Comments on: Creative Dating http://www.mormonfolklore.org/blog/2007/06/20/creative-dating/ A satirical look at TRUTH through the mote-free eyes of Elder Stephen Erastus Knudsen III Thu, 04 Dec 2008 05:47:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1.3 By: Glenn http://www.mormonfolklore.org/blog/2007/06/20/creative-dating/#comment-766 Glenn Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:23:53 +0000 http://www.mormonfolklore.org/blog/2007/06/20/creative-dating/#comment-766 I also remember a lot of BYU folkspeech -- traditional sayings and expressions that went along with the dating scene: NCMO Bun vs. Roll Peach vs. Plumb vs. Alfalfa Doorstep Dillemma Linger Longer Mack Celestial=first base Terestrial=second base Telestial=third base Outer Darkness=home run I also remember a lot of BYU folkspeech — traditional sayings and expressions that went along with the dating scene:

NCMO
Bun vs. Roll
Peach vs. Plumb vs. Alfalfa
Doorstep Dillemma
Linger Longer
Mack
Celestial=first base
Terestrial=second base
Telestial=third base
Outer Darkness=home run

]]> By: Glenn http://www.mormonfolklore.org/blog/2007/06/20/creative-dating/#comment-767 Glenn Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:25:19 +0000 http://www.mormonfolklore.org/blog/2007/06/20/creative-dating/#comment-767 Liners, too -- my wife thought that BYU was famous for its liners: "Your father must have been a thief, because he's stollen the stars from the sky and put them in your eyes." Liners, too — my wife thought that BYU was famous for its liners:

“Your father must have been a thief, because he’s stollen the stars from the sky and put them in your eyes.”

]]> By: Fenevad http://www.mormonfolklore.org/blog/2007/06/20/creative-dating/#comment-803 Fenevad Fri, 22 Jun 2007 13:21:14 +0000 http://www.mormonfolklore.org/blog/2007/06/20/creative-dating/#comment-803 Glenn, you left out one that I remember quite well: "She's a sweet spirit" (For those who don't know, it's a way of saying that a guy wouldn't ask a girl out because he finds her unattractive, but he wants to say something nice instead. It was used mostly as a joke in my experience.) On the general topic of creative dating, I think it is a particularly Mormon thing: it was quite common in Alaska among LDS youth when I was growing up, but not among anyone else I knew. Usually, though, most of the creativity went into the asking, rather than the date itself, resulting in a lot of anticipation for dates that often turned out to be pretty pathetic. The one area like this where I don't think it's a Mormon thing is in creative ways of proposing for marriage: I know of legends (in the technical sense) about creative proposals (as distinct from creative propositions, which are pretty much universal) from Italy and other places as well. I have to admit that I always found it strange at BYU, however, how many couples would plan what day they would get engaged on: i.e., the couple already knew they were going to get married, but they weren't engaged yet, and they could tell you what day they would be engaged (e.g., "We're not engaged yet, but we will be on Friday"). They would then spend huge amounts of time and preparation for the actual proposal and the (creative) response. I suppose that if you're going to invest time in a creative proposal, it makes sense to know the outcome first, but I always felt like it was strange to not be engaged and yet still committed to getting married. But then my wife will tell you that I never really proposed: we just sort of agreed we were getting married, went looking for rings, and started making plans for the wedding. So I guess I just don't have the right sensibilities to understand these things. Glenn, you left out one that I remember quite well: “She’s a sweet spirit”

(For those who don’t know, it’s a way of saying that a guy wouldn’t ask a girl out because he finds her unattractive, but he wants to say something nice instead. It was used mostly as a joke in my experience.)

On the general topic of creative dating, I think it is a particularly Mormon thing: it was quite common in Alaska among LDS youth when I was growing up, but not among anyone else I knew. Usually, though, most of the creativity went into the asking, rather than the date itself, resulting in a lot of anticipation for dates that often turned out to be pretty pathetic.

The one area like this where I don’t think it’s a Mormon thing is in creative ways of proposing for marriage: I know of legends (in the technical sense) about creative proposals (as distinct from creative propositions, which are pretty much universal) from Italy and other places as well.

I have to admit that I always found it strange at BYU, however, how many couples would plan what day they would get engaged on: i.e., the couple already knew they were going to get married, but they weren’t engaged yet, and they could tell you what day they would be engaged (e.g., “We’re not engaged yet, but we will be on Friday”). They would then spend huge amounts of time and preparation for the actual proposal and the (creative) response. I suppose that if you’re going to invest time in a creative proposal, it makes sense to know the outcome first, but I always felt like it was strange to not be engaged and yet still committed to getting married.

But then my wife will tell you that I never really proposed: we just sort of agreed we were getting married, went looking for rings, and started making plans for the wedding. So I guess I just don’t have the right sensibilities to understand these things.

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