I'm a poser?

[Alan H]

A few weeks ago I wore a kilt to a dinner with friends. I was out, solo as Joan was busy, and my friend Jim is known for his directness! I don't have much of a problem with folks who are blunt, as long as they have something like manners!

Anyway, Jim asked me if I "had the heritage" to wear a kilt, the implication being that if Iddidn't somehow "have the heritage" that I was a poser. It's kind of funny, since I was wearing a Holyrood tartan kilt, but I did go into a bit of ancestry for conversations sake.

Mothers Side

Hall: one "Hall" origin unknown, died young (early 20's) and lived in Philadelphia. We don't know where he was born, or anything about his ancestry, just that he married Christiana Crockett sometime around 1830, and they had a son, Edward who became eminent in the City through his involvement with post Civil War issues, support war veterans.

MacNaughton: traceable to John McKNight who emigrated from Ulster in 1730.

Fathers side:

Bryson, apparently a sept of the MacFarlanes: traceable to one Scot in North Carolina, father emigrated pre Revolutionary War, but nobody knows exactly when, or from where, in Scotland.

*****

In other words any connections I have with Scotland are at least 170 years old, and that's the Hall ancestor, whose origin is actually unknown. He could have been descended from an English Hall family. The Bryson and MacNaughton ancestors date back over 200 years. My family has been in North America for a LONG time.

Jim's conclusion? "Poser" .

We then went on to have a nice dinner, drank a few beers and of course parted good friends, still. Like I said, I don't have a problem with blunt folks. Jim wasn't being nasty, he was just speaking his opinion on an issue which he really didn't think amounted to a hill of beans. In fact we spent most of the night grousing about new Coast Guard regulations.

So here's my question, directed at the CURRENTLY NATIVE SCOTS on this board (though of course anybody can respond). Am I a "poser" by wearing a tartan kilt?

A.) A "poser" to wear a clan kilt?

B.) A "poser" to wear a kilt in a non-clan tartan that still has Scottish connections, such as Holyrood or the Scottish National Tartan?

B.) A "poser" to wear any kilt at all, including for example the California State Tartan, or the Edzell tartan (U.S. navy-associated tartan)?

[Andy]

My blunt answer to all 3 questions would be: NO

But I find the word "poser" kinda funny. Haven't thought about that since my high school heavy metal days when anyone who listened to "false metal" was deemed a poser

[Alan H]

Mind you, out here in California, we have a diverse group of athletes who throw at the Games, including....

Alphonso Martinez and Kevin Wong

I forget what kilt Alphonso wears, but Kevin has a really nice WPG Gordon. It's got to be hotter'n blazes on the field but it sure is a darned nice kilt. I wouldn't DREAM of calling either of those gentlemen "posers", for one thing, Alphonso tosses the weight for distance a LOT farther than I do! However, neither of those guys wear a kilt outside the athletic field at the Games.

So a related question might be.....

Are Alphonso and Kevin "posers" for competing in the Heavy Athletics events at the Games? How about Mister Harrison Bailey III?

[Alan H]

Mind you, I ain't gonna tell HB3 that he's a poser! LOL.....I love watching him throw, he's the fastest professional, in the trig, and to my mind, really epitomizes the relationship between speed, grace and power.

But he has no Scottish ancestry, whatsoever, as far as I know. So is he a "poser" for competing in a Historically Scottish event?

[Jock Scot]

Mind you, I ain't gonna tell HB3 that he's a poser! LOL.....I love watching him throw, he's the fastest professional, in the trig, and to my mind, really epitomizes the relationship between speed, grace and power.

But he has no Scottish ancestry, whatsoever, as far as I know. So is he a "poser" for competing in a Historically Scottish event?

As I understand it you are required to wear the kilt to compete in Highland games. This chap HB3 is competing,so he is not posing. For anyone with non clan connections then a non tartan kilt, service tartan kilts,state tartan kilts,general kilts. They all fit the bill well.

For you Alan you have Scottish roots ,so wearing a connected tartan is fine.Besides you have the choice of American tartans too. No posing there.

Should wear a kilt at all? Don't be so silly! Of course you should! If you want too.

[Andy]

I wouldn't call HB3 anything but "sir"....

[Nick the DSM]

What you didn't know that had to be directly from Scotland to wear a kilt? Shame on you!

[Kilted in Maine]

Poser Function: noun
Etymology: 1pose
Date: 1888

: a person who poses

Pose Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French poser, from Vulgar Latin *pausare, from Late Latin, to stop, rest, pause, from Latin pausa pause
Date: 14th century

intransitive verb
1: to assume a posture or attitude usually for artistic purposes
2: to affect an attitude or character usually to deceive or impress

_________________

I do not think you are trying to deceive or impress anyone! - artistic purposes...hmmmm?



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[McFarkus]

I'm sometimes amused and sometimes annoyed at self-appointed kilt police.

[CameronTaylor]

I'm sometimes amused and sometimes annoyed at self-appointed kilt police.

Agreement. According to what I've read I only own one "real" kilt (only my Taylor is hand woven and hand sewn - my SKs, FKs, Newsome, and all the rest are fakes).
I know that I am not a poser, I am a descendant of Taylor.


CT