I am doing my best to get in near(ish) the start of a discussion, so forgive me if these thoughts seem about as organised and thought out as the contents of that drawer that holds everything that doesn't go anywhere else - assuming everyone knows what I mean on that one. What, Hippy? The definition of twee has been thrown about a bit - like an old leatherless football that has been in a puddle - and I've been thinking, unfortunately. I think I like the idea of being twee. Thing is I don't think it's twee in the "excessively sentimental" sense that I like. (Not that I am saying Collins Dictionary is wrong...). I'm hardly sentimental at all, so being excessively so would be difficult for me. I don't like souvenirs in the typical sense, and I hate photographs from holidays etc. to look at again and again, much as I adore photography itself. So, I want to cross myself off that particular list for starters. While I have the lid off my big red felt tip squeaky non-washable permanent marker I will also cross myself off the list of people who go skipping in meadows with bunnyrabbits. I trust no explanation is required. I do not consider myself naive and oblivious to the nasty side of life either and I would not like to be. There are some things that people need to be made aware of, and there are far too many people who are aware but indifferent. If this were the definition of tweeness, twee people should be shot to remind them that this happens to people occasionally. I'm running short on lists so I will move on to what I consider to be a bit twee, in the way I like. The underlying thing about my understanding of tweeness is the twee person's perception of the world. Perhaps Mr. Mike Smiley was right - it involves changing the perception of the world to make things easier. It results in a harmless tendency to make everything seem poignant and poetic. Not in a cringing melodramatic way but more a fleeting insight into the beauty of life, no matter how brutal. Like the film, American Beauty, but without the plastic bag between two wind machines. This is proving difficult to explain, and I am venturing ever nearer Collins Dictionary again....but I don't like that idea! I'm going to leave my explanation of internal tweeness at that for the moment and say that for external tweeness, I'd have to point to Ian and his notion of all of us talking whimsy about kitty and bunny. I agree. People can be as twee as they like on a philosophical level but when it comes to getting called twee all you have to do is use frilly language, wear frilly things, and show a liking for all things cute, furry, shiny, sparkly, or old-fashioned such as the classic cardigan and slippers combo. I tend to avoid this not only to prevent getting beaten up but also because in any more than small doses it annoys the hell out of me. I think it's true that most of us are not like this, but it can be fun for a bit. Yeah, that'd be right: If twee means being dreamsome and poetic in a harmless and whimsical sense, talking daftly but not necessarily wearing a cardi and slippers, then I like the fact that I'm twee. I think. Thinking can be bad for you, so I'm going to quit. Hooray for tweeness. Hooray for summer holidays. Hooray for everything. Byebye Love and subh David +----------------------------------------------------------------------+ +---+ Brought to you by the undead Sinister mailing list +---+ To send to the list mail sinister@missprint.org. To unsubscribe send "unsubscribe sinister" or "unsubscribe sinister-digest" to majordomo@missprint.org. WWW: http://www.missprint.org/sinister +-+ "legion of bedroom saddo devotees" "tech-heads and students" +-+ +-+ "the cardie wearing biscuit nibbling belle & sebastian list" +-+ +-+ "sinsietr is a bit freaky" - stuart david, looper +-+ +-+ "pasty-faced vegan geeks... and we LOST!" - NME April 2000 +-+ +----------------------------------------------------------------------+