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My husband said yesterday, "You're going to need a hankie". And I thought...hankie. Gads, I haven't heard that word in 50 years. Short for hankerchief, of course. Since the "invention" of the paper tissues or Kleenex, handerchiefs are seldom used. I used to buy my father handkerchiefs for his birthday or Father's Day when I was a kid. Does anyone use them any more? Once we all got into Kleenex tissues, handerchiefs seemed so unsanitary. Washing, drying and ironing them could not have been a welcome addition to the laundry either.
My mother used to say, "Don't forget your hankie!"...."Have you got a hankie?"..."Here, use my hankie".
It used to be very "galant" for a man to hand over his handkerchief if she was too warm, or sniffling, or in tears. (as long as it was a clean one that is).
I remember my father snorting in a big old handerchief at times, and then stuffing it into his pocket.

Just a thought.

PHoctor Dill, he always has an immaculate white one ready for crying female guests. My husband and father still use them, but you used that wierd word again, what is "Ironing" ?? hehe

I remember hankies. They were made out of old soft flour bags and hemmed neatly by my mother. We carried them tucked up under the elastic in the leg of our knickers. (I don't know where boys put theirs) I remember how uncomfortably moist they became next to the skin during a heavy cold. And the joy when Aunty Madge gave me a half dozen shop bought ones for my birthday - so soft and delicate and sophisticated with lace edging, only to be carried on special outings.

I'm in my 30's and have always been brought up to have a hanky on me. Until I left home at 20 I had to wash and iron all of them. Now I use tissues but for important occasions I have some nice lace ones. As a child I remember my grandmother throwing away my new box of tissues and saying I had to use a hanky!

Men don't like tissues for practical reasons. One good blow ~ and they just don't do gentle, it seems to be beyond them. They give one good blow and the tissue is practically floating around the room in bits like kapok. Except of course for the sticky wet bit in the middle which is left glued to the end of their noses and fingertips. That is the Grumps reasoning for always wanting a clean ironed handkerchief in his pocket if we go any place he might need one. It is that or nothing for him. Most of the time it comes home again clean as a whistle and unused. It is a just in case thing with him, and now he has got to wear specs, he uses his to wipe them more often than for wiping his snout.
When my sister started school they all used to go with a clean hanky pinned to the front of their clothing with a safety pin. She has a school photo with them all complete with flapping snot rags. Very grose.

When I was a young gel, the hankie was tucked into a gold band worn above the elbow.
I nagged my Father to death for one like my older cousin.
She was 21 and had all the flash bits.

Got it, then promptly lost it; 18crt too.

Never lived it down.

I still like a hankie, as a constant drip plays havoc with a pocket full of tissues

Isn't that funny, I read that as: Talk about Online Dating.


Tsk! Tsk!

LOL Elizabeth. I can understand how that can happen in a time such as these modern days, when we have an almost new developing language taking hold, about because of all the acronyms used in text talk !. At least you came up with something. I have at times had to puzzle seriously hard to work out WTH 'this is all about !"

I can remember back when I started school, we used to have to line up in the morning to have our teeth and nails inspected for cleanliness, and also had to show that we had brought a clean handerkerchief each as well. As Faye said, the handkerchiefs were usually tucked up the leg of those darned awful old black sateen bloomers we used to have to wear back then. Weren 't they hideous !. Ewee,,, and remember the funny smell they used to have about them ? I think it was the dye they used . With each wash they would loose a bit more colour, and ended up looking a horrible dull greeny , grey Black bloomers with a soft well washed 'salt bag' hankie stuffed up the leg of them.
You would have to fish around , and fish around to get it out to proove to the teacher that you had one. Oh my, I have actually heard myself saying that schooldays were the best of my life, and then I go and remember something like this, and it makes you think twice about statements like that one , doesn't it ?