'you are the friend to whom my soul is attached as to its better half! you are the most amiable, the most perfect of women! and you are dearer to me than language has the power of telling!'
The best pick up line was Darcy's ; "She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me". The old reverse psychology, never fails. Or you could try the less aggressive Mr Collins approach ; "What a superbly featured room, and what excellent boiled potatoes".
I suddenly understand why so many introverts became old maids. I think if someone was saying those things to me, I'd either run away or burst into flames from blushing.
Some of these Georgian dudes are giving me serious niceguy vibes. It's got all the ingredients: -Excessively praise her looks -Performative self-abasement -Handle rejection poorly -Talk about your money -Speak poorly of other men
If I had lived in the Georgian era and a suitor told me my virtues captured his heart, I would ask him to name those virtues I possess that captured his heart to make sure he wasn't giving me a line.
Shocked me, actually. I know there were rules as to how a woman turned down a man. Always acknowledge the compliment: "I am flattered, but..." or "You pay me a great honor, but...". I've taught my teens to always start a rejection like that--straight forward & kind. So, I was shocked to learn that the same courtesy wasn't extended to the woman who refused. Most period romances, the lady receives at least three proposals. I don't remember other suitors insulting the lady like Mr. Collins, though.
i gotta be honest, if some guy panicked and started reciting ridiculously poetic and clearly memorized pickup lines about my breath at me i might be endeared enough to let him think it worked
This has actually happened more recently in the pickup artist "community." According to guys that were involved in that world for many years, a lot of the techniques worked well at first, but once they got spread throughout the "community," they stopped working because too many girls had already heard it all before.
Actually, listening to a lot of these, canned and flowery as they may be, if spoken with sincerity really hit home with the ardent nature of the passions the men speak. I'd be damn near breathless at some of these.
I love how you're trying so hard to put this in context of the times and the people of those times, but your eyes are *screaming*, "YALL BEST NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!!"
One thing to note about the Georgian era is the idea of "sense-ability" where you sense emotions so powerfully they overwhelm you. It was part of the movement of romanticism that started what we consider part of "romance." Which is why Marianne Dashwood is Senseability and Elinor is Sense, or practicality.
I thought of Mr. Collins when you were talking about the declarations of his passions. Just read P&P (again) within the month. I noted his expressions of great passion in his proposal, even though he only knew her a few weeks. Sounded canned. I guess I was right, it was canned.
You've made me think about Mr Collins' claims that he practices those little flatteries women like and how much they reflect Sensibility rather than Sense. I think JA is clear she's not a fan of Sensibility through Marianne's early behaviour and of course Mr Collins.
I've totally got to buy one of these books! I'm not interested in flirting since I've been married to my husband for 28 years. But, this is a really entertaining subject. 😂
They're in free ebook format! The links are in the description below the video! It's really cool because the British Library has teamed up with Google Books to digitize part of their collection of old books and make then available online.
@@EllieDashwood Thank you for telling me! I saw the titles in the description. I didn't click on them, though. I've learned a valuable lesson today. I can't wait to check them out.
I came for one video, and somehow I have watched at least 5 videos. I love the style of this whole youtube series. The clothing, the tone, voice, the colors used, and just about everything.
I expected to love these pickup lines...turns out if someone said this to me I would be like * run * I did like the one about "I'll do anything for you except stop loving you" though, I think coming from a close boyfriend it could be cute 😂 Also if he really did get my dad's permission first I would be legit impressed! Call me old fashioned but I love that tradition
If a man is going to say things like this, the man had better be sure that the lady is going to say, "yes"! But DON'T kiss her the second time if she recoils after the first! DON'T, DON'T, DON'T!
As a wise man once said: "I cannot make speeches, Emma...If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more. But you know what I am. You hear nothing but truth from me."
Another great video Ellie! I bet popular ladies (who had several gentlemen callers visiting her family's house during the season) must have heard several of these pickup lines back in the day.
I have usually been a Mr. Darcy or Mr. Collins (read _disaster_ ) when it comes to talking, much less flirting, with ladies. In fact, I have reasons to suspect that most often than not I actually ended up offending them (though that was far from being my intention). But as Miss Elizabeth Bennet rightly observes in her characteristically profound fashion, its most likely because I never took the trouble of practising.
I have been binging on your videos the last day or so. Am enjoying the level of research you do enormously. As well as watching you mature as a presenter. Here’s hoping you continue to find an audience and make these marvelous little gems on social history that inform the reading of classic literature. There was a book about the history of the Demi monde that came out a few years ago. It would be fascinating to see you do a video about that class and how some of those women wielded a power of their own.
Aw, thank you so much! And welcome to the channel! Also, the part about me maturing as a presenter makes me laugh. Whenever I watch the first video I published on this channel I just facepalm and ask, "WHY?!?!" 😂 Also, that's a super interesting topic idea! Thank you.
I once read a quote from Cassanova (1910s) about how he was so successful at wooing women: "I tell a beautiful woman that she is intelligent. I tell an intelligent woman that she is beautiful." I noticed that none of the quotes that Ellie read referred to intellect. But, it is true that women want to be admired for it all. We want to be looked upon as both lovely & intelligent & a "good person". So, if one feature is dominant to all, compliment the other.
First, I love your channel, second, I believe the mention of fortune in this scenario is to state that the gentleman would choose this woman regardless of disparity of wealth. I believe it's meant to be a sign of devotion.
Hot damn, the one about the only thing that could kill your love is death itself just got me. Like... most of these would have me hiding behind my bonnet or fan, but those... just hit the heart.
Not just charming and funny, this shines a helpful light on the typical manners and cultural standards behind some of our favorite novels. Is it possible to add links to sources for the art? In particular, I'd love to know where you found the engraving at 6:24, where the lady seems about to say, "Will you excuse me, my dear sir? I fear I am late for my gavotte lesson."
Catching up on all your posts 😂 have you come across the idea of "making love"? In regency times this doesn't mean physical interaction...it's this format of verbal flirting to make this person fall in love with you.
A couple of questions: 1. Where do you think these flowery declarations fall against the characteristics associated with the romantic period? For example, do you think they are the sort of declarations in keeping with Marianne in Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility? 2. I was wondering at the many references to marriage. Are we before the era breach of promise was pursued (I know it was a "big" thing in the Victorian period) because constantly promising could be truly awkward if you didn't mean it and you were called on it. 3. Which flirting lines remind you of actual things said by Darcy in P&P? Or is that just in general? I must check out the books you've referred to. Clearly my education is sorely in want ... PS Great video as usual, and love the pictures. Especially the one of the woman reading and the man at her feet. He seemed to need all the help he could get.
Those are all great questions! 1. I think that they're definitely for the romantics like Marianne and those of Sensibility. They're all about feeling, passion and sensitivity. 2. I actually talk about the breach of promise thing a little bit in next week's video! I think mostly the men only start mentioning marriage in the proposals (which they had time to think through ahead of time), but the danger really presents it self in how the women responds. Otherwise, the men are pretty vague. I mean, his life might depend on her smiles, but they don't have to be married to do that. lol. 3. It's overall the feel of the some of Darcy's lines that remind me of the underlying sentiment and world view. Such as when Elizabeth and him are dancing and she wants to sketch his character. And he says, "“I would by no means suspend any pleasure of yours." 😂 Also, the links to read all of the books I mention in this video are in the description below the video! The British Library plus Google Books have digitized them into free ebooks for us.
@@EllieDashwood It's always great listening to your videos and exploring them further. So glad you explore breach of promise further. It's always interested me that it's looked at as something women do when I understand more men pursued breach of contract than women. All those male written Victorian novels I suppose. I will look up the books. It would have been part of everybody's education to know what to say, when to say it and who to say it to (witness Mr Collins' faux pas) and I will look for how these crop up in JA novels. I look forward to next week.
Please do an episode on Cora and Alice from the film Last of the Mohicans :) many people are curious about the details of their 1700s British backgrounds compared to the new world. The fanfic writing community would benefit so much from your knowledge and insight!
Videos on these topics make me wonder how dating in these times as a non-binary would’ve went. Kinda interesting yet… maybe a bit sad or perhaps hopeful? Lots of possibilities.
I think it's super funny, the line where the dude calls himself her servant except in that he won't stop adoring her. My husband often tells me I'm stuck with him, even if I change my mind about our marriage he's going to keep on loving me. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Ellie, kissing a girl once and she gets offended probably means you should not try kissing her again. Telling a beautiful woman she is beautiful is so lame. They did a bad job of coaching men in the 1700s. I am surprised that the species survived.
😂 It’s my natural gothic coloring coming out. Seriously, as a kid the no. 1 thing everyone said to me was either “You look like Wednesday from the Addams Family” or “You look like the girl from Casper.” (Both played by Christina Ricci at the time. Who of course later went on to star in Sleepy Hollow too 😂) Anyway, Mina Harker is new!
@@EllieDashwood well I was thinking Winona's Red Mina dress in the 91 film. The really Victorian sexy one with her hair on either side of her face at times. You're wearing a red shirt with your warmish hair giving the same low key effect. I dunno if I'd have thought about the others!! 😂
Mentioning seems so crass. I have seen dudes do even in the modern era and it always seems to be the biggest put off. It could not have been that successful back then, unless you’re Mrs. Bennett.
Oh gee willikins. How insincere these all are, wonder if many women actually fell for them, or just vomited quietly to themselves. Having a man persist when you've already made it clear you don't appreciate his approaches, is not fun, not now, nor back then I'm sure! It shows he doesn't respect your wishes. It's even more of a turn-off.
