What does “ Victorian orphans” mean in the sentence?











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Why did the man in following sentence refer his hair style as "Victorian orphans"? what does Victorian orphan look like? Is there any cultural gap I am missing, or is it a slang or something?



‘My hair. I’m only half done. I look like one of those Victorian orphans. "










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  • If you google Victorian orphans you will find numerous sites on that subject.
    – Ronald Sole
    19 hours ago















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Why did the man in following sentence refer his hair style as "Victorian orphans"? what does Victorian orphan look like? Is there any cultural gap I am missing, or is it a slang or something?



‘My hair. I’m only half done. I look like one of those Victorian orphans. "










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  • If you google Victorian orphans you will find numerous sites on that subject.
    – Ronald Sole
    19 hours ago













up vote
1
down vote

favorite









up vote
1
down vote

favorite











Why did the man in following sentence refer his hair style as "Victorian orphans"? what does Victorian orphan look like? Is there any cultural gap I am missing, or is it a slang or something?



‘My hair. I’m only half done. I look like one of those Victorian orphans. "










share|improve this question







New contributor




user86301 is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.











Why did the man in following sentence refer his hair style as "Victorian orphans"? what does Victorian orphan look like? Is there any cultural gap I am missing, or is it a slang or something?



‘My hair. I’m only half done. I look like one of those Victorian orphans. "







meaning-in-context word-choice culture






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  • If you google Victorian orphans you will find numerous sites on that subject.
    – Ronald Sole
    19 hours ago


















  • If you google Victorian orphans you will find numerous sites on that subject.
    – Ronald Sole
    19 hours ago
















If you google Victorian orphans you will find numerous sites on that subject.
– Ronald Sole
19 hours ago




If you google Victorian orphans you will find numerous sites on that subject.
– Ronald Sole
19 hours ago










2 Answers
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accepted










"Victorian orphans" refers to the Victorian era, meaning later 19th century England. This era has many cultural associations, one of which is that the streets were littered with orphans or street urchins.



I do not think they have a distinctive hairstyle, but they would have been stereotypically disheveled and unclean, and their hair would not have been professionally styled.



I would say this sort of image would be a typical example of what someone thinks of when they hear "Victorian orphan" (from here):



Three street urchins






share|improve this answer






























    up vote
    1
    down vote













    This is really a question about British cultural history rather than learning English as a language, but my first thought on reading it was that this somewhat crude stereotype only really survives through the portrayal of orphans in the works of Charles Dickens (the eponymously-titled Oliver Twist, Pip in Great Expectations, etc.).



    So if OP's cited speaker had been a bit more on the ball, she might have been more likely to use the same term as the majority of her more "literate / literary" compatriots...




    [Some dishevelled person looks...]
    ...like a Victorian orphan
    (About 81 results in Google Books)
    ...like a Dickensian orphan (About 109 results)






    For a more "internationalist" cultural reference, there are the orphans Jean Valjean, Cosette, Javert, Marius, etc. in Les Misérables (1862) by French writer Victor Hugo. Personally, I'm not literate enough to know the adjectival derivative of "Hugo", but here's a well-known picture from the relevant Wikipedia page - titled Portrait of "Cosette" by Emile Bayard, from the original edition of Les Misérables...



    enter image description here






    share|improve this answer





















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      2 Answers
      2






      active

      oldest

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      2 Answers
      2






      active

      oldest

      votes









      active

      oldest

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      active

      oldest

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      up vote
      4
      down vote



      accepted










      "Victorian orphans" refers to the Victorian era, meaning later 19th century England. This era has many cultural associations, one of which is that the streets were littered with orphans or street urchins.



      I do not think they have a distinctive hairstyle, but they would have been stereotypically disheveled and unclean, and their hair would not have been professionally styled.



      I would say this sort of image would be a typical example of what someone thinks of when they hear "Victorian orphan" (from here):



      Three street urchins






      share|improve this answer



























        up vote
        4
        down vote



        accepted










        "Victorian orphans" refers to the Victorian era, meaning later 19th century England. This era has many cultural associations, one of which is that the streets were littered with orphans or street urchins.



        I do not think they have a distinctive hairstyle, but they would have been stereotypically disheveled and unclean, and their hair would not have been professionally styled.



        I would say this sort of image would be a typical example of what someone thinks of when they hear "Victorian orphan" (from here):



        Three street urchins






        share|improve this answer

























          up vote
          4
          down vote



          accepted







          up vote
          4
          down vote



          accepted






          "Victorian orphans" refers to the Victorian era, meaning later 19th century England. This era has many cultural associations, one of which is that the streets were littered with orphans or street urchins.



          I do not think they have a distinctive hairstyle, but they would have been stereotypically disheveled and unclean, and their hair would not have been professionally styled.



          I would say this sort of image would be a typical example of what someone thinks of when they hear "Victorian orphan" (from here):



          Three street urchins






          share|improve this answer














          "Victorian orphans" refers to the Victorian era, meaning later 19th century England. This era has many cultural associations, one of which is that the streets were littered with orphans or street urchins.



          I do not think they have a distinctive hairstyle, but they would have been stereotypically disheveled and unclean, and their hair would not have been professionally styled.



          I would say this sort of image would be a typical example of what someone thinks of when they hear "Victorian orphan" (from here):



          Three street urchins







          share|improve this answer














          share|improve this answer



          share|improve this answer








          edited 19 hours ago









          ColleenV

          10.4k53159




          10.4k53159










          answered 20 hours ago









          Paul

          29818




          29818
























              up vote
              1
              down vote













              This is really a question about British cultural history rather than learning English as a language, but my first thought on reading it was that this somewhat crude stereotype only really survives through the portrayal of orphans in the works of Charles Dickens (the eponymously-titled Oliver Twist, Pip in Great Expectations, etc.).



              So if OP's cited speaker had been a bit more on the ball, she might have been more likely to use the same term as the majority of her more "literate / literary" compatriots...




              [Some dishevelled person looks...]
              ...like a Victorian orphan
              (About 81 results in Google Books)
              ...like a Dickensian orphan (About 109 results)






              For a more "internationalist" cultural reference, there are the orphans Jean Valjean, Cosette, Javert, Marius, etc. in Les Misérables (1862) by French writer Victor Hugo. Personally, I'm not literate enough to know the adjectival derivative of "Hugo", but here's a well-known picture from the relevant Wikipedia page - titled Portrait of "Cosette" by Emile Bayard, from the original edition of Les Misérables...



              enter image description here






              share|improve this answer

























                up vote
                1
                down vote













                This is really a question about British cultural history rather than learning English as a language, but my first thought on reading it was that this somewhat crude stereotype only really survives through the portrayal of orphans in the works of Charles Dickens (the eponymously-titled Oliver Twist, Pip in Great Expectations, etc.).



                So if OP's cited speaker had been a bit more on the ball, she might have been more likely to use the same term as the majority of her more "literate / literary" compatriots...




                [Some dishevelled person looks...]
                ...like a Victorian orphan
                (About 81 results in Google Books)
                ...like a Dickensian orphan (About 109 results)






                For a more "internationalist" cultural reference, there are the orphans Jean Valjean, Cosette, Javert, Marius, etc. in Les Misérables (1862) by French writer Victor Hugo. Personally, I'm not literate enough to know the adjectival derivative of "Hugo", but here's a well-known picture from the relevant Wikipedia page - titled Portrait of "Cosette" by Emile Bayard, from the original edition of Les Misérables...



                enter image description here






                share|improve this answer























                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote










                  up vote
                  1
                  down vote









                  This is really a question about British cultural history rather than learning English as a language, but my first thought on reading it was that this somewhat crude stereotype only really survives through the portrayal of orphans in the works of Charles Dickens (the eponymously-titled Oliver Twist, Pip in Great Expectations, etc.).



                  So if OP's cited speaker had been a bit more on the ball, she might have been more likely to use the same term as the majority of her more "literate / literary" compatriots...




                  [Some dishevelled person looks...]
                  ...like a Victorian orphan
                  (About 81 results in Google Books)
                  ...like a Dickensian orphan (About 109 results)






                  For a more "internationalist" cultural reference, there are the orphans Jean Valjean, Cosette, Javert, Marius, etc. in Les Misérables (1862) by French writer Victor Hugo. Personally, I'm not literate enough to know the adjectival derivative of "Hugo", but here's a well-known picture from the relevant Wikipedia page - titled Portrait of "Cosette" by Emile Bayard, from the original edition of Les Misérables...



                  enter image description here






                  share|improve this answer












                  This is really a question about British cultural history rather than learning English as a language, but my first thought on reading it was that this somewhat crude stereotype only really survives through the portrayal of orphans in the works of Charles Dickens (the eponymously-titled Oliver Twist, Pip in Great Expectations, etc.).



                  So if OP's cited speaker had been a bit more on the ball, she might have been more likely to use the same term as the majority of her more "literate / literary" compatriots...




                  [Some dishevelled person looks...]
                  ...like a Victorian orphan
                  (About 81 results in Google Books)
                  ...like a Dickensian orphan (About 109 results)






                  For a more "internationalist" cultural reference, there are the orphans Jean Valjean, Cosette, Javert, Marius, etc. in Les Misérables (1862) by French writer Victor Hugo. Personally, I'm not literate enough to know the adjectival derivative of "Hugo", but here's a well-known picture from the relevant Wikipedia page - titled Portrait of "Cosette" by Emile Bayard, from the original edition of Les Misérables...



                  enter image description here







                  share|improve this answer












                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer










                  answered 19 hours ago









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