Sunday 27 July 2008

The Strap Wrangler

I have now heard from two independent sources the story of the tango dancer (male) who perfected the technique of undoing women's bra straps while dancing with them.

The act itself could be done, with sufficient skill. Certainly not without her noticing that it had happened; but perhaps, under favourable conditions, without her being absolutely certain you'd done it on purpose. I'm not convinced.

The person who told me this story tonight thought it had happened in Berlin; but could produce no witness, and freely agreed that the evidence was weak. The person who told me a year or so back that it had happened in London may have believed it was true, but was certainly mainly concerned with its being amusing.

I think the thing might be possible, up to a point, and is a somewhat obvious idea. I can imagine someone thinking "what would happen if ..," uttering the thought to a friend, and inadvertently starting a legend. I can also imagine that there were two men to whom it seemed both worth doing, and feasible. It could have happened twice, or happened not at all. It could have happened at a university.

So:
Had you ever heard this story before me telling you?
Who told you?
Where did that person think it had happened?
Was that person an actual witness?
Is it even possible, and how exactly do you know?
Can you now refrain from telling someone else?

Goodnight.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Had you ever heard this story before me telling you?
Yes.
Who told you?
He did. She did.
Where did that person think it had happened?
London.
Was that person an actual witness?
Yes. He did it with one hand.
Is it even possible, and how exactly do you know?
I didn't see him do it. It works with less dress.
Can you now refrain from telling someone else?
No.

Anonymous said...

That he was able to do so once would not surprise me. That he would be able get someone to dance with him so he could do it a second time would shock me.

tangobaby said...

LOL! This sounds like a Tango Urban Myth.

msHedgehog said...

That's what I think it is. Although I have seen an ordinary bra - it was orange, I remember - worn with a completely backless dress. Which makes the whole thing more understandable. It was almost as annoying as a label sticking out.