Spanish Origin of Miniskirt?

[Wilson Gray]

My sad experience is that each of the hyperlinks is corrupt.

>From personal experience, B[ar]-girls wore the mini-skirt style on - and
only on - their customers' paydays, *long* before 1965. Needless to say,
even their everyday skirts were a little shorter - mid-knee - than was
considered "decent" among square chicks, back in the day. But, only on
payday were worn what today are recognized as being "miniskirts."


On Sun, Jul 13, 2014 at 3:38 PM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com>
wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Spanish Origin of Miniskirt?
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> I can't confirm the date, but the following link claims "miniskirt" from =
> 1960:
>
> =
> http://books.google.com/books?id=3DQnAUAQAAMAAJ&q=3D%22miniskirt%22&dq=3D%=
> 22miniskirt%22&hl=3Den&sa=3DX&ei=3DdtzCU4aUEpGHogSB8YCICA&ved=3D0CDEQ6AEwA=
> A
>
> No preview is provided, but the following is claimed to be from 1955 for =
> "mini skirt":
>
> =
>
> http://books.google.com/books?id=3DGUuukQEACAAJ&dq=3D%22mini+skirt%22&hl=3D=
> es&sa=3DX&ei=3DoN7CU6G2LpDuoASqt4CQDA&ved=3D0CBwQ6AEwAA
>
> I don't know if you saw these, but FWIW.
>
> Also, searching for "minifalda" on Google Books yields a few hits. I =
> don't speak Spanish, but the 1900 and 1933 hits look like  red herrings. =
> The 1951 hit looks relevant:
>
> =
> http://books.google.com/books?id=3DK3COAAAAIAAJ&q=3D%22minifalda%22&dq=3D%=
> 22minifalda%22&hl=3Des&sa=3DX&ei=3DNN_CU4yLJ8_3oAS6nIFI&ved=3D0CCcQ6AEwAg
>
> -----
> SALARIO MINIMO- cubre al obrero lo que la minifalda cubre a la chica =
> nada.
> -----
>
> There is also a 1911 hit for "mini-falda":
> =
> http://books.google.com/books?id=3DZO4qAAAAMAAJ&q=3D%22mini+falda%22&dq=3D=
> %22mini+falda%22&hl=3Des&sa=3DX&ei=3DBuDCU9PGHpH4oASbmoLQAQ&ved=3D0CCcQ6AE=
> wAA
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Formerly of Seattle, WA
>
> Learn Ainu! https://sites.google.com/site/aynuitak1/home
>
>
> On Jul 13, 2014, at 12:16 PM, Baker, John <JBAKER at STRADLEY.COM> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header =
> -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       "Baker, John" <JBAKER at STRADLEY.COM>
> > Subject:      Spanish Origin of Miniskirt?
> > =
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------=
> -----
> >=20
> > The term "miniskirt" is usually thought to have been invented in =
> London aro=3D
> > und 1965, possibly by Mary Quant, who had a well-known boutique in =
> Chelsea.=3D
> >  However, the OED has an earlier citation, in 1962, to the Billings =
> (Monta=3D
> > na) Gazette.  Billings is not usually considered to be quite so =
> fashion-for=3D
> > ward. =3D20
> >=20
> > I took a look at the article.  It's datelined Mexico City and credited =
> to J=3D
> > ohn Abney, who I understand was a wire service reporter there.  =
> Presumably =3D
> > it just happened that the Billings Gazette was the only newspaper that =
> pick=3D
> > ed up the article and was included in online databases.  The article =
> descri=3D
> > bes the "mini-skirt" or "Ya-Ya" as the latest thing on the production =
> line =3D
> > in Mexico City.  It refers repeatedly to some kind of writing by a =
> prominen=3D
> > t psychiatrist, unnamed, who had argued that the miniskirt was a =
> youthful p=3D
> > rotest of international threats to peace.
> >=20
> > Mexico City is an unexpected source of "miniskirt," but still quite a =
> bit m=3D
> > ore plausible than Billings, Montana.  Might "miniskirt" be a calque =
> of som=3D
> > e Spanish term?  It would be nice if someone who speaks Spanish and =
> has acc=3D
> > ess to the necessary databases could do a search of Mexico City =
> publication=3D
> > s from the period.
> >=20
> >=20
> > John Baker
> >=20
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>
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>



-- 
-Wilson
-----
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die!"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-Mark Twain

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