Headless Horseman, with
Will Rogers as Ichabod Crane ( http://goo.gl/fZNdk ). I guess, that brings
it back to Washington Irving... sort of.

Wiki does have an entry with the correct spelling. It also mentions
"planking" and "owling", in passing.

http://goo.gl/HqJ5J

VS-)

On Mon, Sep 19, 2011 at 8:07 PM, Joel S. Berson <Berson at att.net> wrote:

>
> Victor, either you're not pronouncing it right or they're not
> spelling it right!  :-)
>
> At 9/19/2011 06:30 PM, victor steinbok wrote:
> >Horsemaning? I needed an explanation for this one--and even knowing what
> it
> >is, I fail to see the connection. But that's just me.
> >
> >http://goo.gl/yoGYh
> >
> > > "Horsemaning" is an Internet meme that mimics a fake beheading in
> > > photographs. The origins are believed to be in the 1920s when people
> would
> > > imitate the Headless Horseman, a character from the "The Legend of
> Sleepy
> > > Hallow."
>
> Or were lousy photographers.
>
> Joel
>
> > > Urban legend has it that a 1920s photograph of two children horsemaning
> was
> > > recently found at a garage sale and uploaded onto the Internet,
> > thus kicking
> > > off the resurgence of the fad. The trend has made its round on
> Facebook,
> > > blogs and BuzzFeed. Even a couple of celebrities have taken the plunge.
> >
> >
> >Sounds like horseshit, but CBS calls it "horsemaning".
> >
> >VS-)
>

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