Meaning of abbreviation ‘BBs’ in a 1940s Book

[EllieQ]

I’m reading Confusion by Elizabeth Jane Howard, which is set during WW2, and was puzzled by the abbreviation ‘BBs’ in a scene where one of the characters is thinking about the usual shopping list she would have for a trip to to London - the line is ‘BBs for Clary and Polly’ who are teenage girls.

Google hasn’t helped as I’ve just got results for Bulletin Board Services (know as BBS) or the BBC. I’m assuming it’s something underwear or toiletry related, but can’t figure it out! Does anyone have any idea what it could stand for?

I missed your post Piggy or I would ofc have bowed to your greater knowledge.

I loved WKD and actually bagged a 1950s copy in a charity shop the other day.

When I was a child I thought all the children in the books I read were wearing coats made of towelling (flannel coats you see!)

As a teacher of MFL I could tell a student who had read books from years gone by bc they knew words like content and tranquil (which are cognate in French... but no use if you don't know the English word)

oooh are you another secret DLS fan along with SheilaFentiman (and me, tho not obvious from my name)?

Yes indeed.

We now seem to be in an era when many goods are seen as ultra-disposable. It's rather alien to me.

Well, I did laugh at myself, didn’t I?

I answered your question based on my knowledge, and based on your question, and was informed I had had the wrong end of the stick for more than 50 years. Pretty funny I’d say.

Only it turns out that Mrs McDowall wasn’t wrong after all. India rubber has two meanings - and the non-galoshes one apparently is used in What Katy did at School. So my “mistake” wasn’t a mistake, and I’m deprived of a funny story to tell.

You’re the one who is behaving weirdly on this thread. 🤷‍♀️

Absolutely DLS fan! I love the Cazalets too. There was a wonderful TV adaptation of Something in Disguise in the 1960s. I would love to see it again, but have never been able to find it. EJH's life had a lot of sadness.

@Gasp0deTheW0nderD0g "I think in my early childhood (early 1960s) I wore a liberty bodice. I have a dim memory of fiddly buttons."

I was born in 1957 so a young child in the early 60's like you. My mum insisted I wore a liberty bodice and I hated the damn things. They were quite uncommon then, as opposed to say the 1940's, and most other girls just wore ordinary white vests. But I suffered terribly with tonsillitis and chest infections. I remember well the palaver of putting them on with all the fiddly buttons!

And did you grow up to be strikingly beautiful and a genius writer? What did you and Peter decide to do with those pesky emeralds in the end?

I had a vest and a liberty bodice on top. It was made out of fuzzy material, a bit like tumble drier fluff, with the rubber buttons that pinged up my nose when mum pulled it over my head. I think it was because of the general lack of heating in the 60s- we didn't have central heating at home or school. I hated my liberty bodice and have a vague memory of a battle of wills between mum and me when I didn't want to wear it. I'm sure I'd stopped wearing one by junior school.

Hmmm. I wouldn't necessarily believe that.

No he chose a different lady writer - but as for the emeralds.....

I’m sure you’re right about the lack of heating in 50s and 60s being a factor in being forced into liberty bodices and vests. I think it could have been the limited range of effective medicines too, though - my family had lost a young relative to an illness which antibiotics would have sorted out nowadays, so they were really hot on prevention and days in bed if we did go down with anything. I only remember penicillin as a child, and aspirin ground up in honey.

Haha love it! My dad was a bell ringer and a DLS fan as well so he loved that one.

I’ve considered changing my username to EilunedPrice actually but I’ve been Clary for a long time.

We had Disprin dissolved in milk. Yuk. We also occasionally had Milk of Magnolia. Can't remember what that was supposed to sort out, but I rather liked it. In my very early childhood rosehip syrup was handed out at baby clinics. I think it was a concentrated source of Vitamin C but it was very sweet indeed, which may have wiped out the health benefits, especially given the lack of fluoride in the water and toothpaste back then.

Milk of Magnesia, I do hope?

Oops. Yes, Milk of Magnesia. Lovely blue bottle.

As a coincidence, I was reading this thread last night as I am currently enjoying the last in the Cazelet Chronicles - All Change.

Only a few hours later l had to plunge into some research when two of the characters were being served by a ‘nippy’. I could not fathom the meaning at all. Turns out that a nippy was the title given to the waitresses in Lyon’s who were dressed in black uniforms with white aprons and headgear. They were typically dainty and had to ‘nip’ around the tea room at pace.

I am reluctant to finish reading the series; I’ve loved how EJH has transported me to a bygone era and widened my mid century vocabulary at the same time!

Ah yes those of us who are fans of the Cazalets and also DLS will know this thanks to Unnatural Death.

I must reread these as it's year since I looked at them.