Deeley-boppers

If you've ever seen a hen-party group strutting their stuff, then you'll have seen deeley-boppers; headbands with fluffy 'antennae' bouncing around (here's a selection from a company specialising in hen party accessories - don't look if you're a prude). I've seen many before but learnt the word for the first time last night. And where didI learn it? Believe it or not, at the National Portrait Gallery. I was looking at the portraits which had been entered into this year's BP competition and one artist had painted her daughter wearing deeley-boppers, and the word was part of the title.

Deeley-boppers seems to be the British name for these items, probably by association with teeny-boppers (which many of these young hen-night women seem to be). In America they're called Deeley (or Deely)-bobbers, and this version is in the Oxford English Dictionary. Its definition is: "A proprietary name (in the US) for a variety of children's novelty headgear consisting of a pair of ornaments (eg balls) attached antenna-like by springs or wires to a head-band". They 'bob' around, hence their name, I suppose. I can't find any references to a toy-making company called Deely or Deeley, so presumably they don't exist any more.

Comments

[Julie]

I remember hearing "deelybobber" (in California) as early as the Sixties, meaning some small thing you can't name. Like "thingamabob" or "doohicky."

I would guess the word comes from "deal" by way of "thingamabob." I've heard "dealie" used the same way. "Hand me that 'dealie' over there." Like, say, a small machine part. I've never seen it written down, so I have no idea how it would be spelled.

The headband antennae were a fad in the Eighties, and still popular with children at street fairs, but I've never seen "adult" ones like your link referenced. But I'm not familiar with "hen parties" either.

[Virtual Linguist]

Thanks Julie. I can't find any reference to 'dealie' in any of my dictionaries.

Be grateful that you are not familiar with hen parties or hen nights. Here's an idea of what goes on: http://www.adonisstrippers.co.uk/the-hen-night.php

[Julie]

Here's a reference...

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/deelie

That's the only one I've found so far. I don't buy that it's "chiefly Seattle," but Northern California has much more in common with Oregon and Washington than with Southern California. And certainly the small town I grew up in is virtually indistinguishable from coastal Oregon towns.

My husband, somewhat older than me and a native of Sacramento, remembers "little deal" more than "dealie." That sounds right to me, too.

As for the hen parties, we live in a rather conservative part of California. There are certainly male strippers catering to all-female parties, but...for a wedding?

The traditional bridal party is still a shower, where the bride's close friends give her gifts (often including sexy lingerie) in private.

[Julie]

Another link:
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dealie

[Virtual Linguist]

Thank you for those links, Julie. Very interesting. Searching for 'dealie' and 'deelie' on Google UK comes up with nothing at all.

The concept of hen night or hen party probably developed from the US 'shower' (a word that is not used in British English in this context, by the way). Many are genteel and staid eg a meal in a restaurant, but they have become increasingly commercialized with all the accessories like deeley-boppers and clubs offering cheap alcohol. The male equivalent is a stag do or stag night, and is often just as drunken and debauched!

The strippers perform at the hen night (or stag night), not the actual wedding! And please note - we aren't talking about everyone behaving like this, although if you are in Dublin or Blackpool (popular destinations for short breaks) on a Saturday night you might find that difficult to believe. One of my colleagues went to Las Vegas for her hen party - that's a lot more upmarket, though, and didn't involve strippers or binge drinking as far as I know.

[Julie]

I understood what you meant, and I think we both understand "stag party" to mean the same thing. They're often called "bachelor parties" here, but have all the same connotations.