Of course I refer to the old Dixieland standby, “Five-Foot-Two (Eyes Of Blue)”, in this case by Mitch Miller’s Gang. I’ve been listening to Mitch Miller tonight.
So, I’m puzzled by this lyric that I have included in the title of this thread. What exactly is “turned-down hose”, anyway? It is with a little bit of shame that, while I certainly am a few rungs short of Absolute At-All-Costs Stocking Fetishist, I admit I am unaware of such matters even with my hasty interest in legwear. Is there some sort of symbolism to be inferred with this lyric?
“Turned-up nose”, too—what’s that meaningful of?
Hmmm…I would take a turned-up nose to mean something like snobbishness or disdainfulness, as in the expression “She turned her nose up at it.” I suppose, though, that it could also mean one of those noses that are tilted slightly up at the end?
I’m afraid to link to lyrics here–I know quoting isn’t allowed, but is linking? One lyrics page I found said the song was written in 1925, and some versions of it talk about flappers. Nowadays women’s stockings are kind of in the design of leggings with feet, but at that time, there wasn’t any top part to stockings that went over women’s underwear. There were two separate stockings that you’d roll up the leg till about mid-thigh; then you’d attach them (usually) with garters. Now, flappers were viewed as very sexually licentious and daring, and it was apparently fashionable at the time to roll down one’s stockings, and even, as in the song from the musical “Chicago”, put rouge on one’s knees.
So my grand interpretation is that his girl is a flapper, possibly a bit fast and loose, who adheres to the current fashions, may be sexually daring, and is either snobbish or has a snub nose. Anyone else care to take a stab at it?
The turned up nose refers to a cute little pug nose, like Betty Boop’s.
The hose refers to silk stockings worn in the 20s.
Stockings were held up with garters, kinda like a cross between a rubber band and a bungy cord. By the end of an evening, a woman’s legs would at best hurt where the garter lay, at worst, her legs might swell.
Women who didn’t care what others thought about them would take the garters off, and roll their stockings down, maybe to their knees, maybe to their ankles.
The next line in the song tells what sort of reputation this gave one…“Yes sir, yes sir, one of those.”
BTW, the name of the song is Has Anybody Seen my Gal?
Yes, linking to song lyrics is acceptable, as long as the site isn’t ripping them off. (most lyric sites are fine)