Appropriate? - Not!

[tpa]

It's not anticipated that he'd take you up on your offer (nor would it be if addressed to a female, or addressed to him by a female)... it would a firmly-sarcastic comment (or, I suppose, you could make it sound humorous if you wanted to be less offensive). I would guess that he would have the typical homophobic response to the suggestion and back off. If he actually appears interested after that, you can always roll your eyes and walk away.

I always attempt to make a joke of it and respond with a smile on my face as I have no wish to be confrontational and usually it is received in that way, although sometimes with an embarrassed laugh. Sadly, in this case, there appeared to be a sense of humour failure!

Sometimes no comment is necessary, as when a "gentleman", from the US side of the pond, posed the question at the dinner table on a cruise and got firmly and roundly told off by his wife in front of all at the table.

[WillowEstate]

"That's for my wife to know... and you to fantasize about" ?

[Father Bill]

I am beginning to appreciate that this subject is a constantly recurring obsession on this site. And as such I am coming to the conclusion that this may well form part and parcel of some individuals’ reason for wearing a kilt. A frisson of excitement seems to pervade the prurient descriptions of encounters with those emboldened to ask “the question” and the only response seems to be a search for a witty riposte.
Quite frankly, anyone coming forward with an approach of this nature deserves a rebuff in no uncertain terms for what can only be described as sexual harassment.

Steve, there are two threads on this topic current on the Forum. It is not unusual to have one, often none, but unusual to have two.

Your comment that there is a "frisson" is absolutely correct. Somebody here posted a couple of years ago a picture of an ancient (a century or so) postcard that showed two French women bending slightly to examine the back of the legs of a kilted Scot - the painting was stylized and the kilt was poorly rendered (or poorly worn) but the point is that centuries back, it was normal for folks to find the kilt titillating.

Yes there are rude people today who really push their luck. Rude people aren't a new evolution either, so we mustn't get bent out of shape imagining that this is either new, purely North American, or an indication of a new perversion.

It's an old and constant one.

My late father-in-law once commented to my twenty-year old niece, "Our generation did everything your generation does. We just didn't talk about it."

Now, are members of XMarks fascinated with being the object of such interest? Well, many of our members, myself included, did not grow up with the kilt. As such what might be old hat and disgusting to lifetime kilt wearers of "a certain age" is a new, shocking, and interesting experience. As such, yes, it will be discussed. Does that mean that XMarks has a disproportionate number of "perverts"? Certainly not. It means that many of us are experiencing for the first few times, something that has become boring and disgusting to experienced kilters.

[Steve Ashton]

I don't believe that it would be correct to say " this subject is a constantly recurring obsession on this site". We do, on occasion, have the subject come up. But far less than on almost any other site you would care to visit. There are sites where the sexual titillation component of kilt wearing is far more prevalent that on X Marks. I know of at least three sites where it is the main topic and primary subject of the entire site.

So, are we obsessed as was stated - No, far from it. Whenever someone brings the topic up it usually dies from lack of interest in a few days.

And is X Marks the place where all of this happens as has been implied. Again, No. If you would care to look back in our history I am pretty confidant that you will have a much harder time finding threads on this topic than on almost any other part of kilt wearing.

[ThistleDown]

"Our generation did everything your generation does. We just didn't talk about it." ...are members of XMarks fascinated with being the object of such interest? Well, many of our members, myself included, did not grow up with the kilt. As such what might be old hat and disgusting to lifetime kilt wearers of "a certain age" is a new, shocking, and interesting experience. As such, yes, it will be discussed. Does that mean that XMarks has a disproportionate number of "perverts"? Certainly not. It means that many of us are experiencing for the first few times, something that has become boring and disgusting to experienced kilters.

I am of that 'certain age' FB refers to. I did grow up wearing the kilt and I have had 'the question' asked. It is definitely old hat (but not disgusting) that it is sometimes discussed here.

I don't, however, consider the question or the frequency with which it is mentioned on this site, as a sign of perversion or excess. It is simply a sign of changing societal permissions and a need by new kilt-wearers -- mostly North American -- to tell-all. As FB's father-in-law said (and I think he was referring to the 1940s and 1950s -- certainly in Scotland and in Canada -- we did but did-not discuss. It was boorish and ungentlemanly/unladylike to do so.

'The Question' raises its head with many new members, most in their middle years, and dies from lack of interest in a few days.

[Jock Scot]

According to Mrs Jock and one of her friends, just, if you have grown up in a kilt wearing family............by that, they mean family members regularly wearing the kilt on a weekly basis..........then the question is answered inadvertently and quite naturally by the age of four. If the same girls live a “normal” life into adulthood then their observations are confirmed. It’s just a non subject.

It’s surely no different to men growing up around females they see things......particularly in the age of mini skirts....... and learn discretion. I really fail to see what all the fuss is about, it’s all part of life. All this rather tacky fuss by our mainly(not always)North American members on this subject is just yet another confirmation to me why the kilt should not be worn outside the Highlands.

I hasten to add that there is no excuse for inappropriate sexual behaviour by anyone at any time, anywhere. However boys will be boys and girls will be girls and thank goodness for that! It’s a natural phenomenon and if we add discretion to the equation then all is well.

[neloon]

According to Mrs Jock and one of her friends ... it’s just a non subject.

Yes, this just emphasises that the only way to be a Scot is to live here and know what is true and what is myth. The Young Pretender was not in Scotland long enough to have slept in every cave that is claimed, Rob Roy must have been able to jump twice the Olympic record to have escaped over all the rivers he is said to have leapt, the position of the fingers in "Highland Dance" does not imitate the stag's antlers nor is "Sean Triubhas" about kicking off Sassenach trousers and so on. I suppose these stories have generally been invented by Scots so we have only ourselves to blame if they are authoritatively repeated outwith Scotland until they become established truths.

Alan

P.S. You know, of course, that Jock wears his kilt back to front when he goes haggis hunting.

[Jock Scot]

.............

Alan

P.S. You know, of course, that Jock wears his kilt back to front when he goes haggis hunting.

There is a reason for that of course. Those wretched pleats are so darned uncomfortable in the saddle when riding to Haggis hounds, so its accepted practice to reverse the kilt. On the other hand, if one is haggis shooting then one does not reverse the kilt.

[neloon]

There is a reason for that of course. Those wretched pleats are so darned uncomfortable in the saddle when riding to Haggis hounds, so its accepted practice to reverse the kilt. On the other hand, if one is haggis shooting then one does not reverse the kilt.

It varies from clan to clan depending on tradition - in the northeast, haggis have always been netted. Except, of course, for vegetarian haggis which are caught in humane traps.

Alan

[Tobus]

Somebody here posted a couple of years ago a picture of an ancient (a century or so) postcard that showed two French women bending slightly to examine the back of the legs of a kilted Scot - the painting was stylized and the kilt was poorly rendered (or poorly worn) but the point is that centuries back, it was normal for folks to find the kilt titillating.

This is probably the illustration to which you refer. I've seen the black & white poorly-scanned version of it, but this appears to be a better quality scan of the original.

Yes, certainly "the question" is not a new one, nor is it just an American thing.