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fc.THE MASHES,DISCU8SED BY MEN AND WOMEN BEADEBS.PALP thepop ulatioujo never oup-posed toknow how the other half livea, and a fruitful source of mystery is the Johnnie** or Maabor, *’ who,though ho spins little (except Munchausen yarnn about himself and his possessions) and works lesa, ia still arrayed in all hiB glory on the block and at all publio places.Readers of the Sunday Tqies have boen invited to give their opinions and experiences of “The Masher/' and many have responded with a freedom and wealth of descriptive and discriminative talent, which, while showing that they are familiar with the Bnbject, will form amusing reading to all but the Johnnies themeelvea:—“THE NEW MAN.”Ono masher I know has gone so far os to paint and powder bimsolf, and when anyone will do such a thing I can only think he is the new man.”—M.A.F.“ ON THE NOD.”As to my experience of a masher, Ihavo not to go more than 500yds from my own place to find one. He walks down the street with a swagger as much as to say,“ Don’t come near mo. I am a king in comparison to you.**Hie occupation, for the most part, is spitting on liia finger and waxing what he is pleased to call a mouBtache.He goes about sneaking into places of amusement at the intermission, and the next day he may be heard talking about the entertainment os if he bad been there all the time and paid for admission.ONLY CARELESS OP HIS BRAINS. One who takes great pains about everything but his brains.—E.K.SHAMS.The majority of them are ignorant cads. They may be seen between Marlcet-afcroet and the Government Post-office mostly at night, with pasteboard diamonds glittering all over them, bud not twopence of real money in their possession, only a dozon defunct bank notes and six farthings brightened up to represent sovereigns, looking for some poor dupe to fall a victim to their charms.—I1U8H Australian.WEAKLINGS.The masher, the dandy, or the fop io not indigenous to this noil, but an offspring of tho fantastic imaginations of that portionof the English nobility whose chief characteristics are excessive fondness of. and very great attention to nicety in dreBB, and affectation or arti-fi c i a 1 manners. Nicoty in dreas does not morit condemnation. A neat appearance, free from extravagance, nearly a 1 w a ys denotes a man of strong mind, and vice versa. The many dandies who walk tho streets of Sydney with tbo solo object of attracting attention by their extravagant dress cannot havo learnt that to dre3B appropriately is a mark of respect not only to themselves but to others. Aa regards the mannerisms of tho masher, it is nausoating to hear the mincing, affected way in which he speaks, If he could only find brains (I wish toimply that he is of weak intellect) toip .understand how ridiculous and contemptible ho is regarded by others in mutilating the English language, ho might bo induced to drop it.—F.A.M./•atisBENEATH SENSIBLE FOLKS* NOTICE.ThoEO who are not youths with little in their pockets and leas in their heads are a harmless kind of men. who, by an overwhelming self-respect relievo others from the duty of respecting them at all. I consider any creature in tho form of man whose chief aim iu life is to appoar as though he had como out of a bandbox, and wished to bo considered perfectly irresistible, is beneath tho notice of any sensible man or woman. In fact, to a woman who mnkes uso of her brains, and possesses a refined nature, the masher's presence is an insult.—Admirer ov Max.AN IDIOT OF THE FIRST WATER.At fir3t sight ho may appear to be a duke from 'Ome, but on closer scrutiny you will perceive that the Colonial article has only been done np for tho occasion. He is in great demand with girls who havo about as muoh intellect 03 himself, and who call him a “nice young man.** Hia habits are for tho most part of an effeminate description. He is in hia glory when he attends evening parties. Ho might, in fact, bo mis-takon for several things, bub is nlwayo the ono —an idiot of the first water.—G.EAI.EXCELLENT FLIRTING MEDIUMS.Tbo general uses of various hinda of mashoro aro : Aa ornaments for city pavo-monto, drawing-rooms and dnaccs ; oscol-lont flirting mcdiumo; and, in chert, porsonificd illuoteotiouB of “Much Ado About Nothing/*—Munir.A PUBLIC NUISANCE.The term “ mashor *’ denotes a conceited, detestable knave and fool, ono wbo io a nuisance to ovoryono with whom he comes ia contact—T.N,MASHERS v BLOKES.Tho conduct of tbo first masher I ever met resembled that of a mild lunatic rather than an ordinary - sane person.Mashers ** differ from “ blokes/' though thoy do mean tho come thing in como respects. The former are the finished, polished courtiers who form tho nuuibuo of tho Sydney elite. Bloke3 are the artioan class and factory hands, and even the larrikins go by that name. Both cccla can bo great blackgnards.' Hnshor3 have no honorablo intention towards any but themselves. If thoy do marry it in for monoy orinfluence. Blokes have honorable intentions towards any girls they moot provided they take 44 a fancy to her.”—“ O.N.E.”HE DOES NOT KNOW WHAT HE IS.He possesses an abnormal amount of a characteristic commonly called “cheek/* and talks with an affectation which bores you and makes you feel that you would liko to twist his neck. He is also an extremely superficial individual. If heattempts to try his pranks on a girl of tbo strong-minded order he is generally made to appear very small, but being devoid of the smallest particle of common uonso, ho iB unable to see it, and goos through life with a glorious obliviousncsa of what a fool ho io.—H.F.B.A MOTHER'S VIEW.If girls would only be advised thoy would ohan all inashera, for in nine cocas out of ten ho io noither good for God orman, or, rather, husband or father. He in so much in love with himaelf that ho certainly thinks everyone olse is the same. He will idlo with every little Bchoolgirl from 11 years of age up that will Btand and listen to Hia silly talk. Ho has no consideration for hi6 poor old worn out mamma or sisters, who havo to slave for hia comfort, and to keep him in masher glory. Having got sixpence from his mother, he buys cigarettoB. and pvowlB on tho block at night, talking with giddy girls, wbo ought to be at home assisting their parents or doing something useful. In general, mashers are without a siuglofood manly quality, tho cause of sore carte to mothers, the sorrow of our daughters, and a stumbling-block to society.—BmnxNHEAD.“ A SLUR ON NATURE.”I consider him a “ slur ou nature ”who,to satisfy his own selfish desires for dress, will let bis poor old mother and sisters almost 6tarve. He will make the most tyrannical of husbands, having no love for home, and letting his poor wife (if he has the luck to decoy any maiden into marrying him) slave and starve for iiim without receiving a word of thanks for her pains.— Trilitt.MOSTLY IN GOVERNMENT POSITIONS.My experience is they are ompty-headed men, and mostly hold Government ositionB, and are unable to pay their land-dy, tailor, Ac.—E.F.S.NO GENTLEMAN.I considor them a maa3 of self-conceited fops generally, as insipid as their looks, andaa inanlticg in thoir behaviour to unprotected women and young girls as they can possiblybe, both m looks and manner. My experience of them is that their pockets are nearly as empty ae their heads, and though Hotneof them try to make people be-1 i e v e they are gentlemen, they, the best of them, have no more notion of what a true gentleman means than has the ape. of which they are an imitation—One ov the People.aWAXWORK FIGURES.He is nothiag more nor less than “drawing-room poodle,” pleased at any little attention from tho fair Bex, such aB an extra glance from a pair of sparkling blue eyes or a smilo from a pleasant fp.ee. No doubt mashers think thoy are admired by those who ca3t a smile in their direction, but (poor misguided mortals) nine-tenths of tho smiles are only of pity to think that young men and mere boys should dreos with such care to be looked at like so many figures in a waxwork3 snow.— Vscns.LIBERAL TO HIMSELF.“ Masher'* is tho modern name (synonymous with the old-time fop, dandy, coxcomb, c.) given to individuals of a certain species of the male portion of the human race, whose / 7£ master passion is love/ of admiration by thoopposite sox for their hysiphysical attractions. This idiosyncrasy chokes tho masher’s mind, which is consequently about aa wide as a lino in Euclid. He is a b s olutely without originality, a slave to fashion, and, if in business, works liko a machine. His symptoms aro too well known* to need description, and ho is generally employed in \\aJ?oiug business where % : t he hours are short.A— ffi As a Civil flunkey or it bank menial bo thrives best. My most striking experience of him ia that he is highly liberal to himself and extremely moan otherwise, except whon ho is taking on a new “ mash ” in addition to the permanent ono of himself.—“ Don.”SOMETHING IN THE CITY.The ono great feature of a masher is his clothes. Aa a rule they aro his ono aim in existence, from his shoes and socks up to the hat which covers hia utterly brainless head. His eyeglass and his crook stick help him along wonderfully, and bo is “ something in tho city, dontchorknow/* which ho doesn’t vovy offcon.—Liiw a.WASTE PRODUCTS.He is never to be found associated with anything requiring mental or pbysiCiilexertion^md never assists in any work useful to tho community. A good or noblo action by tho individual m ash Or is n n-known, and he is a naisnnco and a huihbUg to all who have dealings With him. Mnshera aro a lot Of uncouth, *|^ ceaseless beings, and must bO a heartsoro to parents, who havo, perhaps, worked hard night and day to rear them and clothe thorn, and try and teach thorn to grow up as men.—Azmnnr.USEFUL IN MANY WAYS.A moahor io a weak specimen of humanity with a soft heart and brain ; a selfish, vain creature, but quiet and harmless, fond of dress and pretty girls. Uccf ol for tailors, foolish girl3, the stage (for the public amusement), and tho comic papers; a man’s contempt; a mother’s and oistOT’a foliy; bat a ccc^ary evil.—AJ3.C.510A post-offico order for tsuchlltingo will ho forwarded to “Dird.'*oapbepoopnithoandknlt;boialt!£theandthooprboaSotopetha of ImuAnnttthepoi1.2.3.4.5.6.7.8.9.10. 11. 12.1.2.3.4.5. G. 7.9.10.11.12.1.2.3.*.5.6.7.8. 9.10.11.12.1.2.3.4.o.U.7.9.10. 11. 12.beitoTcIbotumth©EEQSlXIi MW MASKEIg,G
Newspaper Details
Sydney Sunday Times
Sydney, New South Wales, AU
Sun, Jun 07, 1896
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
GB 13 Aug 2021
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