59-411: Fop became a pejorative term for a man excessively concerned with his appearance and clothes in 17th-century England. Some of the many similar alternative terms are: coxcomb , fribble , popinjay (meaning 'parrot'), dandy , fashion-monger , and ninny . Macaroni was another term of the 18th century more specifically concerned with fashion. The pejorative term today carries the connotation of
118-527: A double life : apparently nothing more than a wealthy fop , but in reality, a formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking master of disguise and escape artist. The band of gentlemen who assist him are the only ones who know of his secret identity . He is known by his symbol, a simple flower, the scarlet pimpernel ( Anagallis arvensis ). Opening at the New Theatre in London's West End on 5 January 1905,
177-648: A distinctly childish fop in contrast to his shrewd and sarcastic butler E. Blackadder (played by Rowan Atkinson). The British Fops , or Lucien Callow ( Mark McKinney ) and Fagan ( David Koechner ), appeared in several episodes during the Saturday Night Live 1995–1996 seasons. The characters first appeared on Weekend Update as the presidents of the Norm Macdonald fan-club, but later appeared in several other sketches, namely monologues. The Fops would appear in late Restoration period clothing and used
236-488: A double life, along with the love story and conflict of loyalties. Dugan says that "Behind the wigs and Mechlin lace cuffs lies an enduring human story of love, misunderstandings, conflict of loyalties, audacious bravery – and a dramatic double life." and this is a major part of the story's enduring popularity. Another aspect is the "Englishness" of the hero in the era when the British Empire began to shrink. As
295-464: A fop. "Fop" was widely used as a derogatory epithet for a broad range of people by the early years of the 18th century; many of these might not have been considered showy lightweights at the time, and it is possible that its meaning had been blunted by this time. Pulp fiction in the first decade of the twentieth century introduced the secretive action hero who poses as a fop to conceal his identity. In 1903 The Scarlet Pimpernel , protagonist of
354-404: A friend put Orczy in contact with the actors Fred Terry and Julia Neilson who wanted a new romantic drama. The Scarlet Pimpernel was produced and adapted by Neilson and Terry and the play opened on 15 October 1903 at Nottingham's Theatre Royal , but it was not a success. Terry, however, had confidence in the play and, with a rewritten last act, took it to London's West End where it opened at
413-913: A higher social station than others think he has. He may be somewhat effeminate, although this rarely affects his pursuit of an heiress. He may also overdo being fashionably French by wearing French clothes and using French vocabulary. An example of the so-called Frenchified fop is Sir Novelty Fashion in Colley Cibber 's Love's Last Shift (1696). Fop characters appear in many Restoration comedies , including sir Fopling Flutter in George Etherege 's The Man of Mode, or Sir Fopling Flutter (1676), Aphra Behn 's diatribe against politic marriages, The Town Fop (1676, published 1677), and Lord Foppington in The Relapse (1696) by John Vanbrugh . Vanbrugh planned The Relapse around particular actors at
472-494: A person, usually male, who is overly concerned with trivial matters (especially matters of fashion) and who affects elite social standing. The term also appears in reference to deliberately camp styles based on eighteenth-century looks. The word "fop" is first recorded in 1440 and for several centuries just meant a fool of any kind; the Oxford English Dictionary notes first use with the meaning of "one who
531-692: A revival of classic villainy at the time. Orczy's premise of a daring hero who cultivates a secret identity disguised by a meek or ineffectual manner proved enduring. Zorro , Doctor Syn , the Shadow , the Spider , the Phantom , Superman and Batman followed within a few decades, and the trope remains a popular one in serial fiction today. Read by Stan Lee as a boy, the Marvel co-creator called The Scarlet Pimpernel "the first character who could be called
590-661: A silly take on the period's language, mannerisms, culture, and sexual attitudes. Early examples of the fop in media of the twenty-first century include the hair-obsessed Ulysses Everett McGill (played by George Clooney ) in the Coen brothers film O Brother Where Art Thou (2001) and the character of Jack Sparrow (played by Johnny Depp ) in the Pirates of the Caribbean film series. Depp's style has been termed "grunge fop". The actor's mannerisms caused concerns among executives at
649-711: A superhero." In 1792, an early stage of the French Revolution , Marguerite St. Just, a beautiful French actress, is married to wealthy English fop Sir Percy Blakeney, baronet . Before their marriage Marguerite took revenge upon the Marquis de St. Cyr, who had ordered her brother beaten for his romantic interest in the Marquis' daughter, with the unintended consequence that the Marquis and his sons were guillotined . When Percy found out, he became estranged from his wife. Marguerite, for her part, became disillusioned with Percy's shallow, dandyish lifestyle. Meanwhile,
SECTION 10
#1732779953208708-581: A tendency to foppish appearance, e.g. , Adam Adamant Lives! , the third incarnation of Doctor Who and Jason King , they tended not to exhibit mannerisms associated with fops. In Mel Brooks' History of the World, Part I , in the French Revolution sequence, one of the king's court is referred to as "Popinjay". In popular series Blackadder the Third, Hugh Laurie portrayed George, Prince Regent as
767-431: A term is regarded as pejorative in some social or ethnic groups but not in others or may be originally pejorative but later adopt a non-pejorative sense (or vice versa ) in some or all contexts. The word pejorative is derived from a Late Latin past participle stem of peiorare , meaning "to make worse", from peior "worse". In historical linguistics , the process of an inoffensive word becoming pejorative
826-473: A wealthy English fop who transforms into a formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking escape artist, established the "hero with a secret identity " in popular culture, a trope that would be seen in subsequent literary creations such as Don Diego de la Vega ( Zorro ), Kent Allard/Lamont Cranston ( The Shadow ), Clark Kent ( Superman ), and Bruce Wayne ( Batman ). The Scarlet Pimpernel exhibits characteristics that would become standard superhero conventions, including
885-767: A writer, Orczy often alluded to historical events and figures but adapted these freely in creating her tales. Citizen Chauvelin , the recurring villain of the Scarlet Pimpernel series, is based to some extent on the real-life Bernard-François, marquis de Chauvelin , who survived the Revolutionary period to serve as an official under Napoleon . He was a noted liberal Deputy under the Bourbon Restoration . Other historical figures who appear in Orczy's Pimpernel series include: Orczy wrote
944-423: Is a form of semantic drift known as pejoration . An example of pejoration is the shift in meaning of the word silly from meaning that a person was happy and fortunate to meaning that they are foolish and unsophisticated. The process of pejoration can repeat itself around a single concept, leaping from word to word in a phenomenon known as the euphemism treadmill , for example as in the successive pejoration of
1003-541: Is able to escape. With Marguerite's love and courage amply proven, Percy's ardour is rekindled. Safely back on board their schooner, the Day Dream , the happily reconciled couple returns to England. Sir Andrew marries the count's daughter, Suzanne. "Orczy introduced a new idea into the collective consciousness: a heroic figure who creates a lounging foppish alter ego to hide his (or her) true heroic nature." —Peter Royston. The title character, Sir Percy Blakeney,
1062-511: Is being blackmailed by Citizen Chauvelin , the wily new French envoy to England: Chauvelin's agents have stolen a letter proving that her beloved brother Armand is in league with the Pimpernel. Chauvelin offers to trade Armand's life for her help against the Pimpernel. Contemptuous of her seemingly witless and unloving husband, Marguerite does not go to him for help or advice. Instead, she passes along information which enables Chauvelin to learn
1121-510: Is described as reclamation or reappropriation . Examples of a word that has been reclaimed by portions of the community that it targets is queer , faggot and dyke which began being re-appropriated as a positive descriptor in the early 1990s by activist groups. However, due to its history and – in some regions – continued use as a pejorative, there remain LGBT individuals who are uncomfortable with having this term applied to them. The use of
1180-614: Is foolishly attentive to and vain of his appearance, dress, or manners; a dandy , an exquisite" in 1672. An early example of the usage is in the Restoration drama The Soldier's Fortune , in which a woman dismisses a potential suitor by saying "Go, you are a fop." The fop was a stock character in English literature and especially comic drama, as well as satirical prints. He is a "man of fashion" who overdresses, aspires to wit , and generally puts on airs, which may include aspiring to
1239-548: Is not known when she was formally enrolled. The Prince Regent is rumored to also be a member of the League, but in the original novel he refuses to confirm or deny this, saying "My lips are sealed!"; in the novel The Elusive Pimpernel , Sir Percy tells Marguerite that he has had to report to the Prince before joining her at the village gala. Orczy did not publish her Pimpernel stories as a strict chronological series, and in fact,
SECTION 20
#17327799532081298-423: Is the spurious " love triangle ", where a woman is torn between attraction to her staid husband and the dashing hero—although they are in reality the same man. Marvel co-creator Stan Lee stated: "The Scarlet Pimpernel was the first superhero I had read about, the first character who could be called a superhero." The popular success of the novel is considered to be based on the myth of the aristocratic hero with
1357-582: The Drury Lane Theatre , including Colley Cibber , who played Lord Foppington. A fop is also referred to as a " beau ", as in the Restoration comedies The Beaux' Stratagem (1707) by George Farquhar , The Beau Defeated (1700) by Mary Pix , or the real-life Beau Nash , master of ceremonies at Bath , or Regency celebrity Beau Brummell . The sexual recklessness of "beau" may imply homosexuality . Shakespeare's King Lear contains
1416-414: The New Theatre on 5 January 1905. The premiere of the London production was enthusiastically received by the audience, but critics considered the play 'old-fashioned.' In spite of negative reviews, the play became a popular success, running 122 performances and enjoying numerous revivals. The Scarlet Pimpernel became a favourite of London audiences, playing more than 2,000 performances and becoming one of
1475-560: The Prince of Wales know the Pimpernel's true identity. Like many others, Marguerite is entranced by the Pimpernel's daring exploits. We seek him here, we seek him there, Those Frenchies seek him everywhere. Is he in heaven?—Is he in hell? That demmed, elusive Pimpernel. Sir Percy Blakeney, Baronet (ch.12) At a ball attended by the Blakeneys, Percy's verse about the "elusive Pimpernel" becomes an instant success. But Marguerite
1534-745: The Vatican in Rome. His story is told in two books and a film: Harald Edelstam (1913–1989) was a Swedish diplomat. During World War II, he earned the nickname Svarta nejlikan ("the Black Pimpernel") for helping Norwegian resistance fighters in Hjemmefronten [ nl ] escape from the Germans. Stationed in Chile in the 1970s, he arranged for the escape of numerous refugees from
1593-464: The military junta of Augusto Pinochet ; this brought him into conflict with the regime, and he eventually was forced to leave the country. This name was also given to Nelson Mandela prior to his arrest and long incarceration for his anti- apartheid activities in South Africa due to his effective use of disguises when evading capture by the police. Raoul Wallenberg , a Swedish diplomat,
1652-473: The protagonist of the novel American Psycho , and the clothes-obsessed Prince Kai in the book Firebood by Elly Blake (2017). A more recent and minor trend is "fop rock", a form of camp in which the performers don 18th-century wigs, lace cravats , and similar costume elements to perform. The style appears to owe something to glam rock , visual kei , and the New Romantic movement. The look
1711-471: The racial slur nigger (specifically the - a variant ) by African Americans is often viewed as another act of reclamation, though much like the latter in the LGBT movement, there exists a vocal subset of people with Sub-Saharan African descent that object to the use of the word under any circumstances. The Scarlet Pimpernel The Scarlet Pimpernel is the first novel in a series of historical fiction by Baroness Orczy , published in 1905. It
1770-546: The " bright young things " of the 1920s were decidedly "foppish" in manner and appearance, while, towards the late 1960s, male fashion became notably foppish in style, evocative loosely of the Georgian and Victorian eras. Pop stars often dressed in what might be termed foppish clothing, with the Kinks ' song " Dedicated Follower of Fashion " (1966) capturing well the spirit of the time. While many characters from popular culture had
1829-561: The "League of the Scarlet Pimpernel", a secret society of twenty English aristocrats, "one to command, and nineteen to obey", is engaged in rescuing their French counterparts from the daily executions of the Reign of Terror . Their leader, the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel, takes his nom de guerre from the small, wayside red flower he draws on his messages. Despite being the talk of London society, only his followers and possibly
Fop - Misplaced Pages Continue
1888-605: The 1920s and 1930s and expanded with the arrival of comic books . The original characterisation of Bruce Wayne in the Batman series carried the trend forward. In Thomas Mann 's 1912 novella Death in Venice (as well as the opera by Benjamin Britten and the film by Luchino Visconti ) a fop is derided by the main character, Gustave von Aschenbach; ironically so, as Aschenbach ultimately dresses in this manner himself. Some of
1947-566: The Englishman escapes by offering Chauvelin a pinch of snuff , which turns out to be pure pepper. Through a bold plan executed right under Chauvelin's nose, Percy rescues Marguerite's brother Armand and the Comte de Tournay, the father of a schoolfriend of Marguerite's. Marguerite pursues Percy right to the very end, determined to either warn him or share his fate. Percy, heavily disguised, is captured by Chauvelin, who does not recognise him, so he
2006-549: The Marquis de St. Cyr. Desperate to save her husband, she decides to pursue Percy to France to warn him that Chauvelin knows his identity and his purpose. She persuades Sir Andrew Ffoulkes to accompany her, but because of the tide and the weather, neither they nor Chauvelin can leave immediately. At Calais , Percy openly approaches Chauvelin in the Chat gris , a decrepit inn whose owner is in Percy's pay. Despite Chauvelin's best efforts,
2065-489: The Pimpernel's true identity. Later that night, Marguerite finally tells her husband of the terrible danger threatening her brother and pleads for his help. Percy promises to save him. After Percy unexpectedly leaves for France, Marguerite discovers to her horror (and simultaneous delight) that he is the Pimpernel. He had hidden behind the persona of a dull, slow-witted fop to deceive the world. He had not told Marguerite because of his worry that she might betray him, as she had
2124-438: The Scarlet Pimpernel or the League, most notably The Bronze Eagle (1915). The Life and Exploits of the Scarlet Pimpernel , a fictional biography of Percy Blakeney published in 1938, named the nineteen members of the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel. Three members of the League have betrayed their oath of loyalty: Marguerite, Lady Blakeney, is also named as a member of the League in the book Mam'zelle Guillotine , but it
2183-613: The Walt Disney Company but prevailed, thereby creating a new generation of fans of the fop. In Channel 4's Vic Reeves Big Night Out , character Graham Lister regularly refers to Reeves as "the Fop". In Quentin Tarantino 's 2012 slavery epic Django Unchained , Jamie Foxx 's title character, when allowed to choose his own clothing for the first time in his life, chose a decidedly foppish outfit which immediately earned him
2242-496: The chain of my life, there were so many links, all of which tended towards bringing me to the fulfillment of my destiny." Orczy wrote numerous sequels, none of which became as famous as The Scarlet Pimpernel . Many of the sequels revolve around French characters whom Sir Percy has met and is attempting to rescue. His followers, such as Lord Tony Dewhurst, Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, Lord Hastings, and Armand St. Just (Marguerite's brother), also take their turn in major roles. In addition to
2301-483: The definitive portrayal and adaptation. In 1923, Fred Terry and Julia Nelson bought the sole performance right to a stageplay based on The Scarlet Pimpernel . Orczy sued the two in an attempt to claim a separate right of performance for films, but was unsuccessful. As a result of the case, people who controlled a stage performance right under the English Copyright Act were entitled to create films with
2360-431: The direct sequels about Sir Percy and his league, Orczy's related books include The Laughing Cavalier (1914) and The First Sir Percy (1921), about an ancestor of the Pimpernel's; Pimpernel and Rosemary (1924), about a descendant; and The Scarlet Pimpernel Looks at the World (1933), a depiction of the 1930s world from the point of view of Sir Percy. Some of her non-related Revolutionary-period novels reference
2419-539: The film was amazing. When we got up from our seats, Raoul said, 'that is the kind of thing I would like to do ' ". Wallenberg issued false passports identifying the Jews as Swedish nationals, and is credited with rescuing at least 15,000 Jews. He disappeared in Eastern Europe after the war, and is believed to have died in a Soviet prison camp. "Behind the scenes, Mandela worked very closely with Walter Sisulu , who
Fop - Misplaced Pages Continue
2478-415: The following is an approximate chronological listing of Orczy's Scarlet Pimpernel novels and short stories: Hollywood took to the Pimpernel early and often, although most of the Pimpernel movies have been based on a melange of the original book and another Orczy novel, Eldorado . The best known of the Pimpernel movies is the 1934 The Scarlet Pimpernel starring Leslie Howard , which is often considered
2537-522: The most popular shows staged in the United Kingdom. The stage play (and subsequent novel), with their hero and villain, were so popular that they inspired a revival of classic villainy at the time. The novel The Scarlet Pimpernel was published two years after the play opened and was an immediate success. Orczy gained a following of readers in Britain and throughout the world. The popularity of
2596-464: The nickname "Fancypants". In the 2007 video game Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney , Detective Ema Skye constantly refers to the prosecutor Klavier Gavin as a "glimmerous fop" due to the bling that he would typically wear and his obsession with his appearance. The term fop is also used occasionally to refer to other characters, particularly being picked up by Apollo Justice due to the detective's habit of saying it. Other examples include Patrick Bateman ,
2655-546: The novel encouraged her to write a number of sequels for her "reckless daredevil" over the next 35 years. The play was performed to great acclaim in France, Italy, Germany and Spain, while the novel was popular across the former British Empire and translated into 16 languages. Subsequently, the story has been adapted for television, film, a musical and other media. The commercial success of The Scarlet Pimpernel allowed Orczy and her husband to live out their lives in luxury. Over
2714-417: The novels by Emma Orczy , set the prototype. Sir Percy poses as an overdressed and empty-headed socialite who is the last person anyone would imagine rescuing people from the feared guillotine of the French Revolution . A similar image is cultivated by Don Diego de la Vega, who rights wrongs as Zorro (1919) in stories by Johnston McCulley . The trend continued with the pulp fiction and radio heroes of
2773-519: The original manuscript for The Scarlet Pimpernel in five weeks during what she described as "The happiest time of her life". It was rejected by most publishing houses in London, despite her previous successes with her armchair detective stories, primarily The Old Man in the Corner which first appeared in The Royal Magazine in 1901 in a series of six "Mysteries of London". Eventually
2832-492: The penchant for disguise, use of a signature weapon (sword), ability to out-think and outwit his adversaries, and a calling card (he leaves behind a scarlet pimpernel at each of his interventions). By drawing attention to his alter ego , Blakeney hides behind his public face as a slow-thinking, foppish playboy, and he also establishes a network of supporters, The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel, that aids his endeavours. A plot technique from Pimpernel also used by some superheroes
2891-411: The play became a favourite of British audiences, eventually playing more than 2,000 performances and becoming one of the most popular shows staged in London. Published after the success of the play, the novel was an immediate success, gaining Orczy a following of readers in Britain and the rest of the world. The stage play and subsequent novel, with their hero and villain, were so popular that they inspired
2950-719: The same right. The novel has been parodied or used as source material in a variety of media, such as films, TV, stage works, literature, and games: Inspired by the title Scarlet Pimpernel , the Tartan Pimpernel was a nickname given to the Reverend Donald Caskie (1902–1983), formerly minister of the Paris congregation of the Church of Scotland , for aiding over 2,000 Allied service personnel to escape from occupied France during World War II . Varian Fry
3009-400: The settings of the books in their publication sequence may vary forward or backward in time by months or centuries . While some readers enjoy following the author's development of the Pimpernel character as it was realised, others prefer to read the stories in historical sequence. Taking into account occasional discrepancies in the dates of events (real and fictional) referred to in the stories,
SECTION 50
#17327799532083068-415: The terms bog-house , privy-house , latrine , water closet , toilet , bathroom , and restroom (US English). When a term begins as pejorative and eventually is adopted in a non-pejorative sense, this is called melioration or amelioration . One example is the shift in meaning of the word nice from meaning a person was foolish to meaning that a person is pleasant. When performed deliberately, it
3127-573: The word, in the general sense of a fool , and before him Thomas Nashe , in Summer's Last Will and Testament (1592, printed 1600): "the Idiot, our Playmaker. He, like a Fop & an Ass must be making himself a public laughing-stock." Osric , in Hamlet has a great deal of the fop's affected manner, and much of the plot of Twelfth Night revolves around tricking the puritan Malvolio into dressing as
3186-725: The years, they lived on an estate in Kent , a bustling London home and an opulent villa in Monte Carlo . Conceiving the character while standing on a platform on the London Underground , Orczy wrote in her autobiography, Links in the Chain of Life : I have so often been asked the question: "But how did you come to think of The Scarlet Pimpernel? " And my answer has always been: "It was God's will that I should." And to you moderns, who perhaps do not believe as I do, I will say, "In
3245-682: Was a 32-year-old Harvard -educated classicist and editor from New York City who helped save thousands of endangered refugees who were caught in Vichy France , helping them to escape from Nazi terror during World War II. His story is told in American Pimpernel: The Man Who Saved the Artists on Hitler's Death List . Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty was an Irish priest who saved thousands of people, British and American servicemen and Jews, during World War II while in
3304-650: Was directly inspired by "Pimpernel" Smith , a 1941 British anti-Nazi propaganda thriller, to begin rescuing Hungarian Jews during World War II. The film had been banned in Sweden, but Wallenberg and his sister Nina were invited to a private screening at the British Embassy in Stockholm . Enthralled by Professor Smith (played by Leslie Howard ), who saved thousands of Jews from the Nazis, Nina stated, "We thought
3363-421: Was known for his foppish clothing in the mid-1980s, with ruffled shirts , tight pants and high-heeled boots. Pejorative A pejorative word, phrase, slur , or derogatory term is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism , hostility , or disregard. Sometimes,
3422-764: Was pioneered in the 1960s by Paul Revere & the Raiders . Adam Ant of Adam and the Ants picked up the trend, occasionally performing in elaborate highwayman outfits. Other notable examples would be Falco 's performance as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart in the song " Rock Me Amadeus " (a No. 1 hit in the US, the UK and Canada in 1986), Japanese rock group Malice Mizer , and Boston -based band The Upper Crust . Mid-2000s glam rock revivalists White Hot Odyssey also affected 18th century-style wigs and clothing for their live performances. Prince
3481-497: Was written after her stage play of the same title (co-authored with her husband Montague Barstow) enjoyed a long run in London, having opened in Nottingham in 1903. The novel is set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution . The title is the nom de guerre of its hero and protagonist, a chivalrous Englishman who rescues aristocrats before they are sent to the guillotine. Sir Percy Blakeney leads
#207792