Things you were told weren't ladylike

[thinkofablinkingnamewoman]

A friend mentioned yesterday that her DH hates her smoking while walking - he says it makes her look like a tart. It reminded me of things my DM (mainly, DF occasionally) told me weren't ladylike when I was growing up. They were:
Smoking outside (clearly some things don't change)
Eating in the street (though for some reason chip shop chips were ok)
Sitting with my legs apart more than about an inch. This seemed to be quite a precise measurement
Talking about football to people I didn't know, even though my DF used to take me. Bizarrely cricket talk was ok.
Did you all have similar?

No eating or smoking in the street
No painted toenails but fingernails had to have a layer of colourless nail varnish.
No white stilettos - straight to hell for that one.
Legs drawn to the side and crossed neatly at ankle when sitting.
No swearing.
Jewellery had to be subtle, nothing too gaudy.
No beer, cider or lager. Wine or spirits with a mixer only.
No dropped aitches.
Never clear your plate completely.

There were more, bless her.

Eating in the street - must be a generational thing. I do it all the time, I can't wait to get back in to work to eat my butty!

Ever the bad daughter I taught myself to smoke using ginseng cigs from the health food shop. How ridiculous does that sound?! I also trained myself to drink pints of Guinness and the final photo on our wedding album is me with a pint of Guinness having rejected the ladylike sherry. I think my parents gave up at that point.
These are brilliant - I'm really enjoying this!

Am I a tart for having red varnish on my toe nails?
AM I?
:(

Whistling, although the rhyme I heard was a bit different;
"A whistling woman, and a crowing hen, will bring the Devil out of his den.'".

Eating in the street.
Walking whilst eating.
Sitting with your legs apart.
Smoking in public.
Drinking beer.
Shouting.
Swearing.
And so many more,I was the youngest (by 13 years)of 3 children and the only girl.

I was always expected to be well turned out no matter what and exceptionaly well behaved.Luckily for my parents they had a very submissive child in me.

My GM always said it was very unladylike to brush your hair/ do your makeup in public. Even now I can't do it!

Ooh just remembered - red shoes (apparently) = no knickers

I was told by my DSis that my voice was too low, and I should squeak to be ladylike and not off putting.

I was told by my DSis now ex not to interrupt him and his brothers when they were discussing important theological and existential questions (along the lines of whether women have souls, and how many angels can you fit on a pin) I was sniggering away and didn't want to stop listening to the shite they were coming out with to 'help' in the kitchen.

I was told by mum that I walk with too long a stride, and I should tip tap neatly along in a heel like her, that I walked like a man.

Also I was told not to keep quiet I have a few degrees and a first, in case I upset any man there. sigh

Oh yeah, and no screaming in the delivery room - thanks virgin midwife.

'Ladylike' behaviour should be outlawed: does us no favours.

Ladies shouldn't go to the bar in a pub.
Ladies should only drink wine.

I just order pints of wine at the bar now

My nan told me a lady never shows her feet, still have issues!

Ignoring the obvious things already mentioned like swearing or drinking pints, the most shocking non ladylike thing I have done recently is Driving A Van .

Both my dad and one of my sisters couldn't stop going on about it when I turned up in our camper van because DP Was using the car.

I get comments when I drink whisky as well, cos that's not allowed either .

I love driving a van!

I recall the anklet one, and painted toenails for some reason.

My mum has given up on making a lady out of me, I'm 5'10 and will never be described as 'dainty'. I drink pints, swear like a navvy and yawn as widely as I can (my ex hated this).

I can do elegant, but I ain't no lady and never will be.

Smoking, I'm quite pleased as it meant I never started.

FIL ordered me to get a more ladylike drink on my wedding day. Then when I failed to follow his orders gave me a dressing down. Sod him, I'd ordered the polypins of real ale for myself and I wasn't drinking it out of a wine glass I did share my ale with the guests

My toenails are currently teal. I'm finding it concerning that painted toenails aren't ladylike as the only other option I can see is manly. Is it manly to have painted toenails?

FIL (again - misogynistic twat) likes DDs in dresses. So they only ever wear jeans when he comes round despite being allowed to wear party dresses all day long if they want to the rest of the time.

whistling women & crowing hens are neither fit for God nor men

shame as I love whistling & am good at it

Eating in the street
Drinking pints

This thread is funny!! Mine isn't so much about unladylike behaviour but something peculiar my Grandma once said - I should never do the splits as I would never be able to have children if I did! (DD proves that one wrong!)

Anything that was fun was unladylike, I recall. A ladylike girl would sit nicely and silently whilst the boys went out and played games. She might be allowed to help Granny dust, if she's bored.

I HATE the concept. It's pure control. You don't see young boys being exhorted to always be gentlemanly.

my image of un-lady-like is Catherine Tate's swearing gran character.

Or BlueStones, being gentlemanly doesn't stop boys and men from doing the fun stuff, like on Christmas Day when the men go to the pub while the women stay home and cook the dinner although in my family the women got rat arsed while the turkey was cooking and one them might get up to baste it every hour or so so it wasn't all bad, but yes you can still hold a door open every once in a while and help ladies carry things and it doesn't tie you up with assisting with drudgery.

Ankle jewellery, tattoos, drinking beer. Thanks mum.

Didn't an ankle chain mean you were a lady of ill repute?

Hilarious. I was told the whistling thing too. In fairness to home, they never said this stuff. School did.
Does anyone remember a children's programme, I think Jim Henson's crowd made it. It was about dinosaurs, but not really IYKWIM. can't for the life of me remember what it was called. In one episode all the men dinosaurs went off to a football game and the women dinosaurs stayed in the cave.
One woman said 'c'mon we'll have a beer'.
Another replied: 'oh Harry doesn't like me drinking beer, he says it's not ladylike'.
To which the dinosaur woman now drinking the beer and burping replied: 'well, when Harry's laid an egg the size of his head, he can tell me what's ladylike'.
I always quote this when someone is rabbiting on some shite about what's ladylike.

Didn't an ankle chain mean you were a lady of ill repute?

apparently so or according to my nan a hoor wears ankle bracelets