Next Ash Wednesday, we need to do a pre-emptive strike thread so

[DemBones DemBones]

DUers won't be confused if they see VP Biden or any other Catholic politicians with ashes on their foreheads. Don't forget.

[kwassa]

1. Oh, let them be confused. It's good for them, and builds character.

[Matilda]

2. Did that happen this year?

[DemBones DemBones]

3. Yes, at least two threads on Ash Wednesday and

one on Monday. People thought Biden had been injured. A lot of people who knew it was Ash Wednesday didn't know why it's done.

[Matilda]

4. I must admit that I've waited decades for somebody to point out the smudge on my forehead.

Nobody ever has - either they're too polite to say anything, or they just don't notice.

I do have a half-fringe (bangs) though, and I usually sweep it aside so the priest can get to my forehead easily,
then push it back in place again. Usually you can still see a bit of grey ash, but no comments, ever.

[DemBones DemBones]

5. One year one of my students told me I had dirt on

my forehead but she only meant to be nice, assuming I would want to know that I had dirt on my face. I pulled my bangs aside and showed her it was a cross, answered a couple of questions, went on with class. She was embarrassed at first but I told her not to be.

What is a "half fringe"? Short bangs? I notice "fringe" used in British books and it's really a more logical term than bangs.

[Matilda]

6. Bangs v. fringe

A half-fringe is when the hair has a part on one side and the hair is swept across the forehead to one side or the
other. A fringe is when the hair falls straight down over the forehead from a centre part - as with a bob. I'm not
sure whether you would still call a half-fringe "bangs"?

[DemBones DemBones]

7. Yes, I would call a half-fringe

"bangs." I alternate between having a fringe and a half-fringe. When the fringe needs trimming I sweep it to the side to keep it out of my eyes. Oh, wait, I have to have a center part for a fringe? Now I'm confused. . .

I looked up bangs and found it comes from bangtail, i.e., a short tail or bob tail; finally, the word makes sense but it's very outdated.

[Matilda]

8. Well, to be exact,

a fringe doesn't have to have a centre part, but it has to cover the whole forehead and drops down towards the eyes.
I have slightly curly hair, so a full fringe is hard for me; it curls at the ends if the weather is wet or humid.
Fringes definitely look better with straight hair.

I never understood the meaning of "bangs" either - we know it from film and TV, but it's never used in this country.