# why did we stop wearing monocle's? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 16, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063 "2005-05-16T14:04:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Meeko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e495f1/32.png) [@Meeko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meeko)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/21 "2005-05-17T02:15:32Z")
B/c we grew ears. Mr.Peanut hasn’t yet. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/22 "2005-05-17T03:28:29Z")
> [@wez nilez](#): > > why did we stop wearing monocle’s? About the time we started putting apostrophes in simple plurals. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/23 "2005-05-17T03:41:59Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > About the time we started putting apostrophes in simple plurals. Ouch! BURN! ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/24 "2005-05-17T09:14:04Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > The fact that many wearers frequently drop their monocle when scandalized many have something to do with its decline. Hee. When I hear the word “monocle”, that’s what I picture. Some rich old dude with a surprised expression on his face and the monocle dropping. ---
**Author:** ![Sarah\_Woodruff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sarah\_Woodruff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarah_Woodruff)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/25 "2005-05-17T09:56:05Z")
Plus if you acquire a monocle you have to be able to afford a little gold chain to attach it to your waistcoat button, so when you drop it whilst yelling “Zounds! Demme you, Flashman, you unspeakable cad!” it won’t smash on the floor of the Opera box …and that means you have to be able to afford a Saville Row three-piece suit. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 10:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/26 "2005-05-17T10:06:16Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > To keep a monocle in place, you have to squeeze it with your eyebrow and cheek muscles. I don’t think that’s quite right; as I understand it, you insert the monocle by opening your eye wide and raising your brow (in the same sort of ‘surprised’ way that stereotypically causes monocles to fall out), then you relax and the monocle is held in place without any deliberate force. ---
**Author:** ![BarnOwl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e95f7d/32.png) [@BarnOwl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BarnOwl)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/27 "2005-05-17T11:31:29Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > About the time we started putting apostrophes in simple plurals. Cheap shot. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 11:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/28 "2005-05-17T11:47:00Z")
> [@Askance](#): > > About the time we started putting apostrophes in simple plurals. You’d be a god of humor if the OP had been “When did we quit wearing monocle’s?” Alas, it was not. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/29 "2005-05-17T13:37:13Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > You’d be a god of humor if the OP had been “When did we quit wearing monocle’s?” Alas, it was not. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/30 "2005-05-17T13:42:03Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > 😕 The OP asks _why_, not _when_. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/31 "2005-05-17T14:04:30Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > The OP asks _why_, not _when_. Ahh … ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/32 "2005-05-17T14:24:28Z")
So instead of a God of Humor, just a minor deity? Like the Highlander? It’s early in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/33 "2005-05-17T14:44:57Z")
More like an incarnation of the humor aspect of a minor god of sarcasm. But that’s still something! ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/34 "2005-05-17T15:19:01Z")
Was the only guy i remember who wore monacles. I imagine they are difficult to wear-but if you want to look like a Nazi aristocrat-general, you must have one! ---
**Author:** ![Crandolph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7cd45c/32.png) [@Crandolph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crandolph)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2005, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/35 "2005-05-17T23:13:37Z")
I recall reading somewhere that the monocle was especially popular in the tradition of spartan Prussian officers, who favored it precisely because it forced the wearer to hold a disciplined facial expression. If it was additionally painful I imagine that’s be ‘even better.’ You just don’t get a whole lot of call for that these days. ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/36 "2005-05-18T01:46:24Z")
They went out of style. We grew earpans by evolutionary response to difficulty of squinting continually. A monocle causes major eyestrain. They are an affectation warn by odd characters. ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/37 "2005-05-18T06:43:41Z")
Saw this when it was first posted and didn’t have anything factual to add–but it appears neither does anyone else. So: 1.) The ability to create a full pair of lenses and shaped frames in large quantities and at a reasonable price 2.) The ability to create lenses of set prescription reliably My guess would be that in the days of monocles, attaining two lenses of the same (or even proper) prescription was probably relatively difficult–and even if one could make a full set of glasses, the lenses would be different from each other and both slightly out of focus compared to what your prescription should be. So for most people, getting any sort of lense probably wasn’t possible. If they did get one, they probably didn’t want to keep it on their face all that long, and even had they been able to get proper glasses–the difficulty in attaining those would probably have made most people too worried they would break them. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/38 "2005-05-18T10:38:24Z")
> [@Kozmik](#): > > The fact that many wearers frequently drop their monocle when scandalized many have something to do with its decline. One _never_ drops one’s lorgnette. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2005, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063/39 "2005-05-18T10:45:26Z")
> [@Case Sensitive](#): > > One _never_ drops one’s lorgnette. I’ve heard lorgnette defined as “a sneer on a stick.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-we-stop-wearing-monocles/304063.md?page=1)