I think purse has immediate connotations that backpack might not. The sets don't totally overlap, and many places a purse is seen as appropriate, even the basic backpack form is not.
Which really means I've been dinged for bringing a crocheted "backpack" as my lady-bag to formal events. Even though no guy would be seen dead carrying it. And what I carry now is on the femme side of the divide, but still pooh poohed by traditionalists.
About whom I totally don't care, so whatevs. As long as I can sling it over both shoulders when need be, I'm good with it. Although the thing I have that's most gender-neutral and backpacky isn't really a backpack because it has only one strap, but it's cross-body. You try and wear it just over one shoulder and the weight falls all funny. And the cellphone pocket ends up in your armpit.
For a while in my early twenties I had a denim jacket with a bunch of pockets that I could stuff full of things that would otherwise go in a purse and it somehow didn't look bulky and that was awesome. The weight of my stuff was distributed better on my body rather than weighing down one shoulder, draping it over the back of a chair was hardly ever awkward, I pretty much needed a jacket if I was going out anyway. And then I lost it in one of my involuntary purge of belongings.
It wouldn't hold an iPad, anyway, I'm pretty sure.
Connie,
I love the other part of Will's quote too: “Trump is evidence that if your net worth is high enough, your IQ can be very low, & you can still intrude into American politics”
Why does megafauna creep me out so much? I'm suddenly pre-occupied with giant crocodiles (or maybe alligators--my mind's eye won't get me get close enough to check) and it's a waste of brainspace.
I'm suddenly pre-occupied with giant crocodiles (or maybe alligators--my mind's eye won't get me get close enough to check)
Salt water crocodiles are enormous! And they like to eat human flesh.
Thanks, Hec, for forcing me to bring this back to mind.
Get those zombie apocalypse preparedness kits ready: [link]
Thanks, Hec, for forcing me to bring this back to mind.
Excellent! The best work excursion I ever had was a dinner at the Autralian Reptile Park on the Central Coast. They had a similarly-proportioned salty (called Eric, IIRC) who had also lost a limb. In his case, it was bitten off by a female salty who wasn't in the mood. He reacted by killing all three females in his enclosure (which is when he was moved to the ARP).
That was also the occasion when I witnessed the epic showdown between actuarial stupidity and a Burmese python.
Did he kill the specific croc that turned him down? If so, was it first, last, or middle?
I have a narrative I need fact-checked.
