this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2024
297 points (94.6% liked)

Today I Learned

17678 readers
2144 users here now

What did you learn today? Share it with us!

We learn something new every day. This is a community dedicated to informing each other and helping to spread knowledge.

The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:

Rules (interactive)


Rule 1- All posts must begin with TIL. Linking to a source of info is optional, but highly recommended as it helps to spark discussion.

** Posts must be about an actual fact that you have learned, but it doesn't matter if you learned it today. See Rule 6 for all exceptions.**



Rule 2- Your post subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material.

Your post subject cannot be illegal or NSFW material. You will be warned first, banned second.



Rule 3- Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here.

Do not seek mental, medical and professional help here. Breaking this rule will not get you or your post removed, but it will put you at risk, and possibly in danger.



Rule 4- No self promotion or upvote-farming of any kind.

That's it.



Rule 5- No baiting or sealioning or promoting an agenda.

Posts and comments which, instead of being of an innocuous nature, are specifically intended (based on reports and in the opinion of our crack moderation team) to bait users into ideological wars on charged political topics will be removed and the authors warned - or banned - depending on severity.



Rule 6- Regarding non-TIL posts.

Provided it is about the community itself, you may post non-TIL posts using the [META] tag on your post title.



Rule 7- You can't harass or disturb other members.

If you vocally harass or discriminate against any individual member, you will be removed.

Likewise, if you are a member, sympathiser or a resemblant of a movement that is known to largely hate, mock, discriminate against, and/or want to take lives of a group of people, and you were provably vocal about your hate, then you will be banned on sight.

For further explanation, clarification and feedback about this rule, you may follow this link.



Rule 8- All comments should try to stay relevant to their parent content.



Rule 9- Reposts from other platforms are not allowed.

Let everyone have their own content.



Rule 10- Majority of bots aren't allowed to participate here.

Unless included in our Whitelist for Bots, your bot will not be allowed to participate in this community. To have your bot whitelisted, please contact the moderators for a short review.



Partnered Communities

You can view our partnered communities list by following this link. To partner with our community and be included, you are free to message the moderators or comment on a pinned post.

Community Moderation

For inquiry on becoming a moderator of this community, you may comment on the pinned post of the time, or simply shoot a message to the current moderators.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
top 50 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] NegativeInf@lemmy.world 110 points 2 months ago (3 children)

I thought it was to cover up syphilitic lesions and just kinda stuck around.

[–] Hawke@lemmy.world 42 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That might be wigs in general, probably not specifically their use in the British legal system.

[–] ada@lemmy.blahaj.zone 18 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That's pretty much what the article says

[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 45 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Wigs began to catch on in the late 16th century when an increasing number of people in Europe were contracting the STI. Without widespread treatment with antibiotics (Sir Alexander Fleming didn't discover penicillin, the treatment for syphilis until 1928), people with syphilis were plagued by rashes, blindness, dementia, open sores and hair loss. The hair loss was particularly problematic in social circles.

This fucking culture, man. People getting dimensia and going blind, but if they loose their hair then their friends abandon them.

[–] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 6 points 2 months ago

To be fair it might have been the fear of catching the disease plus the stigma (it was associated with prostitution and bohemian lifestyle).

[–] tehWrapper@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

It was also a thing of class since white powdered wigs where taxed more if remember right. Cant have the poor people looking pimp in white wigs!

[–] TheWordBotcher@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago (1 children)

That typo made me chuckle.

[–] tehWrapper@lemmy.world 4 points 2 months ago

Ah me to corrected.

[–] Cosmonauticus@lemmy.world 63 points 2 months ago (3 children)

Just looks dumb to me but what do I know

[–] UnderpantsWeevil@lemmy.world 34 points 2 months ago

If you've ever been inside a British courtroom, you'll discover that they regularly act dumb, too. Lots of pomp and circumstance, but its still the same clueless, vulgar assholes under the hood.

[–] demuxen@lemmy.world 29 points 2 months ago (2 children)

I think that's intentional. It proves their dominance. I mean you have to go to them and they are wearing something very silly and you have to pretend it's not silly, and if you don't they will harm you somehow.

[–] Brickhead92@lemmy.world 10 points 2 months ago

Laugh at a lawyer wearing a wig, and they will come to your house at night and cut you!

[–] CouldntCareBear@sh.itjust.works 4 points 2 months ago

Just some good ol' oppression of the prol's through class.

[–] Nutteman@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago

You know they look dumb as hell, so you have what going for you at least

[–] Nastybutler@lemmy.world 46 points 2 months ago (1 children)

Welp. Considering it does none of those three things, maybe it's time for them to go the way of the buggy whip

[–] Don_Dickle@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Not from Britain but trying to get new slang every day what is a buggy whip.

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 17 points 2 months ago (3 children)

The whip used to whip the horse(s) pulling your horse-drawn buggy.

[–] Don_Dickle@lemmy.world 9 points 2 months ago (2 children)

Thank you for educating me... i do appreciate it....no sarcasm.

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 9 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

I did pause for a bit, pondering if it was actually some new slang...

Then decided if I'm wrong then it's only on the internet.

[–] SLVRDRGN@lemmy.world 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)

There's no stopping the start of its rebirth in modern slang. Someone just needs to give it a new meaning.

[–] deadbeef79000@lemmy.nz 3 points 2 months ago (1 children)
[–] ShaggySnacks@lemmy.myserv.one 3 points 2 months ago

Ah shit, they be 100% buggy whipping in their whip.

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
[–] Nastybutler@lemmy.world 6 points 2 months ago

Just an example of something outdated that's not needed anymore

[–] njm1314@lemmy.world 38 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (2 children)

I know people are here going like "it makes them look silly." Good. Lawyers need to feel like they look silly. This is a group of people that needs to be taken down a peg every single day. If judges and lawyers can be made humble just a little bit we all benefit in society.

[–] Rivalarrival@lemmy.today 8 points 2 months ago

They need to be pegged two or three times a day.

[–] Glasgow@lemmy.ml 4 points 2 months ago

They think they look good tho

[–] delirious_owl@discuss.online 29 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (1 children)

Wigs are so much a part of British criminal courts that if a barrister doesn't wear one, it's seen as an insult to the court.
...
Most are handmade from 100 percent horsehair, though there are synthetic versions available today, too. Horsehair wigs aren't cheap, either, especially when they're handmade and combine an ages-old craft of styling, sewing and gluing. A judge's full-length wig can cost more than $3,000
...
Those who couldn't afford the best garb but wanted to look the part wore wigs made of hair from goats, spooled cotton or from the hair of human corpses

This is the stupidest and most disgusting thing I've read today, thanks.

[–] lud@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago (8 children)

Hair is already dead and animal hair (can't remember which animal) is also used for the best brushes used for painting. IMO as long as the hair is washed which it obviously is, it's not really disgusting.

load more comments (8 replies)
[–] tilefan@lemm.ee 18 points 2 months ago (1 children)

are they aware that their attempt at solemnity makes me giggle

[–] tilefan@lemm.ee 5 points 2 months ago

I had a lot of trouble taking the courtroom scenes of Broadchurch seriously

[–] Jimmycakes@lemmy.world 13 points 2 months ago (1 children)

We need to stop treating courts and judges like they are sone mythical magical place and judges are mini little emperors in their mini little kingdom. It's just a fucking place people need to go to handle their business. Why the fuck should everyone stand because the guy showed up for his job. All this shit is too much and judges are increasingly out of their minds

load more comments (1 replies)
[–] Etterra@lemmy.world 12 points 2 months ago

That's stupid, they're stupid.

[–] icerunner_origin@startrek.website 11 points 2 months ago

Time to ditch the Guy Fawkes mask for a powdered wig instead

[–] sundray@lemmus.org 11 points 2 months ago

to bring formality, solemnity, and anonymity

That's exactly why Rip Taylor wore a wig, too.

[–] rob_t_firefly@lemmy.world 11 points 2 months ago (1 children)

What it brings nowadays is a bit of yassss, queen!

[–] occhionaut@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Serving court

[–] JimmyBigSausage@lemm.ee 9 points 2 months ago

Barristers in Australia wear these also.

[–] Sho@lemmy.world 7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago)

Amazing cause it does all of those things so damn poorly. You're thinking of Diamond encrusted ivory full head masks instead

[–] Tronn4@lemmy.world 5 points 2 months ago

"May I approach the bitch?"

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

And just a bit of fun!

[–] whotookkarl@lemmy.world 2 points 2 months ago

Looks just as silly to me as pantaloons or suits or fedoras

load more comments
view more: next ›