Old Bean

£2.40

A Congratulations card featuring a llama with straw hanging from its mouth and its ears pointing upwards, with a speech bubble and text ‘Congratulations Old Bean’

– Blank inside for your own message
– Printed in the UK on premium card stock
– Supplied with a white envelope

In stock

SKU: C0237 Category:

Description

Old Bean

Old Bean is a congratulations card featuring a llama with straw hanging from its mouth. Most importantly, its ears are pointing upwards, with a speech bubble and text ‘Congratulations Old Bean’

The phrase old bean is a British colloquialism and is probably best said with an affected upper class accent. That is to say, P G Wodehouse frequently uses the expression ‘old bean’ in his novels, along with other affectionate terms between characters.

An Affectionate Form Of Address

First of all , it is definitely an affectionate form of address. Likewise, it probably one that would be only rarely be used between strangers. Specifically, it is used between men or boys, that is by one man or boy who is addressing another man or boy. To my ear, the phrase smacks of Public Schools and tales of the Remove (what was the Remove). That is to say, it is dated and not much used any more.

Nonetheless, it does hang on. And those in the know believe it is a kindly reference to the noggin or noodle. In other words, it refers to the head or the brain. And that seems right. After all, why is it old bean and old boy if not to remove the idea of the vanity of male ego.

Meanwhile, why don’t we say old tomato, or old potato? In other words, how and why did the humble bean achieve such prominence in the world of greetings? Is the answer lost in the mists of time? To clarify, is there anyone who can explain why bean came to be associated with the noggin?

SKU: C0237

A llama with straw hanging from its mouth and its ears pointing upwards, with a speech bubble and text 'Congratulations Old Bean'
Old Bean
£2.40