Denise Lovett in “The Paradise,” played by Joanna Vanderham
I recently started following the latest Masterpiece Classic series on PBS. It is called “The Paradise” and it is based on Emile Zola’s novel, Au Bonheur des Dames (The Ladies’ Paradise). They’re showing Season 1 right now, but our friends in the UK have already seen it. As usual.
Inasmuch as I have enjoyed the drama between Denise and Moray, I have to admit that the language/lingo used fascinates me. Mostly because I haven’t heard many of those words before. I mean, who says ‘haberdashery’ in 2013?
My fascination with some of those words has taken me a quest (several quests?) to know what they mean. The one that stands out in my mind is, of course, Haberdashery.
Haberdashery refers to the goods sold by a haberdasher. Very unhelpful, ba? Okay, this should make sense: a haberdasher is “a person who owns or works in a shop that sells small items (such as needles and thread) that are used to make clothes.” And since there is a section of ‘The Paradise’ called ‘Haberdashery,’ I assume that’s the part of the store that sells those small items mentioned.
So, you see, whether you like it or not, you just learned something new.
You’re welcome. Thank You, ‘The Paradise.’
Picture Source: The Jane Austen Film Club
