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Jun 25
Cream Tea and Gossip Week
Blethering Beth
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"The only thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about."
~ Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890)
This lively 32 bar jig for 3 couples in a 4 couple set, devised by Garry Robertson, was inspired by a close relative who discovered "her new found and incessant vocal skills."
A chase gets the rumor mill started, and before long that delicious bit of news can be passed from dancer to dancer with double triangles, all while your partner's back is conveniently turned. By the end of the dance, everyone in the set has had a chance to hear — and perhaps embellish — the story.
Of course, we all know it's best not to spread tales about our fellow members of the Scottish dance community. Still, there is something undeniably enjoyable about sitting down with friends over a bit of tea and cake and hearing the latest snippets of news.
Interestingly, researchers who study these things have found that men gossip just as much as women. One well-known study found virtually no difference in the amount of gossip exchanged by men and women. The real difference was often the subject matter. It seems everyone enjoys a good blether — although some genders choose much less interesting topics!
The word gossip itself has taken quite a journey. It derives from the Old English godsibb, and over time, the term came to mean a close friend, particularly a woman. But by the 1500s, however, it had shifted toward its modern meaning of idle talk and rumor, and by the nineteenth century it had become both a noun and a verb!
Scotland, naturally, has a much richer vocabulary for such activities. Blether often means nothing more than a friendly chat. Clatter or clattern refers to chattering away, while "clishmaclaver" describes idle conversation or gossip.
Whatever term you prefer, this dance provides plenty of opportunities for a bit of good-natured blether around the set, or at least a knowing wink! 🕺 💃 💗 💛 🧡 💬 💬 💬 🫖 🍵 🍵 🍵 🍰
Blethering Beth
From an evolutionary perspective, gossip may have developed as a surprisingly useful social tool. Early humans lived in small groups where cooperation was essential for survival. Knowing who could be trusted, who shared resources, who shirked responsibilities, or who behaved unfairly helped individuals make better decisions about whom to befriend, support, or avoid. In this sense, gossip acted as a form of informal information sharing that helped maintain social order long before written records or formal laws existed.
Researchers have found that gossip is not simply idle chatter. Much of what people discuss concerns social relationships, reputations, and group dynamics. By exchanging information about others, individuals can learn social norms, reinforce community values, and identify behavior that benefits or harms the group. Some anthropologists have even suggested that language itself may have partly evolved to allow humans to exchange social information more efficiently than grooming does in other primates.
Interestingly, studies suggest that men and women gossip at roughly similar rates, although they may focus on different topics. While the stereotype paints gossip as a largely female pastime, research indicates that both sexes use social conversation to build relationships, share information, and strengthen group bonds. The difference often lies more in style and subject matter than in frequency.
Of course, gossip has a double edge. While it can promote cooperation and social cohesion, it can also spread misinformation, damage reputations, and create conflict. Like many human traits, it appears to have evolved because it offered advantages in moderation, helping our ancestors navigate the complex social networks that were every bit as important to survival as finding food or shelter.
For more on this topic, click the cartoon!
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