I was going to add to my comment on TR’s post that it would be well to have a very large smile on his face should he ever consider – not that he would, of course, being the gentleman that he is – uttering a sentence with ‘men,’ ‘skirts,’ and ‘silly,’ in it where there was any chance that one of thee chaps might overhear it:
Of one of the ‘Oh, shit,’ moments of my service. I was escorting a young American soldier through our lines in Osnabrueck. We shared a barracks with the Royal Scots – the First of Foot, and we were walking down the road which marked the boundary between our lines and theirs. Coming the other way were three soldiers of the Royal Scots and as we approached each other, this guy said, in a loud voice, ‘Holy shit, those guys are wearing skirts…’
As luck would have it, I knew one of the Royal Scots guys and I managed to smooth things over and we were parting amicably, with me trying ot point out the the American that it was really, really, not a good idea to make offhand remarks about kilts to Scottish squaddies when he said, loudly again, ‘But guys look really stoopid wearing a skirt…’
The clash of feet coming to a halt behind us was the ‘Oh, shit,’ moment. With all the quick thinking appreciation of the tactical situation that the Army had trained into me in, (at that time,) about seven years, I said to the guy, ‘OK. I’m going to run away now, and I suggest you follow me.’ And I didn’t even look back 🙂
Boadicea's Chariot 
Hello again Bravo. That’s me in the golf bag. 🙂
Bravo, I can assure you that while a kilt may look ‘stoopid’ to some male members of the species, all female members, in my experience, find the wearers to be irresistible. The sportsman, in green hunting plaid, striding back from the moor or the dandy in full dress, reeling his way through Hamilton House can soften the heart of any maiden. You should give it a try. 🙂
An interesting point about the Royal Scots; they have NO Regimental traditions. Their view is that they are the Army’s oldest regiment, (true,) the First of Foot, (also true,) and that therefore it is up to all of the other regiments to differentiate themselves as best they can. There’s a BBC series from 1989 which unearths the traditions of all the ‘other’ regiments and if you’re interested in finding out which regiment sits down and chats through the National Anthem, and why, which one still toasts ‘The King,’ and why and which regiment celebrates a person instead of a battle on its Regimental Day, (mine,) and all sorts of other military quirks and foibles, you might give it a go: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W11BbX06_og&list=UUAnELZuT1DPY-iKGxRQjUyw&index=4&feature=plcp
Hey Sipu, it wasn’t me it was TR 🙂
You are correct, Sipu. My boyfriend in Edinburgh wore a kilt AND read poetry to me. Oh still my beating heart …
Can’t believe you’ve grassed me up, Bravo. That’s it, I’ll never do a bank job with you. 🙂
Thanks for the link Bravo. I notice that many of the traditions stem from the Peninsular War. My great grandfather was an ensign with the Coldstream Guards during that campaign. There are some letters that he wrote, but not Napoleonic chamber pots!
Backside mutters, “Obviously a poofter then.”
Tell backside he was a thespian, but not a ‘poofter’ and tell him he is very rude.