Officers in the Austrian army at the start of last century had a curious trick when it came to wearing uniforms in hot weather:
…At the races we were amused and puzzled to see officers appearing in flannels and carrying tennis rackets. I said to one, “Do tell me why you come to the races with a tennis racket when there is no chance of a game?”
His reply was, “Because it is much too hot to wear uniform.”
This astonishing answer led to the further explanation that officers may only discard their uniforms to play tennis. So… they carried tennis rackets as often as they could make a decent pretence of being about to play.
from ‘Indiscretions of Lady Susan” by S. Townlea
Quite aside from the military floggings that migh ensue if a commanding officer were to crack down on this practice, I enjoy thinking about schoolgirls borrowing this idea.
“But sir, we really are going to play tennis after cinema and ice-cream in town! Here are the rackets. Oh, please sir, not in the street!”
You know the really sad thing? My first two or three years in secondary school we were told we had to wear our blazers and ties to go home, even in the boiling hot summer, and I did. I wa too scared of getting into trouble. I was a pathetically good school girl.
We were told that too Elaine, I wasn’t such a good girl, I took mine off! My teachers all believed I was a very good girl though so even if they’d caught me they would have ignored it, as they always, always did, everyone around me got into trouble but never me, so unfair…
You know, I think the good girl strategy works later in life, too. I find that I get far fewer speeding tickets than I actually deserve because I drive good girl cars.
Haron, what a deliciously quirky post!
What kind of marks would a tennis racket leave??