It is as well that the author I am about to cite has disappeared into the mists of time.
Of him, and of his pseudonym, I can find no trace. He and his stovepipe hat have faded like a sepia photograph until he is barely recognisable.
Had I been he, I might have chosen to vanish by design.
I would never have stumbled upon him, and his lofty writings, had I not had occasion to Google noses.
My daughter arrived while I was cooking, and reached up to brush away a generous dollop of dough on my face.
And as she did, she threw a line away: “Mummy, you have something on your lovely Roman nose.”
I knew I was paying exorbitant school fees for something.
I think I have mentioned before that I had a nickname at the illustrious newspaper office in which I worked: Concorde. My nose is large and aquiline. It shouts ‘nose’. One can’t ignore it.
Was a Roman nose a desirable asset? There was only one way to find out.
There is surprisingly little material on noses out there in cyberspace. On the Roman nose, I could find only one source.
Or rather, a series of treatises on nose forms and their characteristics. Its author was one Georges Jabet, also known as Eden Warwick. The book in question: `Notes on Noses’ – was published in 1848. And it is proof that the internet did not invent poppycock.
Jabet discourses most grandly on the different nose-types. To each nose, he attaches a description; and then goes on to accord its owner a character.
And this is what he has to say about the Roman nose: “The Roman, or aquiline nose, is rather convex, but undulating…it is usually rugose and coarse…. It indicates great decision, considerable energy, firmness, absence of refinement, and disregard for the bienseances of life.”
Those things, those bienseances? They’re proprieties.
It is not a glowing report. By Jabet’s accounts I’d rather have a Greek nose with its refinement of character and love for the arts. But the nose this quackademic holds up as the pinnacle of all noses, the essence of a deep and reflective nature, is the cogitative nose.
Wide nostrilled, this is the nose which shows strong powers of thought, and an affinity for meditation. This is the Oxford Don Conk: the one you want if you’re going to split any atoms or think at all seriously about Plato.
And I can only surmise that his ideas found safe harbour with some batty sector of the population. Because there was a follow-up: Nasology, Or Hints Towards a Classification of Noses.
For an impromptu dart board I suggest female readers try the chapter ‘Of Feminine Noses’. “Like womens’ characters,” he advises sagely, “their noses are cast in a smaller and less developed mould than the nose masculine.”
Not mine, mate.
It is in this ground breaking work that we meet the most revolutionary premise of all. Chapter Five is entitled: “How To Get A Cogitative Nose.”
Now I was losing patience by this time, but the long and short of it is, to get a cogitative nose, one has to cogitate a lot and one’s nose will gradually change shape.
So: Victorian twaddle or no, now I have my cunning plan.
I shall simply spend large parts of every day cogitating and my Roman nose, with all its impropriety, will transform into that of a learned academic.
Best, meanwhile, let us consign Jabet, or Warwick, or whoever he is, and all his preposterous nasology, discretely back into the grey mists from whence he came.
Because when all is said and done, he was a blithering idiot.
Kate Shrewsday 
I note that “Blithering” is quite a restrained adjective with regard to Nosestradamus.
Nosestradamus. Quite simply, brilliant, Roger…
Too hilarious!
Noses are always good for a laugh, Julie 😀
Here’s a weird bit of American trivia for you, Kate. I would be surprised if you’ve heard of Roman Nose State Park in the state of Oklahoma! It was named after Chief Henry Roman Nose…a Cheyenne. I have the idea that a Roman nose is noble and strong, but noses independent of the whole package are rather odd appendages for each of us, don’t you think? And assigning any real meaning is indeed poppycock! 🙂 D
Roman Nose State Park. I am torn between due respect for the great Chief and wondering at the strange coincidences in life, Debra…
Does she read Asterix? Got a feeling that might be her source material. 🙂
Plenty of noses there, Tilly, you’re right…
I’m thinking of Asterix & Cleopatra. Lots of nose references in that one…she does have such a pretty nose 😉
Yes but people purchased the books of the “blithering idiot”.. so his blithering was quite effective at lining his own pocket. 🙂
Nasally speaking, I have a family nose – it has a little bump in it which is common to everyone on my father’s side. When I was young and shy, I felt very self-conscious about it but gradually realised it wasn’t big enough to stand in the way of normal human relationships. 😉
Yes, Jan; it seems blithering can be quite lucrative. Enough for a second book, anyway. Like you, I have long since learnt to look past my nose 🙂
Brilliant – Don Conk!
Would that I had one, Jim…
I always nose I can rely on something entertaining from you! Once you get a sniff at a story …
😀 I conk-er all, Col
testing I think I am spammed to your blog
Nope, I’m rescuing you, Carl..
All the world’s a nose, And all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts, Pardon my taking liberty with the Bard’s lovely words.
The Nose – Awesome video clips here
You are not the only one, Lou, though you do it beautifully 😀 remember Steve Martin in Roxanne? “A nose by any other name..”
Sounds like the era of Victorian criminal profiling by head shape and symmetry of eyes. Great pseudo-science that allows us to be personally offended and cast greater aspersions on others. 🙂
Quite 🙂 An occasion for some good old fashioned Victorian vapours.
One of the chinese rude names for westerners is ‘bignose’ showing something like its all relative or in the eye of the beholder. My own was broken, and remains slightly (?I hope) off centre, would that thought could make it straighten
We do have very big noses, Elspeth 😀 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg2GVWHGKY
The “twaddle” continues (and not in the best grammatical form): http://www.e-brainpages.info/2012/06/different-types-of-nose-shapes-and-what.html However, reconsideration may be in order, depending upon your take regarding this description of the Roman Nose! 🙂
😀 It’s just too tempting to classify people by their noses, Karen! Great link! I might try it for 24 hours and see where I get…
Blithering, indeed.
I suddenly have an urge to watch the movie “Roxanne” again.
I know, it was going through my mind the whole time I was writing this, Penny….a nose by any other name…
My vast study of human noses had led me to believe that the majority of them are located around the middle of the front of the head. The front being the sane side as the eyes and mouth.
I think you should consider writing a ground-breaking research paper, Sidey.
I think so too
A cogitative nose- how fabulous 🙂 It’s no odder than my first glance which told me about a cognitive nose…
Cognitive, cogitative- I bet they have the same root….*shuffles off to dusty pile of etymological dictionaries*
I’ve met you, Kate, and your nose needs no changing. 🙂
I have taken the unprecedented step of turning your words into a banner and bedecking the outside of my house with them, Andra.
I quite like blithering idiots, Kate… but I think I like noses better!
Now that is a sentence I never thought I’d write! 😀
Expect the unexpected here, Tom 😀 One of the best sentences I have read all day…
Quackademic – like it.
One does one’s best, Paul 😀 Nice to see you…
I smell a rat….
This woman nose no bounds.
*groan* 😀
I suspect the cogitative nose was formed from having a finger up it during protracted cogitative periods. “preposterous nasology”, indeed 🙂
Dear Kate, having just viewed that Monty Python cat skit you sent me to, perhaps I was bursting with unvoiced laughter. So when I got to your last two words I broke out laughing. “Blithering idiot!” Oh, I’ve longed to use that term for some politicians who are guests on the PBS news hours at 6 pm each weekday. They blither and blather and generally make fools of themselves. And the thing that bother me is that they have so much disdain for the ordinary American citizen that they think we aren’t smart enough to notice their blithering. That is to say, their outright lies! Peace.