# Duty length skirts **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 24, 2011, 9:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996 "2011-05-24T09:43:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996/21 "2011-05-24T15:19:31Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > I am just now learning that ‘doodie’ means unattractive. All this time I thought it was poo-poo caca. Is there really that much difference? ---
**Author:** ![Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brown_eyed_girl/32/3574_2.png) [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brown_Eyed_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2011, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996/22 "2011-05-24T18:15:46Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > Is there really that much difference? 😃 Well, maybe not from the perspective of the poo-poo caca. But if I were to tell you I this really unattractive guy asked me out, would you think I was certifiably crazy because everyone knows turds can’t talk, let alone jump out of toilets and hit on people? ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996/23 "2011-05-25T00:37:02Z")
> [@Brown\_Eyed\_Girl](#): > > I am just now learning that ‘doodie’ means unattractive. All this time I thought it was poo-poo caca. Well, I can’t see how they can be considered attractive, but, to each his own… Best wishes, hh ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996/24 "2011-05-25T03:11:28Z")
We used this term in my frum girls’ HS (and yes, frum is totally unisex) in the mid-nineties, when the style for frum girls was almost exclusively ankle-length skirts, with the very occasional knee-length. At the time, I definitely thought it was ‘doody,’ as in poop, but later on, I’ve definitely come across ‘duty-length’ in non-frum publications, referring to mid-calf skirts in general. Wish I could remember where. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996/25 "2011-05-25T12:00:48Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > I’ve asked this of my daughter and wife several times. If I remember correctly, they considered the “doodie” theory to be credible, but not likely since the general pronunciation used the “t” sound. I should’ve checked with my wife before posting. It was _me_ who questioned it on the basis of the “t” sound. My wife and daughter never felt it to be anything other than “doodie”, as in “yuccchh”. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996/26 "2011-05-25T15:18:24Z")
Well, in Starfleet it can mean this, [http://pics.livejournal.com/jane\_says/pic/0005dg1r](http://pics.livejournal.com/jane_says/pic/0005dg1r), or this: [http://raidergirls.com/raiders\_blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/uhura-skirt-trek.jpg](http://raidergirls.com/raiders_blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/uhura-skirt-trek.jpg). Take your pick. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996/27 "2011-05-25T15:33:28Z")
> [@IvoryTowerDenizen](#): > > I guess, I never spoke with enough men to hear them talk about themselves! > > 🙂 You are frum! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996/28 "2011-05-25T15:35:57Z")
Googling pics for “duty length skirt” [brings up this](http://www.hashkafah.com/index.php?/topic/50740-israeli-skirt-style/)(see post #10) ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996/29 "2011-05-25T16:24:34Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > I should’ve checked with my wife before posting. It was _me_ who questioned it on the basis of the “t” sound. My wife and daughter never felt it to be anything other than “doodie”, as in “yuccchh”. Well, in an American accent (or, at least mine), “duty” is pronounced with two “d”'s, so it does sound like “doody”. I believe that this is the same accent feature that makes us pronounce the “Latter Day Saints” as the “Ladder” Day Saints. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2011, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996/30 "2011-05-25T16:31:58Z")
> [@robert\_columbia](#): > > Well, in an American accent (or, at least mine), “duty” is pronounced with two “d”'s, so it does sound like “doody”. Where are y’all from? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2011, 9:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996/31 "2011-05-26T09:17:02Z")
> [@kombatminipig](#): > > _Frum_ is actually a unisex term, from the yiddish word for devout. Provided that _frum_ has exactly the same meaning in Yiddish as in Swedish devout is not a 100% accurate translation. It’s as good as you can get it, but it doesn’t cover the full meaning. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/duty-length-skirts/582996.md?page=1)