Get Premium
Dark mode theme is available exclusively for premium users. Learn more about the benefits of subscribing.
No fees, cancel anytime.
Dark Mode 
No fees, cancel anytime 
then open in external browser
and click "Open in External Browser" 
30 Hidden Dress Codes Folks Use To Send Signals About Themselves Shared In This Online Group
"Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak," American fashion designer Rachel Zoe once wrote. The way this idea could be interpreted is that clothes and other kinds of fashion pieces we choose to wear send abstract and pretty obscure signals to people around us about who we are as people: our occupation, mood, personality, colors we like, and so on.
Though apparently, some fashion pieces speak exceptionally loudly and the signals they send are far from abstract or obscure. Recently, a redditor asked fellow users to share some hidden dress codes people wear to identify themselves that one has to already know about to notice. And of course, Reddit delivered. Without further ado, Bored Panda invites you to find out about some of the most intriguing secret dress codes people use to send signals about themselves.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Not wearing a mask means you’re an a******.
Meike H 4 years ago
Letting it dangle below your nose means you're either dumb or an a****** and a hypocrite.
GlassHalfWay 4 years ago
Agreed! I wear one because it's the RIGHT thing to do, to protect myself and others. If you don't, you're a selfish asshole. I lost my healthy grandpa because of people who don't respect others. Get over yourself and stop being ignorant!
Wolfstar 4 years ago (edited)
There are some people who actually do have medical conditions that make it hard for them to wear a mask, such as my roommate Christian who has severe cystic fibrosis (CF is a condition affecting the lungs, which makes it difficult for the patient to breathe and makes their immune system really crappy). Sadly, some people will fake medical conditions to avoid wearing masks. Christian has to wear a nasal cannula because of his condition. Even with the nasal cannula, he has trouble breathing. But he still wears a mask because if he doesn't, he can potentially die and kill others. I'm not joking about him dying. Because of CF, he probably won't make it to 30. He's 20 right now. To those faking medical conditions: if Christian, a college student who has a hard time breathing with a freaking nasal cannula on and has a life expectancy of under 30, can wear a mask, then your lying ass can, too.
RELATED:
#2
So this is probably a very spesific Norwegian thing, but the colour of your hat is signalling your availability when hiking in the mountains. Red hat means taken, green means available (and orange means that you're open for a chat). This is important knowledge if you're trying to pull a Norwegian, because hiking is the only (non alcoholic) activity where a Norwegian will ever talk to a stranger. Ever.
I'manoob! 4 years ago (edited)
Yea and then we could go off of the colors of the american flag: White can be "I'm a potato", Blue can be "I'm open for a chat", and Red can be: NOT TODAY CHACHI!!
Load More Replies...
Ida 4 years ago
Where in Norway is this custom? I've been hiking in the northern and middle parts of Norway for 15 years, never heard of this..
Dilly Millandry 4 years ago
Have you been signalling the wrong message all this time??? 😮
Load More Replies...
mph seti 4 years ago
I never have, but I can see it being a good way to meet someone who shares similar interests and no alcohol is involved. Similar to meeting people at a dog park, open space on a campus, etc. I personally tend to avoid people when I hike, though. Partly because I want to be alone and partly because I don't want to seem like some kind of stalker/nutcase.
Load More Replies...
kristine b 3 years ago
This is a lie. You use the f*****g hat which is best for the temperature you are hiking in.
Lillukka79 4 years ago
Except during hunting season when orange and red means "I'm not a moose". At least in Finland.
#3
Red shirt means you're expendable and aren't coming back from the away mission alive.
Pheebs 4 years ago
And this only applies to TOS. Gold had less luck in the other series, I think.
Load More Replies...
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
For those unaware: this is a star trek reference. The lower ranked ppl in that show wore red, and if during an episode they sent a landing party of Kirk (gold shirt), Spock (blue shirt), McCoy (blue shirt), and Ensign RandomName (red shirt)....well there was a very good chance red shirt would be killed, to add dramatic tension
Jan Prescott 4 years ago
There is a commercial here that says they give you the red shirt treatment. My husband and I shake our heads about that. Someone didn't do their homework.
#4
Cat hair means I have a cat
Jayne Kyra 4 years ago
Cat hair in eye and/or mouth means that the cat got kisses and snuggles.
Podunkus 4 years ago
Or decided to lie on the bathroom towels when they came out of the dryer.
Load More Replies...
Theoretical Empiricist 4 years ago
Sometimes I feel like my actual purpose of existence (whether I like it or not) is to disseminate my cats' hair as far as possible. I can imagine opening a sealed container of some sort and finding my cats' hair in it.
Meri Kassner-Gomez 4 years ago
Dog hair means I have a dog. I do, and I like her more than most people I know.
#5
Socks with sandals means you’ve pretty much given up
Nevid 4 years ago
Your feet are still sweaty, they're just hidden behind a crime against humanity.
Load More Replies...
Summer Woodsong 4 years ago
What exactly have you given up? Sounds to me like you've gained comfortable shoes and warm toes.
JessG 4 years ago
Closed toe shoes are comfortable AND keep your toes warm ;)
Load More Replies... Elaine Mattingly 4 years ago
Or you never asked my opinnion or anybody else's because you have a world of confidence and for that I salute you.
Denise Melek 4 years ago
Or you are a Berlin Tourist Hipster and think its "ironic" to walk around like grandpa Herman.
Norah 4 years ago
Haha that's what I thought... "oooorrrr.. it means you're German"
Load More Replies...
#6
If you see someone with a tattooed on wedding ring it's usually because they work with machine tools or electricity where having something metal and or conductive on their hand while working can lead to very bad things.
Zophra 4 years ago
Or in research/medicine - the ring gets caught in the gloves and rips them.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Thank you! I love my wedding ring and my anniversary ring, but the gloves.... It's a no-go.
Load More Replies...
ZombieGirl 4 years ago
This isn't true...all sorts of people get this tattooed just because they want to
Parmeisan 4 years ago
Shame you got a downvote for a fact. I've lost 3 separate Iron (engineering) rings because my pinky fingers are shaped like cones. One day I'll look down and it'll just not be there... don't know what else I can do except glue it on. I'm kind of liking this tattoo idea though...
Load More Replies... 
Shoto Todoroki 4 years ago
Thats actually really sweet. They still want to be safe, while still wearing their wedding ring.
Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago
I heard from a recent US veteran, that they can't wear rings in combat (that was news to me), so they tattoo them on their ring finger. However, given the rise of divorce among that population, I wonder how they'll explain it to the new partner (unless the new one is also a veteran).
#7
Its an old sailors tradition to wear a golden earring. (Dont know if its just the netherlands or worldwide) but some of the mainly fishermen towns here have their own specific type of golden earring. So if you see a dutch guy wearing a big golden earring with a detailed design, you know he comes from a fishermen town.
(Golden earring tradition was historically done incase a fishermen would fall overboard, the golden earring could cover the costs of a proper burial)
Botox 4 years ago (edited)
During old days Russian and Ukrainian Cossacks were wearing earring if they were only suns in family. It protected them from being chosen for dangerous missions in fights.
Nad Roh 4 years ago
This picture actually shows a Man from eastern Switzerland (St. Gallen or Appenzell). This specific Earring is called Ohrschuefe, which roughly translate to ear shovel. It is part of their traditional clothes and is worn for festive reasons. It has absolutely nothing to do with Dutch sailors.
Marcia Cash 4 years ago
sailors wore one gold ring in their ears, their wives wore the other on their fingers. When a body was recovered from the sea, it could be identified by matching the rings.
Kika González 4 years ago
If they fell overboard, the earring would be lost with them? So how could it cover the cost??
Night Owl 4 years ago
Then they don't get a burial (because no body), or the body eventually washes up on the shore or the body gets fished out after it starts floating in the water (preferably with the earring still on)
Load More Replies...
nc 4 years ago
came here to ask the same thing...must be the Twilight Zone 🤣
Load More Replies...
Chris K. Franzen 4 years ago
And this photo is a Swiss Man from Appenzell wearing the traditional costume, earring and lighting the traditional pipe! This has nothing to do with seafarers! Completely misleading...
Nina Schütz 4 years ago
The story with the golden earring of the fishermen may be true, I don't know. But the picture shows an Appenzell farmer (Switzerland) in his traditional costume. The "Ohreschuefle" has been worn in Appenzell since about the 19th century. The golden or gilded jewelry is part of the Appenzell traditional costume for men. The "Ohreschuefle" belongs to the right ear. The "Schuefle" (ladle) is a typical working tool of the alpine dairymen, used for skimming cream and making cheese. The earring on which the "Schuefle" hangs consists of a snake biting its tail. It symbolizes the eternal cycle of life, death and resurrection. The earring is sometimes worn in everyday life, but then without the "Schuefle".
#8
Hawaiians wear flowers behind left ear to signify married. Right ear to signify single.
Dave P 4 years ago
This is only found on White People tourist websites, not a single Hawaiin Native website says this. Makes me think it is fake
In Vino Veritas 4 years ago
I can imagine myself going to hawaii and forgetting which ear it was...and putting flowers behind both ears just to be sure
Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago
Is this gender-specific? If not, I'm getting a hibiscus for tomorrow...
Rae the lemon 4 years ago
What signifies that you aren’t married, nor are you single, but you are dating somebody.
Bonnie Sinclair 3 years ago
My daughter and I went to Hawaii in 2017. While on a tour bus to Paradise Cove, the tour bus driver told us about this.
#9
Two lighting bolts on a ring mean your great grandfather wasn’t a war hero, thanks Opa...
Jayne Kyra 4 years ago
For those unaware, the lightning bolts refer to the letters SS - Schutzstaffel, which worked directly under Adolf Hitler and were by many considered his private military enforcers. Responsible for killing more than 5 million Jews and millions of other people during WWII.
Roman Lahner 3 years ago
if you think this, you should take more extra lessons in history apparently..
Jackie Wacky 4 years ago
I remember visiting the Taj Mahal and being shocked to see swastikas on some of the statues, although the mirror image of the Nazi ones. Apparently, the swastika symbol was for good luck and protection.
MelFunction 4 years ago
Unless your grandfather fought for the Allied forces and took the ring off a German officer.
#10
Sunflower lanyards means the wearer has a hidden disability. Some places like Heathrow train staff to recognise them and offer assistance.
Mariza 4 years ago
I wear one as my disability prevents me from wearing a mask. I had the lanyard already and continue to wear it if I HAVE to go out. I try to send my partner but there are times when I must go somewhere alone. People who wear these to claim exemption who actually could wear a mask make it very difficult those of us who actually can't. I feel it also makes me feel like my disability isn't worth anything
thenamescracked 4 years ago
How can you not wear a mask? Not trying to be rude, genuinely curious. Is it a breathing, or nose problem?
Load More Replies...
Kaneki Ken 4 years ago
I've noticed people wearing these to signify if they are exempt from wearing a face covering ♥︎
Moo Moo Futch 4 years ago
Many people are abusing this. The people who issue them are not doctors or nurses, they aren't medically trained in anyway. Being told what qualifies as mask exempt isn't the same as being able to know if that person really has these conditions. The only conditions that warrant mask exemptions are COPD and cystic fibrosis but also the government advice would say that if you had either you should be shielding as a vulnerable person. My next door neighbours have done nothing but brag about getting their mask exemption even though there is nothing wrong with either and they have been out every single day of the pandemic. I'm disgusted by the way people have abused this feature I really am.
Tammy Hawkins 4 years ago
I have lung issues, use oxygen 24/7 and struggle with the mask, I got a shield. I can say, to anyone, no excuses.
NanniBadcrumble 4 years ago
Recently I've heard of someone buying these lanyards for mere £s on Amazon and dishing them out to family and friends, whether they had a disability or not.
Susan Egan 4 years ago
I think this is a great idea. I wonder how many people would be willing to wear it. My son has epilepsy and it took several years before he was willing to wear medical necklace. It took his doctor agreeing that most people would mistake his seizures as a possible overdose. Possibly giving him medication that could make things worse.
Linda Niemczyk Sent 4 years ago
There is a plastic 'frame' you can purchase at Wish. Com that keeps the mask off your face but still offers full protection. It easily clips on to your mask. It's also reusable. You get 5 to pckg.
FlitterBug 4 years ago
This is good to know! I've known several people who may seem like the average person but are actually autistic or can't hear (and don't have service animals) and have some difficulty in various situations. Especially with most places not having clear masks to read lips.
Melanie Mayfield 4 years ago
It drives me CRAZY that I can't read lips through a mask. But that doesn't stop ME from wearing a mask. I just wish people would listen when I tell them I can't hear. They refuse to pull their mask down just for a couple seconds to speak so that I can understand them.
Load More Replies...
Paula Swanson 4 years ago
I didn't know about this...I should get one as my disability is hidden and can surface at the worst times
#11
In China, your zodiac year is your unlucky year (so your unlucky year occurs once every 12 years). The way to mitigate the unlucky-ness of the said year, is to wear some form of the color red each day. Doesn’t need to be a complete red outfit, just something that has red as a part of the pattern.
But wearing red everyday is a dead give away for their age (24, 36, 48, 60) in the workplace, thus explaining the phenomenon of the red underwear gift. The red underwear is a way to beat the unluckiness of your zodiac year while blending in.
So some water cooler talk could go like, “Hey, did you notice that has worn red 3/7 days this week? Is she 24 or 36?” Fascinating stuff!
Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago (edited)
hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!! (from a 50-something kid)
Load More Replies...
Toea Muresan Iulia 4 years ago
wearing something red can prevent the „evil eye” sorcery. also, wearing red underwear on New Years Eve means you can get laid :))) also in Romania :)))
DogMom 4 years ago
So 2020 was my Chinese Zodiac year but it was also one of the best years I’ve had in a very long time
Dilly Millandry 4 years ago
2020 was one of your best years? Yikes, you must have had some bad ones.
Load More Replies...
Belle Bell 4 years ago
it’s not necessarily your “unlucky year.” the red is to guard against the guo nian that will come for you that entire year instead of just at spring festival.
#12
Small stainless steel or iron pinky ring on your dominant hand is an engineer, specifically an engineer whose pledged an ethics oath. Not exactly a secret, but not well known either
Elaine Mattingly 4 years ago
Did not know that. This is turning into the learning channel. Best of both worlds.
sonofabass 4 years ago
I have one but only the super nerds still where them. lol
Load More Replies...
Parmeisan 4 years ago (edited)
This is a Canadian custom. It stands to remind us of our obligation to act ethically and always take care because shoddy work can cost lives. There's a persistent myth about the first iron rings being made from the iron of a bridge that fell, which - while apparently not true - is still something worth thinking on. It also doesn't matter what discipline of Engineering you are from. I am a software engineer and was still expected to take the oath and get a ring. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Ring
Gregg Carr 4 years ago
Sorry but as a Engineer myself I don't wear any rings. Seen too many fingers ripped off by machines.
GlassHalfWay 4 years ago
Yep, it's true. Big Engineering colleges here in WI. Many grads have that pinky ring.
Amey Park 4 years ago
Not just Canada. Some US engineering schools, too, including Cleveland State Univ. (Ohio). I was at a village council meeting and the civil engineer wore one. He went to CSU. The ring is worn on one's working hand (so if you're left-handed, you wear it on that hand) so that it trails as you write, which serves as a constant reminder of your oath to do good work. It's a source of pride for the engineers I know.
Zophra 4 years ago
Is this in a specific country or region? We are an "engineering family" in multiple engineering disciplines and no one has heard of this.
Dave P 4 years ago
Actually this is not true. This means you are an engineer who went to one of the 9 only ABET schools certified to give a BE (Bachelors of Engineering) rather than the BSE (Bachelors of Science of Engineering), meaning you went to one of the old legacy Engineering schools in the US. It is a status symbol among Engineers. The schools give it out at graduation. The joke among engineers is that the ring is a pledge to marry the profession which is where this error posted probably comes from
Jennine Paul 4 years ago
Incorrect. It's a Canadian custom. If you graduate as a professional Engineer, you must partake in the Iron Ring Ceremony. Only other Iron ring bearers may attend and they pledge to uphold care in their work in order to save lives. My husband and late FIL both hold iron rings from uWaterloo.
Load More Replies...
#13
Red ball caps have become a signal that they are d***** bags. Fred Durst started it, but MAGA solidified it.
Aj Grimes (them/they) 4 years ago
I thought my dad was wearing a MAGA hat, turns out it was a Salvation Army one.
Paula Swanson 4 years ago
And only real D-bags would think that a RED hat means you are racist
Howie Northcutt 4 years ago
It also means that you're a f*****g scumbag insurrectionist!
Load More Replies...
Len Carsillo 4 years ago
I'm hoping the MAGA hat wearin' morons continue to do so during my lifetime...makes it so much easier to spot someone to avoid! maga-15489...fb-png.jpg 
Radek Suski 4 years ago
I have an old cap from RedHat. Which I recently won't wear for obvious reasons. And I live in Germany
Jo Johannsen 3 years ago
Judging the morals and character of a person based on appearance is what we're supposed to be trying to eliminate. Whether it be red hats, black skin, or the language(s) they speak, it's still bigotry.
#14
I used to wonder why certain people in my office would wear the same colors as each other sometimes. Turns out they were listening to a radio station here in NYC that would suggest a color for you to wear that day.
Steve R 4 years ago
My uncle went through a similar thing. Every day he'd come home from work and go on about how weird it was that once again his collegues were wearing the same colours. We kept reminding him he was a policeman, but it never really sank in.
Bender Bending Rodríguez 4 years ago
Yeah, they had us the first half, I'm not gonna lie
Load More Replies...
JessG 4 years ago
Funny. I guess you are a sheep too? Cuz you're here on BP with the rest of your flock. It's all for fun, lighten up. If they didn't want to do it, they wouldn't. I guess all the drivers on the road are sheep cuz they all have licenses? And, ooh, also, everyone else at that job is a sheep to because they all decided to work in the same place? Needless to say, calling them sheep is illogical and void of critical thinking
Load More Replies... #15
I grew up spending a lot of time in the Great Lakes and overall sailing culture.
The height of manliness is a pink “Mt. Gay” baseball cap. No, I’m not joking.
The caps are given out at major sailing races, since Mt. Gay rum has a sponsorship. The caps are originally red but if you’ve used and had one for a long time, it fades to pink. You want one.
You can also tell, in port, who is a local and who boats, by their dog. Locals like BIG doggos for guarding against animals and pulling sleds (huskies and husky crosses) and sailors like medium sized, water friendly doggos. Don’t like to get very big ones because they’re hard to lift in and out of boats, eat, and poop out more, but don’t like toy dogs either, because they’re not tough enough to stand the weather and the water. Mostly Aussies, small retrievers, and the occasional tough terrier.
Elaine Mattingly 4 years ago
You are a google. Wow. Very informative and interresting. Thank you. Seriously, I try to learn someting new every day and that was refreshing.
Leo Petipas 4 years ago
I sailed for a bit on the Great Lakes (Huron)--not racing though. Even today, I always buy Mount Gay rum because a racing friend told me they sponsor sailing races (Ontario) a lot.
#16
If you’re actually rich, you’re not flashing brands. The rich rich of California wear subtly expensive workout or hiking clothes as much as humanly possible. Patagonia, north face, Columbia, etc. Logos are gauche. Also, for women’s jewelry, you’ll see a lot of subtle wealth and minimalism- nothing big or clunky or super sparkly. My experience mostly in LA, Santa Barbara and SF!
jevais 4 years ago
This so true also with old wealth in Europe. Only the nouveau rich are bling bling. Some of the richest people I've have met were very low key. It's considered vulnerable to spread your wealth.
Aunt Messy 4 years ago
You. mean vulgar? Yes, it is. The most popular vehicle among millionaires in North America is the Ford F150 pickup. People who are truly wealthy know that rich people don't stay rich if they burn through all their money trying to look like it. They have nothing to prove.
Load More Replies...
Susan Stead 4 years ago
Two examples I can say reflect this: Queen Elizabeth wears classics, only wears the big & gaudy stuff when required, and for the most part dresses rather sedately, short nails with natural colored polish, etc. But the absolute prime example is French fashion, which I'm pretty sure the very wealthy know about. French fashion relies heavily on classic pieces coupled with with a few latest-fashion pieces, and jewelry is minimal, like small hoop earrings and a gold chain. Flats are typically preferred over f***-me pumps. It's well-done, but not gaudy. And I've seen that style all over Europe.
s. vitkovitsky 4 years ago
Queen Elizabeth has her own dressmakers/tailors. She does not wear designer clothes bc these are, in part 'aspirational' in nature, meaning many people wear them to feel associated with some self-proclaimed statusy luxury brand. The Queen, being royalty, aka top of status heap, has no reason to aspire to be assoviated with, basically, a merchant.
Load More Replies...
miten sasmita 4 years ago
People who have been rich for decades are usually humble and lowkey, especially if the worked from the bottom. The obnoxious flashy ones are mostly new millionaires or children born into riches.
Dilly Millandry 4 years ago
They haven't realised that you make yourself vulnerable to mugging or even kidnapping.
Load More Replies...
Rannveig Ess 4 years ago
I've never understood why people pay a lot of money just to wear free advertising for some brand, which impresses no one, ever
JayWantsACat 4 years ago
Warren Buffet. Bill Gates. Etc. All dress unassuming despite the insane wealth.
🇨🇦 Clementine 🇨🇦 4 years ago
This might be true until you get into the category of celebrities
Deal _Anneal 4 years ago (edited)
Yh like the rich ppl i have met weren't flexing on me with their Louis Vuitton
dido74 4 years ago
Reminds me of a story years ago when a “cowboy” went into the new Neiman Marcus in Dallas Texas. He was dressed in jeans with a cowboy hat. The employees (commissioned) ignored him because they figured he couldn’t afford anything there. At the end of the day, they were all fired. Turns out he was a billionaire! Never judge a book by it’s cover🐼
M Kate McCulloch 4 years ago
all I can say is If I win the big payoff in the lottery, I'm still buying most of my clothes at garage sales.
#17
I'm Jew(ish). I live in Scotland, and there's not many of us around, but I've been to synagogue and lived in Israel, and I can easily spot a married Orthodox Jewish woman out of a crowd, mostly by her wig, but also her dress style to an extent. It's such a natural distinction for me that I didn't realise it wasn't immediately obvious to others until I was driving with my friends by Loch Ness and we saw a big gathering, (mostly behind trees) and someone said something along the lines of "I wonder what's going on there" and I replied "looks like an organised Jewish event" because I saw several mothers and their kids by the road and I instantly recognised them as Orthodox Jews. My friends looked at me as if I had a supernatural Jewdar because there weren't any obvious men in sight wearing heavily recognised religious clothing (think kippahs- headcaps, or payot- hair curls, ect.)
Dave P 4 years ago
Well not all wear wigs the less religious ones in the Orthodox community dont, and Wigs are worn by many, but some groups use other head covering as a way to fulfil the religious obligation for married women to cover their hair. Further the style of dress, doesnt mean married, it just means adult. Once they finish HS, they dress they way they want but within the rules of Orthodox Jewish dress rules (Skirt at least till the knees, sleeves at least past elbow, and neckline at the neckbone, etc). May not have been married. Also the 2k plus wigs are hard to tell compared to the cheaper ones.
Stephanie Did It 4 years ago
What do women's wigs have to do with identifying their faith? What if a woman has her own hair? I'm curious about this and the dress style too.
Dave P 4 years ago
Orthodox Jewish law says a married woman must cover her hair, so many wear wigs (and most are high quality that are hard to tell from real unless you live around Orthodox Jews), and in the 19th century Wigs became popular as a way to look more natural but still follow the rules. However there are other styles of non-wig coverings used by other Orthodox Jews. It is cultural which ones you wear.
Load More Replies...
sylvanticx 4 years ago
if you see a head scarf, long skirt, lots of kids... there's a look. not neccessarily Orthodox tho, there's a woman at my Conservative synagouge who dresses like that.
fainasKeturatis 4 years ago
the distinction between married and single women hair used to be part of a culture in most parts of the world. In my country, Lithuania, girls used to braid 2 pigtails and married woman braids only 1, a bun or loose hair bound by a scarf (not sure about the last one - might be welcome to bound with scarf no matter of marriage). Loose hair used to mean a loose woman.
Elaine Dodge 4 years ago
Why would a married Orthodox Jewish woman be wearing a wig? Inquiring minds need to know.
#18
Handkerchief in the back pocket is something the gay leathermen (or women) wear to symbolize they are on the hunt for a "date". Or it was used to symbolize a sexual fetish or -- Right pocket meant you were a top or dominant. Left pocket meant you were a bottom. Yes, I've been to some interesting parties.
Adriana Coppage 4 years ago (edited)
*puts a handkerchief in the mouth of any creep trying to check*
Pheebs 4 years ago
Man, I seriously sent some weird signals in my early college days, if these are to be believed. Red or black bandannas, sometimes on my head, frequently in a pocket. Carabiner holding my keys to my belt loop, and different color jelly bracelets up my arm. Based on those symbols I should have been in a gang, a lesbian, and in to some really kinky stuff. Pretty sure I was just a virgin heterosexual dork. (Absolutely no shade meant toward anyone - just describing myself.)
BananaAnna 4 years ago
1. Other pocket holds billfold, which is usually determined by the most dominant hand. 2. Placed over the least fatten buttock for more padding. 3. Or placed where the springs in the truck seat poking out most likely will damage your wallet. 4. Or you are just doing what your Daddy did. # Dang, I love Bored Panda.
Moo Moo Futch 4 years ago
This is called the Hanky Code. Google it. Every colour of the rainbow means something. It's very interesting.
#19
Horseback riders know that real riding boots have the zippers on the back or outside.
Nicole Tomme 4 years ago
Yes and no. The zippers on riding boots are usually on the outside leg not the inseam but it is obscured by a leather strip. Believe me riding boots do not pull on. You do not ride in regular cowboy boots. They need to be form fitting and supportive. No slip. I preferred front lace-ups so I could get them extra tight. Source: I was professionally taught western riding technique as a youth. Btw 10 gal hats will have a helmet built in and cowboy riding boots are different than everyday boots. And NEVER get steel toes. A horse will crush the metal and can trap your toes in your boots... Or worse.
Load More Replies...
Grumble O'Pug 4 years ago
Wow, so ill informed. REAL custom boots don't need zippers. They pull on with pulls and fit like a glove. With the advent of the more high top like they wear in the Spanish Riding School, zippers have become the norm. I have one pair with zippers and they are not that well made compared to my custom riding boots. Also, zippers are cheap cuts into any boot.
Mary Hunt Peret 4 years ago
Not true. If you ride or show Western or ride Western dressage, you wear western boots. Unlike Riding boots for hunt seat, saddle seat, or dressage, Western boots do not have a zipper.
Kitten claws 4 years ago
And even boots for little kids who ride english will often have the zipper on the front. This is just bullshit.
Load More Replies... Kitten claws 4 years ago (edited)
Not true. Little kids' riding boots and paddock boots(low cut ones) will often have the zipper on the front. Besides nobody gives a damn about zipper placement as long as you treat your horse with respect and aren't an asshole. This is BS.
Alethia Nyx 4 years ago
...or the front. Paddock boots (low cut boots) generally have them on the front. At least in Australia they do.
Kitten claws 4 years ago
YES! In the U.S it's pretty common, especially for little kids' boots.
Load More Replies... #20
If someone is wearing a belt but have the buckle on either side of their hips instead of the middle it means they spend all day leaning over engine bays of hot rods and don’t want their belt buckle scratching the paintwork.
Wolfstar 4 years ago
That's true. One of my electric guitars have some scratches on the backside from my belt, so moved the buckle to my hip.
Load More Replies...
BananaAnna 4 years ago
Or a consummate gardener who does not enjoy belt bucket digging into their bread basket.
Pungent Sauce 4 years ago
Professional drivers will do this to keep the buckle out of their belly. The smart ones get suspenders.
Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago
...or they're just overweight and can't buckle around their girth...
Exquisite Spam 4 years ago
Or carry monitors/computers and don't want to scratch the screen/paint.
#21
Anything with pineapple print on clothing while on a cruise means you are swingers
Elaine Mattingly 4 years ago
Are you sure? My Daddy was a pinnapple wearing decon who wore it because I bought it for him because I thought it was beautiful. we thought women were being overly friendly and disrespctfull of my Mom. I have so much to learn.
miten sasmita 4 years ago
Oh God that surely had been awkward for your parents.
Load More Replies...
Dave P 4 years ago
This was made up by a magazine only about 2 years ago, and is a complete lie and does not mean that or ever had meant that.
Elsker 4 years ago
darn! Love pineapple prints but maybe next time i'm gonna think twice before i pack them
Terry Reauxper 4 years ago
This is absolutely not true. Sure, all swingers can wear pineapples, but all who wear pineapples are not swingers.
Zaneta Berkyova 4 years ago
My 8 years old daughter is a swinger??? I think that we need tk talk.
#22
Military uniforms tell you a lot about the person wearing them beyond their name and rank. You can tell what campaigns they've been involved in, what professional military education courses they've completed, their proficiency with weapons, their occupational specialty and their level of proficiency, how many years they've served, and (at least in the USAF), their MAJCOM, wing, and possibly squadron of assignment. Another little secret of the military dress code has to do with hats. A person in uniform wearing a hat indoors indicates that they are armed. The weapon may be concealed or carried openly, but it is a fast way to determine who in a room has weapons.
Aragorn II Elessar 4 years ago
Yep. Can tell a whole lot about a military guy by their uniform. But the cover indoors could also mean they forgot to take it off or had their hands full when they came in the door.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
CHild of two veterans. Dad always said, covers off indoors unless armed. Cousin in Marines said same. That said, if you're a certain rank, you can wear your hat whenever you want!
Load More Replies...
Summer Woodsong 4 years ago
I did not know that. But, then no one I knew wore hats indoors - well the women did, ours were pinned to our scalp! Those little beret things are hard to keep on. And.... this was a few decades back.
fainasKeturatis 4 years ago
also if you are on special duty for the time you usually need to wear hat in most armed forces.
Laura Deckers 4 years ago
Everyone in the Navy is required to remove their covers when entering a building. LLAP
Exquisite Spam 4 years ago
In the UK if you see someone in uniform they're in active service. Only douchebags trying to show off wear when they're on leave.
Michael Naretto 4 years ago
I was an MP in the Army and while on duty we never took off our covers. Even indoors. It was to easily identify us and to keep our hands free.
MusicalCatTroll 4 years ago
I am a cadet. When we sits down we takes off our ball cap or white top depending on the uniforms
Vincent Jay 4 years ago
"A person in uniform wearing a hat indoors indicates that they are armed." I was in the Navy for twenty years, but I never heard of this.
#23
Here in Japan tattoos are related to the Yakuza. Meaning, whether you are a Yakuza or not, people with tattoos are not allowed in numerous establishments like public baths, etc. Yakuza don't generally flash their tattoos to the public so they generally use long sleeve shirts. Sometimes when they use short sleeves clothing they would use arm sleeves to cover up the arm tattoos. It's a dead giveaway that this people are, or have been, mafia related.
Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago
When the recruiters for overseas jobs come to the campuses to get seniors and grad students to go to Asian countries (in general) they are told that tattoos will not be acceptable for new hires. Half the room scatters almost immediately. (I'm one of the few still left, every time.)
Sarah 4 years ago
I'm probably not ever going to get any tattoos because I'm very afraid of needles(I know it sounds stupid), but that's a cool way a seeing it.
Load More Replies...
Sophia Graubart 4 years ago
I never knew about a Japanese Mafia, but using tatoos to mark your allegience to a bad group sounds familiar...hmm...I wonder why...*cue harry potter music*
Wolfstar 4 years ago (edited)
That's cool, I've never heard of that before. Perhaps I shouldn't go to Japan. I have a few tattoos (on my wrist, finger, ankle, and shoulder.)
Angi Belsly 4 years ago
I have a tattoo; went to Japan and visited bathhouses, etc with no problem. Probably because i'm clearly not Japanese?
Load More Replies... 
Steven Meyer 4 years ago (edited)
I lived in Japan before, in the 80s. I had tattoos on both my forearms. I was denied entry into a couple establishments until one day I was walking down the sidewalk and A man in a long sleeve white shirt Ushered me in to a restaurant to eat. I thought it was very nice of him, what I found out is he had been watching how I’d been refused service at other restaurants, And wanted to make me feel at home. I love that aspect of Japan when I live there, the people were always friendly, and always went out of their way to make me feel welcome if possible. I made sure I spoke The Japanese language as well. I knew three men who were in the Akuza and one woman, while I lived there, they were always very respectful to me and I returned that respect.
Bender Bending Rodríguez 4 years ago
Who will say no, if a real Yakuza wants to come in your establishments?
Isabel London 4 years ago
I just read an article that said that the Yakuza are now prohibiting some (or all?) of its new recruits from getting tattoos precisely for this reason. They're too easy to recognise and if you have criminal intent - that's not good. ;)
#24
Head coverings vary among observant Muslim women from different countries. The kind many people think of is the Saudi Arabian style that has become more popular in the last decade or so. A cool one is the different traditional head coverings between Kazakhs (white scarf with a part tied back like a nurses cap), Uighurs (colorful scarf and tied in front or behind the neck), and the Hui (a cap with cloth coming down the sides) — all groups found in China (depending on how you feel about groups leaving to be independent). I think it’s like people from different countries tying knots.
Marina Bailey 4 years ago
Stayed in Shepherd's Bush in London on holiday and saw Muslim women wearing hijabs that went down around their shoulders, with a patterned trim along the bottom, and skirts that matched. Always wondered what culture those were from.
Momma Dubb 4 years ago
Sounds like you might be talking about the Bohra community from India.
Load More Replies...
Mosheh Wolf 4 years ago
Traditional religious Jewish women cover their hair after they are married, but do not do so before marriage.
#25
Oftentimes student nurses will wear one color of scrubs to stand out from professionals during clinicals. My color was hazel grey.
Leo Domitrix 4 years ago
Many institutions require that different "grades" wear different oclors. E.g, docs have white lab coats and street clothes; nurses are in all-white, shorter white coat; aides are pink or green or whatever; and so on. THe problem is, the patients need a chart ot know who is what by the clothing!
Carrot dude 4 years ago
Something like this I think: Screenshot...e31974.png 
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
In Australia, nurses don't wear scrubs outside of the operating room. They wear a nursing uniform instead. I think student nurses have a uniform according to their university and agency nurses have another uniform.
GlassHalfWay 4 years ago
In big facilities (like a skilled nursing facility), each department may have their own color. It helps the patient/residents. Nurses, white. CNA's, pale blue. Environmental, green. As a therapist, we wore black.
Scarlett Fox 4 years ago
When my sister was a nursing student, her colour was white. She despised it because her scrubs always ended up dirty, usually pretty quickly too.
earringnut 4 years ago
A hospital near me actually has a color coded scrubs key posted on the walls and in the in the elevators. Orderlies wear one color. RNs wear another. Surgeons yet another.
#26
Reminds me of when I was in elementary school and we were told not to wear red or black to school because they were associated with certain gangs.
Natalie KS 4 years ago
Anish Kapoor did and he pissed a lot of people off.
Load More Replies...
Zophra 4 years ago
Ahhh... and remember the one pant leg pulled or rolled up to show a drug dealer? Many school kids did this to look "cool."
M O'Connell 4 years ago
I had the opposite problem. My schools uniform colors were blue and black. That didn't go over very well in the 90s.
SirPatTheCat 4 years ago
My middle school didn't allow hats *at all* because of gang affiliation. Except for the school hat. That was allowed. (I suspect they were just being assholes and wanted to sell more school hats, I always hated that school)
Marina Bailey 4 years ago
Our school does not let the children cut gaps in their eyebrows, as that is apparently also gangster-related. (We're in the south of Jozi BTW.)
Paula Swanson 4 years ago
YES! My son was at a school that had that rule. No all red, blue or black..even for the girls clothes, dresses included. And only because some "ADULT" decide that the colors were gang colors.
Candace Fitzpatrick 4 years ago
When I was in high school it was about the colour of the laces in your docs... red or white meant they were a skinhead
Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago
As a former k-14 educator in LA, I can attest. I was told not to wear a red or blue tie, even with a print. But my black-&-tan uniform didn't seem to bother them....
Jewell Martin 4 years ago
Even the teachers were told that until Bloods started wearing pink as a subterfuge. Crips wore black or any other color that did not include red, like pink, orange, or purple.
Michael Naretto 4 years ago
Gangbangers are monumentally stupid. Just because they see someone wearing a rival gangs colors don't mean that person is in a gang...
#27
Stagehands wear black. Check for a crescent wrench in the back pocket to confirm.
DramaDoc 4 years ago
We wear black even when not working... The Crescent wrench is hit or miss, but I usually have my leatherman and a piece of tie line and/or gaff somewhere on me as well even during these times... LOL
Load More Replies...
Philly Bob Squires 4 years ago
The sound man's uniform... black T-Shirt, jeans and sneakers. Always has a sharpie.
Lily 4 years ago
Black when working during a live production so you won't be as visible and your role is obvious. Black socks too - anything else stands out too much, they have to be like shadows. And the front pocket usually has a few miscellaneous nuts and bolts, and likely a small flashlight so they can see in the dark.
Mickie Shea 4 years ago
Next time i'm at an event, I'll be wear'n black and carry a crescent wrench.
Mandy Delaforce (PC Girl) 4 years ago
LOL Not all stagehands carry a crescent wrench - but they DO carry a torch.
Brandy Grote 4 years ago
Or a tweaker - and tiny hole - in the front pocket! Sigh. The number of pocket repairs I've done for stage tech husband...
#28
When I was a teenager a lot of the working-class, multi-generation in the area kids from the very rural West Virginian area I moved to wore these, to my teenage eyes, very funny looking polka dot caps with downward pointing brims. At the time I just assumed they got them at this store that still had a lot of 70s deadstock and it was a trend because they were cheap and it was the 90s and we were irony poisoned. It was pretty widespread across a few counties though. They were mostly worn by the kids who already had decided they were not going to college, whether by their own choice, or their own circumstances. They were welders' caps. Welder is an aspirational job in the area, if you plan to stay there after graduation. They were signifying they planned to stay and work in the same field their dads did. It didn't even occur to me what it was all about until some high school reunion.
MikariMartini 4 years ago
Welders and iron workers wear them under their helmets to protect their head from the hard straps needed to keep the helmet on, especially when flipping the helmet down to start a weld. I don’t know why a farrier would wear one, though.
Teresa Taylor 4 years ago
That was the most complicated and hard to understand first sentence/paragraph I’ve read in a long time. It made my brain hurt trying to figure out what point was being made.
#29
Silver Crocs = I have multiple bottles of Soda in my fridge
Jorts = I'm stone cold steve Austin
Bandana + Eyebrows = I ride a motorcycle
Bandana + No Eyebrows = I am receiving chemotherapy.
T shirt with ripped off sleeves = my kids will jump on your furniture and my reaction will be inappropriate.
Logic and Reason 4 years ago
So when I step out wearing silver crocs, jorts, a t-shirt with torn off sleeves, and a bandana with one eyebrow I’d be an irresponsible parent Steve Austin with multiple bottles of soda, a motorcycle, and undergoing chemotherapy? Good to know.
Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago
shirts with ripped-off sleeves + bandanas + parachute pants = still living in the 80s....
Jennifer Lenhart 4 years ago
T shirts with ripped off sleeves meant someone forgot their toilet paper for tree planters.
#30
Ties in specific designs can signify which university you attended or private club you belong to, to such an extent that with certain tiemakers in the UK, you have to prove membership before you can buy the tie.
Nomadus Aureus 4 years ago
I've spent 3 years in the UK and was absolutely fascinated by the creative ways in which people divided themselves into various groups. What newspaper you read, the brands you wear, even the type of dog you own.
Exquisite Spam 4 years ago
They came round trying to sell ties at my university. I told them once I'd finished my course I was going to deny ever having gone there.
Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago
Yes, I still have my CSU tie from graduation, but had to return my Claremont tie when I left. -Dr M
Adriana Coppage 4 years ago
yea if it says Harvard University they might have gone to Harvard!!!
#31
There is a code when it comes to livestock and equestrians that are often not well-known. It's most common with horses, but I have seen them used for other animals such as goats who are used to carry supplies when hiking on very rough terrain. These colors can often be universal and can be represented by a ribbon on the tail, or a collar/halter of the same color. Red means the horse/animal has a tendency to kick/bite. Yellow (and sometimes blue) means that they are a stallion/intact male (which are known to be moody or aggressive). Green means the horse/animal is inexperienced. White means the horse/animal is for sale. Pink is sometimes used if the female horse/animal is generally moody or in heat.
Cori 4 years ago
I had a red ribbon on my Arabian for trail rides for awhile because he went through a brat phase. I actually got told off about it by anothet rider because, for once, he was actually being a good boy and the other rider thought I was being unfair and giving my horse a bad rep. My thought was, I'd rather be safe than sorry and I don't need you crowding us anyway bucko. 🙄
Niffler_13 4 years ago
I've worked with livestock my whole life, went to college for it, my family has been involved with farming for the last 3 generations. I've never heard of this.
#32
Wearing a Canadian Tuxedo: NOT Canadian. Likely American or Britney Spears
BananaAnna 4 years ago
Looked this one up: Canadian Tuxedo is an all denim outfit. That knowledge tickles my innards.
Barbara Kelly 4 years ago
from me (a Canadian); it also can be a red and black buffalo plaid flannel shirt .......worn with jeans or other casual pants
Load More Replies... 
#33
Asexuals sometimes wear a black ring on their right middle finger.
Elaine Mattingly 4 years ago
After this learning experience I can't wear jewelry, cloths or hang my keys on anything and as for hanging plants.............I don't want to know.
Dilly Millandry 4 years ago
Or just not worry about the assumptions others make.
Load More Replies...
Huddo's sister 3 years ago
People who base their knowledge/opinions on where people wear rings would be so confused by me. I will wear my ring on whichever finger it fits on, but shift it to another finger when it gets annoying, or if I'm anxious.
#34
After coming out, I learned that, as a woman, using a carabiner to hook your keys to your belt loop is a big lesbian thing. I've been doing it for YEARS!
Russell Ellwardt 4 years ago
It was ultimate fashion among us kids in my youth, i.e. late 70s and early 80s, without even the slightest sexual connotation.
Erik Lawrence 4 years ago
you mean not everything universally applies to everyone all the time? no. say it isnt so....
Load More Replies... BananaAnna 4 years ago
Oh, dear!! I have been using a carabiner for years to hook keys to the belt loop. Well ... doesn't change a thing ... it is still very practical for a lady who does not want to carry a purse.
GlassHalfWay 4 years ago
Same. I go to people's houses for work and can't be bothered carrying a purse everywhere.
Load More Replies...
Dave In MD 4 years ago
Damn, I'm a lesbian? I thought I was a 51 year old man. Strange my lesbian friend doesn't hook her keys to her belt loop like that.
Sleazy Weaver 4 years ago
Turns out my dad is a lesbian too. You two should go on a date 😘
Load More Replies... Helen Haley 4 years ago
That just practical, I have a hard time believing it is some kind of indicator of orientation.
Sheila McEnany Markowitz 4 years ago
Who knew? I have done it for simple convenience, and am heterosexual.
#35
There’s a lot of this in a hospital setting, though it probably varies quite a bit from one hospital to another. -My hospital only provides scrubs to people who work in the OR. Everyone else has to buy their own scrubs, so you can immediately identify surgical vs nonsurgical staff. -If someone is wearing personal scrubs and a cloth scrub cap, they’re probably from a COVID unit. -If someone sees some COVID patients but not exclusively COVID, they’ll have their N95 clipped to their scrubs in a paper bag. -Respiratory therapists always have small backpacks/fanny packs/sling bags with extra supplies. -Medical students have short white coats and are required to wear them- residents usually wear fleece jackets instead of white coats. -Doctors have pagers, nurses usually don’t. -Emergency room staff have trauma shears for cutting off clothing. -Someone with a reflex hammer in their pocket or safety pins on their lanyard is definitely a neurologist. -An IUD clipped to the ID badge- definitely an OBGYN.
Al Christensen 4 years ago
When I was in the hospital, only the phlebotomists (the ones who draw blood) wore red scrubs.
#36
When I was working in Clearwater, Florida all of the scientologists wore white shirts and blue pants.
Aunt Messy 4 years ago
And bike clips on their polyester pants that they never took off.
Load More Replies...
#37
Always wearing long sleeves is sometimes an indicator of self harm (pretty sure that's well known by now) but can often indicate hard drug use, even if they aren't hiding track marks from current use. I've been clean for several years, but I still get random chills pretty often, so I usually have at least a light jacket on.
Deborah Brett 4 years ago
or that someone feels the cold, or that their sense of body-modesty requires long sleeves.
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
Or if you are really sensitive to sunlight, like me (exacerbated by medications)
#38
Pretrump,someone told me a red hat in my town was a sign that you were selling meth. I was like "how did I not notice this" as literally every tweaker was wearing one, some women wearing red pirate bandanas or cartoonish red logo-less ball caps.
#39
Quite a specific one, but if you are walking round the courts/legal district in an English (or Welsh) city, you can tell who is a barrister going to/from court because even though most no longer wear robes/a wig, they do still wear detachable collars and these sort of straight white ribbon things instead of ties, but with an otherwise very sober dark suit and white shirt. Also they’re often carrying a big suitcase full of books and authorities.
Remi Flynne 4 years ago
This is not accurate. Changes were proposed but didn't fully go ahead. For the most part, the changes only affect what is worn by judges in civil courts, who now wear a simplified robe and no wig. Dress worn in criminal courts remains largely unchanged.
#40
Fleece north face jacket I'm crossing campus in the fall
#41
Dirndl, traditional German dress. If you tie your bow (from the apron) on the right it means you are single, middle =married and left is widowed... I believe. It has been a number of years since I was told about it and I might have it backwards!
Elaine Mattingly 4 years ago
I had no idea there were so many rules and regulations, this is a whole new library and I need a card.
Inga Büsch 4 years ago
Not quite right, the bow on the right side means married, left means single, young girls can wear it tied in the middle front or back and back on a woman means, she‘s a widow, but not all widows will wear it like that. At least in our area in Bavaria.
Nadine Kostrzewa 4 years ago
The other way round... To the right is married (it's the side you wear your wedding ring), left is single, to the front if you are a virgin (normally only very young girls do this), to the back if you are widowed.
SilverLining 4 years ago
I thought it was right, single, left, married and back, widower or a waiter/waitress
#42
If someone is wearing an Affliction shirt chances are that they are a raging d********.
Valentina Lattante 4 years ago
before googleing it, I thought it was a shirt with "headache" or "unemployed" written on!
M O'Connell 4 years ago
It's a clothing brand, they market themselves specifically to "those sorts of people"
Load More Replies... #43
White cap sleeve shirts under sleeveless tops or dresses: mormon. Edit: to cover their temple garments/ special underwear.
Al Christensen 4 years ago
You can usually identify Mormon men by the low scoop neck of their undershirts, especially when the fabric of their white shirts is thin. It's called the Mormon Smile. Also, young women will judge whether a prospective mate was a "good Mormon" by running her hand down his thigh, feeling for the hem of his longer-than-usual underwear.
Zophra 4 years ago
Bahahah.. just feeling for "longer-than-usual-underwear..."
Load More Replies...
Andrew Gibb 4 years ago
You can tell how long a person has been a Mormon by the colour of their white (when new) special underwear
#44
Red trousers. Might be a UK thing, but usually associated with old money upper-class type people...or eccentricity. The two seem to overlap a fair bit though. Or at least it seems so to a commoner like me.
#45
If their shirt or pants are mildly magnetic, they are probably a machinist.
M O'Connell 4 years ago
It's a joke. Their pants will likely have metal shavings stuck to them from work, not because they are actually magnetic.
Load More Replies...
#46
Apparently wearing something with upside down pineapples on it is to signal you and your spouse are swingers.
Elaine Mattingly 4 years ago
I will never look at cloths again in the same way. Never knew cloths were like reading an open book. I feel positively nosey.
#47
Foremen, engineers, and important guys wear white hardhats.
Summer Woodsong 4 years ago
Hard hats come in a variety of colors. I had one in a nice blue and I've seen custom art and pink ones as well.
Aunt Messy 4 years ago
And if you need to talk to the boss, you have to be able to find them. On a noisy construction site, yelling is not an option.
Load More Replies...
btaglln 4 years ago
There can be a color code on worksite but it is almost never applied, depending on the country it can be as below : -White : Staff, engineer, manager -Yellow : Worker -Blue : MEP (Mechanical an plumbing) and electricians -Red : Fire fighters / Signalers -Green : Safety officers -Brown : Welders -Pink : Forgot his helmet/ lost it
#48
When you expect to see a guy naked - think intimacy or communal changing-rooms or showers - but they are in tiny denim shorts, its because they are a 'nevernude'.
Logic and Reason 4 years ago
I’ve read that the condition is nowhere near as lighthearted as it’s portrayed in the show though
Load More Replies...
#49
If they have a stainless steel pinky ring on their dominant hand they probably graduated from an engineering school in the States or Canada.
Ernie 4 years ago
Canadian thing only. Abt 1924 Rutyard Kipling was asked to design a ceremony fo induct new graduates of all engineering professions and he ame up with an ethics oath that all new graduates recite- an iron chain is strung in front of the students and they hold it in their dominant hand while they recite it. they are then given their "iron ring" which orginally was to be fabbed from the steel of a particular failed bridge but is now stainless steel for obvious reasons.
GlassHalfWay 4 years ago
It is not just a Canadian thing. My cousin graduated from the Engineering University in Plattville WI. As a member of The Order, he received a ring to wear on his dominant 5th finger as an ethical reminder to his profession.
Load More Replies... Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
Ok that's twice with the engineering pinky ring thing. But what kind of engineering/what is this?
Aunt Messy 4 years ago
All. It signifies that they have taken an oath and will follow a strict code of ethics. An iron ring means the best of the best.
Load More Replies...
B-b-bird 4 years ago
well, I like wearing plaid flannel shirts and didn't know that it's a common signal for being lesbian :) once I was told by one guy "oh it's really brave of you to wear this here", i didn't understand what he means at that time, and twice was hit on by a girl :) still wearing, straight, do not care
What do you think ?
Johnny 4 years ago
Not long after I started going to college, a rumor got around that you could show your support for gays by wearing jeans on some Wednesday. I, being the naive and slightly homophobic freshman that I was, wore sweatpants that day to show the world how straight I was. Later that day I went to my job in the college lab I worked in and the grad student there who I had a lot of respect for asked me why i was dressed that way. I told him, then he looked at me incredulously and asked "Why don't you support gays? What has a gay person ever done to you? Do you think people would think *you* were gay? Why wouldn't you support someone in a lifestyle choice that has nothing to do with you." I of course had no answers to those questions and started to feel uncomfortable, then he ended with "And this may surprise you but your chemistry TA is my boyfriend". It was a real eye opening experience (one of many in college) for someone raised in a small town. Now I'm strongly in favor of lgbqt+ rights.
Carrot dude 4 years ago
I was raised with a similar belief, but being on Bored Panda and Pinterest have taught me a lot more open-mindedness. Although I do not agree with some parts of the community, I have realized that my opinion of some person's life is unimportant and that since no one's hurting anyone, why should I care? I am now 100% supportive of people living their lives however they want.
Load More Replies...
Luisa Vasconcelos 4 years ago
If it's winter in Portugal and you are wearing a t-shirt, shorts and and sandals, I will know you are a tourist. If it's spring or autumn in Germany and you see a small black woman still using her winter jacket, it's me.
Lúthien 4 years ago (edited)
If a dog has a colored ribbon on its leash, leave it alone , it could mean several things, but they mostly sum up to ' I don't want strangers to pet me,' (Always ask/ make eye contact with the owner though, even if there is no ribbon)
Destiney Haddox 3 years ago
Great rule of thumb, don't touch or pet a stranger's dog without asking first. And be prepared for them to say no.
Load More Replies... Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago (edited)
If you're wearing a bow tie, that is not a clip-on, then it shows that you know how to tie a bow tie. (from a bow tie wearer)
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
If someone is wandering around North Island NZ midwinter in shorts and t shirt, they could well be from the South Island, and likely my hometown (known only ironically as "sunny")! North Island is subtropical and humid (palm trees), South Island is cooler and drier (pine trees).
Zoe Hoesley 4 years ago
I would say, hoodie socks with sandals and beat up sweats means your tired as hell and you regret the previous night.
PANDAS 4 years ago
I have one! sometimes, aces (asexual people) wear black rings on their middle finger to show that they're ace!
A. B. Gilman 4 years ago
I think aromantic people do this with a white ring, though I could be wrong.
Load More Replies...
Patti Vance 4 years ago
that thing of avoiding certain colors while in school is real. my son attended school in central valley of california where there was gang activity. i noticed that i had bought him both red and blue shirts but he never wore them. it was him that told me why. he is now 40 and it has just been in recent years he now wears red as he said it had become habit not to for so long. so glad because he looks good in red!
Johnny 4 years ago
Not long after I started going to college, a rumor got around that you could show your support for gays by wearing jeans on some Wednesday. I, being the naive and slightly homophobic freshman that I was, wore sweatpants that day to show the world how straight I was. Later that day I went to my job in the college lab I worked in and the grad student there who I had a lot of respect for asked me why i was dressed that way. I told him, then he looked at me incredulously and asked "Why don't you support gays? What has a gay person ever done to you? Do you think people would think *you* were gay? Why wouldn't you support someone in a lifestyle choice that has nothing to do with you." I of course had no answers to those questions and started to feel uncomfortable, then he ended with "And this may surprise you but your chemistry TA is my boyfriend". It was a real eye opening experience (one of many in college) for someone raised in a small town. Now I'm strongly in favor of lgbqt+ rights.
Carrot dude 4 years ago
I was raised with a similar belief, but being on Bored Panda and Pinterest have taught me a lot more open-mindedness. Although I do not agree with some parts of the community, I have realized that my opinion of some person's life is unimportant and that since no one's hurting anyone, why should I care? I am now 100% supportive of people living their lives however they want.
Load More Replies... Luisa Vasconcelos 4 years ago
If it's winter in Portugal and you are wearing a t-shirt, shorts and and sandals, I will know you are a tourist. If it's spring or autumn in Germany and you see a small black woman still using her winter jacket, it's me.
Lúthien 4 years ago (edited)
If a dog has a colored ribbon on its leash, leave it alone , it could mean several things, but they mostly sum up to ' I don't want strangers to pet me,' (Always ask/ make eye contact with the owner though, even if there is no ribbon)
Destiney Haddox 3 years ago
Great rule of thumb, don't touch or pet a stranger's dog without asking first. And be prepared for them to say no.
Load More Replies... Meyer Weinstock 4 years ago (edited)
If you're wearing a bow tie, that is not a clip-on, then it shows that you know how to tie a bow tie. (from a bow tie wearer)
Lauren Caswell 4 years ago
If someone is wandering around North Island NZ midwinter in shorts and t shirt, they could well be from the South Island, and likely my hometown (known only ironically as "sunny")! North Island is subtropical and humid (palm trees), South Island is cooler and drier (pine trees).
Zoe Hoesley 4 years ago
I would say, hoodie socks with sandals and beat up sweats means your tired as hell and you regret the previous night.
PANDAS 4 years ago
I have one! sometimes, aces (asexual people) wear black rings on their middle finger to show that they're ace!
A. B. Gilman 4 years ago
I think aromantic people do this with a white ring, though I could be wrong.
Load More Replies... Patti Vance 4 years ago
that thing of avoiding certain colors while in school is real. my son attended school in central valley of california where there was gang activity. i noticed that i had bought him both red and blue shirts but he never wore them. it was him that told me why. he is now 40 and it has just been in recent years he now wears red as he said it had become habit not to for so long. so glad because he looks good in red!
You May Like 47 Style Tips To Always Look Your Best "What Is The Creepiest Thing That Ever Happened To You But Never Told Anyone?" 46 Timeless Fashion Pieces With An Evergreen Quality
Larysa Perih
Jonas Žvilius
Justina Čiapaitė
Related on Bored Panda
