Beauty, grace, emotionality - these are the qualities that society expects from women. Those representatives who are deprived of these traits, demonstrating instead intelligence and strength of character, traditionally cause some contempt. One of the derogatory nicknames given to such ladies is "blue stocking".
Such a woman does not recognize any cosmetics or jewelry, the style of clothing is exclusively business. Flirting, female coquetry is not for her. She considers her main advantages to be intelligence, erudition, business qualities. Such a woman is engaged in any activity that is considered exclusively male - science, politics, etc. As a rule, she is not married and does not intend to start a family.
In the modern world, such a set of personal qualities corresponds to the concept of androgyny. As a rule, society does not welcome this. “What good is being a blue stocking. Blue stocking … God knows what! Not a woman and not a man, but the middle half, neither this nor that,”- categorically declares such a respected writer as A. P. Chekhov.
Meanwhile, for the first time, the nickname "blue stocking" was by no means a woman, and it did not initially contain much contempt.
Salon Elizabeth Montagu
In England at the beginning of the 18th century, there was a salon of Elizabeth Montague. She was a wonderful woman who proved herself both as a writer and as a literary critic. She patronized people of art. Her salon brought together equally intelligent people who are passionate about science and art.
There was Benjamin Stillingfleet in this salon - a multi-talented person. He was a writer, translator, and a botanist.
This man had one oddity. In those days, secular etiquette prescribed to wear silk stockings, despite this, Benjamin Stillingfleet wore woolen stockings, which were always blue. Thanks to this extravagant detail, his comrades in the salon "rewarded" him with the nickname "blue stocking".
Spreading the nickname
So, for the first time such a nickname was earned by a weird man, and it was more a friendly joke than an insult. But somehow it became a contemptuous label for women.
For this, one should thank Edward Boscawen, the English admiral, known by the nickname "Fearless Old Man." This man literally grew up in the navy, starting as a 12-year-old on a warship. He distinguished himself in many naval battles, had the rank of Rear Admiral … nevertheless, he had something to do with the salon of Elizabeth Montague: his wife visited the salon.
The seasoned military man did not like his wife's hobby. He did not consider intellectual conversation to be a suitable activity for a woman! Despising the circle, Boscauen called it "the blue-stocking society", based on the nickname Stillingfleet.
The nickname was picked up by J. G. Byron. This English poet wrote a satirical poem about Elizabeth Montague's salon, giving it the name "blue."
This is how, with the light hand of E. Bokauen and J. G. Byron, the nickname "blue stocking" stuck to very smart and not very feminine ladies.
