Ladies who lunch is a phrase often used to describe well-off, well-dressed women who meet for social luncheons, usually during the working week. Typically, the women involved are married and non-working. Normally the lunch is in a high-class restaurant, but could also take place in a department store during a shopping trip. Sometimes the lunch takes place under the pretext of raising money for charity.
The origins of the phrase are disputed. Some claim it was coined by Women's Wear Daily publisher John Fairchild in the 1960s,[1][2] others that it was first introduced in the January 19, 1970, issue of New York magazine by the writer Merle Rubine,[3]
"Anyone with a fair figure, ready cash, fashion savvy and a safecracker's nerve can buy the best that Fifth Avenue has to offer on Seventh Avenue at half the price. The girls at Condé Nast and Harper's Bazaar have known this for years. Likewise the ladies who lunch at Restaurant X, although they'd rather be banished from the banquette than admit they got their Beenes and Blasses on a bargain basis."
The phrase was later popularized by a song of the same name in Stephen Sondheim's 1970 musical Company. The character Joanne, played by Elaine Stritch, a rich, cynical, middle-aged woman, makes a drunken toast to her peer group in The Ladies Who Lunch. The lyrics offer a sardonic toast to rich women, including herself, who fill their time with frivolous things like luncheons and parties. The song has given the phrase "ladies who lunch" a negative connotation.[4] Joanne's condemnation of women who are "off to the gym, then to a fitting, claiming they're fat" does not paint these women in a generous light. Ladies who lunch are often seen as lacking substance.
Other cultural referencesEdit
“Ladies Who Lunch” was the title of a sketch on the Season 36 premiere of Saturday Night Live hosted by Amy Poehler. In the sketch, four upper-class women, played by Amy Poehler, Kristen Wiig, Vanessa Bayer and Abby Elliott, eat lunch at the fictional restaurant Chez Henri. Sylvia (Wiig's character) is constantly upstaged by Trish (Poehler's character). Bayer's character and Elliott's character fawn over Trish's tiny hats. Sylvia gets jealous and also attempts to wear small hats, but Trish pulls crazy stunts and is always able to upstage Sylvia. At the end, Trish pulls the biggest stunt of all and fakes her own death, winning the approval and amusement of her friends and causing Sylvia to realize that she cannot best Trish.[5] The title alludes to the frivolity of the lives of socialites. The women only seem to care about the next trend in fashion and little about their actual friends.
In Arrested Development, The Balboa Bay Window, which is a fictitious high-culture magazine made up for the purpose of the show, features the byline "The Magazine of The American Society of Ladies Who Lunch - A Lot."
The novel The Ladies Who Lunch: A Middle Aged Women's Guide to Modern Morality by Ruth L. Kern tells the story of a group of glamorous middle-aged women in the upper echelons of society.[6]
The song ‘Ladies Who Lunch With Me’ by British-Korean band Wooze details the class aspirations and unwritten social conventions of upper class women.
ReferencesEdit
^Bernstein, Jacob (27 April 2015). "Front Row - Fashion Pays Tribute to John Fairchild". New York Times. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
^Lavin, Leeann (2015). "Ladies Who Lunch". In Smith, Andrew F. (ed.). Savoring Gotham: A Food Lover's Companion to New York City. Oxford University Press. pp. 330–331. ISBN9780199397020.
^Rubine, Merle (19 Jan 1970). "Dressing Wholesale". New York Magazine. 3 (3): 60–61. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
^Ayto, John (2010). Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford University Press. p. 201. ISBN9780199543786.
^Kern, Ruth L. (2004). The Ladies Who Lunch: A Middle Aged Woman's Guide to Modern Morality. ISBN9780970042781. Retrieved 16 June 2016.
External linksEdit
"Ladies who lunch serve up charity": China Daily article on expatriate wives.
"Ladies Who Lunch": [Saturday Night Live] sketch on [Hulu]
"SNL Transcripts: Ladies Who Lunch"
August 28, 2023
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For other uses see Ladies who lunch disambiguation This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Ladies who lunch news newspapers books scholar JSTOR January 2008 Learn how and when to remove this template message Ladies who lunch is a phrase often used to describe well off well dressed women who meet for social luncheons usually during the working week Typically the women involved are married and non working Normally the lunch is in a high class restaurant but could also take place in a department store during a shopping trip Sometimes the lunch takes place under the pretext of raising money for charity Contents 1 History 2 Other cultural references 3 References 4 External linksHistory EditThe origins of the phrase are disputed Some claim it was coined by Women s Wear Daily publisher John Fairchild in the 1960s 1 2 others that it was first introduced in the January 19 1970 issue of New York magazine by the writer Merle Rubine 3 Anyone with a fair figure ready cash fashion savvy and a safecracker s nerve can buy the best that Fifth Avenue has to offer on Seventh Avenue at half the price The girls at Conde Nast and Harper s Bazaar have known this for years Likewise the ladies who lunch at Restaurant X although they d rather be banished from the banquette than admit they got their Beenes and Blasses on a bargain basis The phrase was later popularized by a song of the same name in Stephen Sondheim s 1970 musical Company The character Joanne played by Elaine Stritch a rich cynical middle aged woman makes a drunken toast to her peer group in The Ladies Who Lunch The lyrics offer a sardonic toast to rich women including herself who fill their time with frivolous things like luncheons and parties The song has given the phrase ladies who lunch a negative connotation 4 Joanne s condemnation of women who are off to the gym then to a fitting claiming they re fat does not paint these women in a generous light Ladies who lunch are often seen as lacking substance Other cultural references Edit Ladies Who Lunch was the title of a sketch on the Season 36 premiere of Saturday Night Live hosted by Amy Poehler In the sketch four upper class women played by Amy Poehler Kristen Wiig Vanessa Bayer and Abby Elliott eat lunch at the fictional restaurant Chez Henri Sylvia Wiig s character is constantly upstaged by Trish Poehler s character Bayer s character and Elliott s character fawn over Trish s tiny hats Sylvia gets jealous and also attempts to wear small hats but Trish pulls crazy stunts and is always able to upstage Sylvia At the end Trish pulls the biggest stunt of all and fakes her own death winning the approval and amusement of her friends and causing Sylvia to realize that she cannot best Trish 5 The title alludes to the frivolity of the lives of socialites The women only seem to care about the next trend in fashion and little about their actual friends The ABC television series Desperate Housewives featured an episode entitled The Ladies Who Lunch The show has named several episodes after songs by Stephen Sondheim It was originally aired as Episode 16 on March 27 2005 In Arrested Development The Balboa Bay Window which is a fictitious high culture magazine made up for the purpose of the show features the byline The Magazine of The American Society of Ladies Who Lunch A Lot The novel The Ladies Who Lunch A Middle Aged Women s Guide to Modern Morality by Ruth L Kern tells the story of a group of glamorous middle aged women in the upper echelons of society 6 The song Ladies Who Lunch With Me by British Korean band Wooze details the class aspirations and unwritten social conventions of upper class women References Edit Bernstein Jacob 27 April 2015 Front Row Fashion Pays Tribute to John Fairchild New York Times Retrieved 16 June 2016 Lavin Leeann 2015 Ladies Who Lunch In Smith Andrew F ed Savoring Gotham A Food Lover s Companion to New York City Oxford University Press pp 330 331 ISBN 9780199397020 Rubine Merle 19 Jan 1970 Dressing Wholesale New York Magazine 3 3 60 61 Retrieved 16 June 2016 Ayto John 2010 Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms Oxford University Press p 201 ISBN 9780199543786 Saturday Night Live Season 36 Episode 1 Kern Ruth L 2004 The Ladies Who Lunch A Middle Aged Woman s Guide to Modern Morality ISBN 9780970042781 Retrieved 16 June 2016 External links Edit Ladies who lunch serve up charity China Daily article on expatriate wives Ladies Who Lunch Saturday Night Live sketch on Hulu SNL Transcripts Ladies Who Lunch Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ladies who lunch amp oldid 1125598107, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
