Thursday, July 09, 2009

How to impress


I was glancing through an old copy of Stephen Potter's "Lifemanship" which gives advice, in one of its chapters, about how to woo women. One of the tactics Potter describes is the "cigarette stubbs of Jarvis" approach. Jarvis filled an ash-tray with cigarette stubs and then "bought half a dozen lipsticks in striking but contrasted reds (Fatal Apple, Eden End, Oblivion, Cindarella's Pumpkin, Lovers' Lip, etc) and painted the ends of the stubs with these reds to give an impression not only of the smartness, but of the variety and frequency of his companionship with other girls."

Potter then adds a note: "Few, if any, women liked this gambit, but it impressed his fellow men in the Cromer area."

4 Comments:

Blogger kinglear said...

.. and that's what men do best, impress their men friends!
I'm reading a book called " The other Elizabeth Taylor" who was a very good writer in 40s 50s etc, but rather fell out of favour as she didn't move with the times in terms of being more like Jilly Cooper or Joanna Trollope.In her books, she largely makes the point that it's not beauty or cleverness or indeed intellect or wealth that " makes" love - it's companionship. So having an ashtray full of butts could either be very companionable ( if both smoke) or a complete turn off ( if neither do)

9:02 am  
Blogger Eurodog said...

Comme vous le savez, je ne suis pas Anglaise. Alors what means: "... in the Cromer area..." Is this a geographical place? If so, what is so special about Cromer? Where is it? Or is it a part of the human anatomy? What has lipstick got to do with "the Cromer area"?
Je suis perdue. Sorry.

8:38 pm  
Blogger Whispering Walls said...

True, KL

Cromer is a place in Norfolk where Mr Jarvis happened to live, ED.

8:36 am  
Blogger Welshcakes Limoncello said...

It wouldn't work with me!

10:14 pm  

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