An Abbey

Highclere Castle, alias: Downton Abbey

A person who is very close to me started watching Downton Abbey in the middle of season two.  One of the most pressing questions they had was, "Why is it called an abbey?  Why is it Downton Abbey or why did Jane Austen call the book/estate in the book Northanger Abbey?"

Good Question.

First off, the grand building used for the series is titled Highclere Castle, therefore the name of Abbey has nothing to do with the history of the real building.  And Julian Fellowes has yet to give us any vast history of the building itself in the series.  However, the most logical explanation is because frankly, at one time there was probably an abbey on the estate.  Many great estates are on previously ecclesiastical sites; land was often given to people who were faithful to the king, particularly in acts of war.  Needless to say, not many monks were getting estates as a gift for valor in battle.  Often these estates have a "monks' garden" to commemorate its past.

The Tuxedo

Hugh Bonneville as Lord Grantham in Season Two.

Be it a gentleman or a penguin, the tuxedo is the ultimate in dressing for an occasion in today's society.  Ironic then, that it was considered second to a tail coat when the fashion was introduced in Victorian times.  It wasn't until after WWI that it became a fashionable option to be spotted in, and did not become the go-to accessory for formal events as it is today until the 1940s.  Pre-WWII, the tuxedo was considered semi-formal, but apparently when all of the men came home from that war it became the formal wear it is today instead of standard evening wear.

Fascinating that Lord Grantham believes that he will only be able to wear his tuxedo around the house for family dinners (rather the equivalent of today's sweat pant fashion, non?).  I would say it was a smart investment.

Bowled Over

Lavinia Swire, played by Zoe Boyle

"When I was last here, I was so bowled over that I let you send me away" Lavinia Swire, Season two

Bowled over is a very informal way of saying, "I was shocked speechless by the huge misfortunes that just got chucked at me".  If you are planning on adding the term bowled over to your language repertoire, consider the classics: flabbergasted, stupified or gobsmacked (a relatively new term being recorded in print only 20-some odd years ago).

How to: Serve a Victorian Dinner

Carson and Mr. Lang making do serving dinner during war times

Serving a Victorian Dinner: Tips for a Success

*Note: these instructions are all based on what the footmen would be required to do in order to smoothly serve a dinner.  If others must step in to help them out, all chaos breaks loose...

A footman should, when serving a dinner:
-serve with the left hand, standing on the left side of the person they are serving.
-remove each guests' knife, fork, plate and spoon and replace it with clean dishes after each course (as soon as the guest is through with them so as to ensure they do not stare at a dirty plate when they find themselves lacking in conversation)
-never uncork wine or champagne bottles loudly.  The goal is not to start an ambitious display of sight and sound.  If the bottle is properly cooled prior to the dinner, it should be able to be removed in a soundless manner.  A napkin should be available on the footman's arm at all times in order to wipe the mouth of the bottle.
-any dishes placed on the table or on the buffet should be removed without spilling (goes without saying)
-never correct his master either in etiquette or conversation.  Despite the fact that the footman is present the entire meal, he should never "hear" the gossip at the table.
-after dinner, a footman will deliver a tea tray to the drawing room and help the hostess distribute the tea before he is done for the night.

Many thanks to Isabella Beeton for publishing all of her valuable knowledge in Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management which is published by the Oxford University Press, 2000.

Chuck and Downton Abbey

John Casey gets talked into movie night in Chuck

I'll admit it, I am very behind on watching American tv shows.  I keep up through conversations with my room mates; I glean just enough to always be a part of the conversation and then go off to watch my own British television shows.

One of my room mates was getting caught up on the tv show Chuck the other day when she stumbled upon the scenes where John Casey gets talked into watching Downton Abbey as a movie night.  Best lines from this episode:

John Casey: Downton Abbey.  An Upstairs/Downstairs costume drama in early 1900s England.  Yeah, something tells me not going to be a lot of explosions in that one.
Alex (his daughter): Are you kidding?  What about the bombs they drop on Edwardian convention?

[later when watching the Downton Abbey]

John Casey: Oh no.
Alex: What?
John Casey: The house maid is laying out coffee spoons with the dinner service. Yeah, it's going to be hell to pay at Downton Abbey tonight.

Thanks to the writers of Chuck for taking a moment to pause from saving the world and reference Downton Abbey instead.  Oh goodness...

Why? What is a Weekend?

Dame Maggie Smith in Season One of Downton Abbey

I'll admit it, I couldn't keep a stiff upper lip when Dame Maggie Smith asked the question: What is a weekend?  Was it her superb acting, or just the absolutely ridiculous sense of the question from the modern viewer's standpoint?  After all, here in America, we can't wait for Friday, and the instant it turns to Monday, we start counting down the days till the weekend.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary (which from here on out I shall refer to as the OED simply because it is quite overwhelming to read such an striking title repeatedly), the word weekend, which literally meant end of week, has been documented to be around since 1638.  However, OED documents that it got its start in print around the 1910s, the era of Downton Abbey and often referred to a holiday (American term: vacation) at the end of the work week.  The term did not make it into dictionaries until 1926 though it was being tossed about before that date.

In 1972, the OED states that apparently Monty Python turned the term into a euphemism. I won't tell you any more here. If you must know, go do some research.  With that knowledge in mind, I am sure the British couldn't keep a straight face when the Dowager Countess asked her simple question.

week-end, n.
Third edition, October 2011; online version December 2011. <http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/226788>; accessed 05 February 2012. An entry for this word was first included in New English Dictionary, 1926.

Defining a Morning Call

Dame Maggie Smith looking perfectly splendid

Tip of the day: paying someone a MORNING CALLS does not refer to ringing their doorbell in the morning.  Morning calls were always done after lunch.  Why call it a morning call then rather than an afternoon call or an after-luncheon call?  I really haven't got a clue.

Morning calls were what the ladies of the house did after balls, after dining at a friend's house, or to call on new or old acquaintances.  One certainly never wore a formal outfit (one designed for dinner or a party which meant one that exposed any skin below the neck line or on the arms).  One never removed their hat (thus accommodating for a speedy exit) and one only visited for fifteen to twenty minutes to discuss everyone's health, the weather and the state of the roads.

Often, those who expected many visitors that day (say they had just recently thrown a lavish ball) had an "at home" day.  This may have been routine, depending on the community, when women knew which day of the week was an acquaintance's "at home" day and when the acquaintance would be out and about paying visits.  If I didn't have rehearsal tomorrow morning, I would consider an "at home" day myself.


Many thanks to Isabella Beeton for publishing all of her valuable knowledge in Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management which is published by the Oxford University Press, 2000.