On Sun, 28 Dec 2008 11:32:49 -0600, Nigel Molesworth
wrote:

In article ,
WaIIy wrote:

On Sat, 27 Dec 2008 14:33:40 -0500, "Wilbur Hubbard"
wrote:


First off allow me to apologize for all the uninformed guesses as to the
origin of the term "Bristol fashion."

It's got nothing to do with anything so far suggested. Believe it or not it
has to do with woman's breasts.

'Bristols' are rhyming slang for, well, guess - as the full term is
'Bristol Cities'

So nothing to do with ships at all.

And rhyming slang wasn't common usage in 1840.

So 'Bristol-Fashion' as quoted earlier is anyones best guess.

I'm guessing it's a corruption of "bristle."
See Tamworth Pig, Bristle-thighed Curlew, and the Trinity Bristle
Snail and the obvious connections can be made.
Being polite, I won't make them.

--Vic