A festoon is a festive ornament. So to be “festooned” means to be decorated in festive ornaments. A festoon used to be a specific kind of ornament, in which flowers, foliage, and fruit were fastened to and suspended by long ribbons. It has now come to mean any type of celebratory ornamentation.
Considering how our calendar year is full of St. Patrick’s days, Mardi Gras’es, Independence Days, Christmases, pride days, gay pride parades, drag shows — not to mention all the days we just feel like dressing up — and so on, you’d think this word would be used more. And the waiters at TGI Friday’s are festooned with pride buttons all year-round.
Be careful who you say it to, though. There is a lot of festoon prejudice out there.
Post a Comment