Debbie Stoller is not known for her scholarship. The book mentioned above is rife with errors. While Donna Kooler does in her book “History of Crochet” mention an 1844 book, “The Lace Runners,” in which a factory owner of the time talks about expecting his lace runners (females who embroidered lace) to make up for their poor pay with prostitution. However, this factory owner was not employing his workers to crochet, but to make the embroidered lace of the time. Neither does Kooler link this account to prostitutes becoming known as hookers as a result. Stoller’s attempt to add some hipster shock value to her “Happy Hooker” book (She’s referencing prostitutes! How outre!) is rather pathetic.
Leave a comment
Search us!
Search The Word Detective and our family of websites:
This is the easiest way to find a column on a particular word or phrase.
To search for a specific phrase, put it between quotation marks. (note: JavaScript must be turned on in your browser to view results.)
Ask a Question!
Puzzled by Posh?
Confounded by Cattycorner?
Baffled by Balderdash?
Flummoxed by Flabbergast?
Perplexed by Pandemonium?
Nonplussed by... Nonplussed?
Annoyed by Alliteration?
Avid Crocheter:
February 10th, 2013 at 3:18 am
Debbie Stoller is not known for her scholarship. The book mentioned above is rife with errors. While Donna Kooler does in her book “History of Crochet” mention an 1844 book, “The Lace Runners,” in which a factory owner of the time talks about expecting his lace runners (females who embroidered lace) to make up for their poor pay with prostitution. However, this factory owner was not employing his workers to crochet, but to make the embroidered lace of the time. Neither does Kooler link this account to prostitutes becoming known as hookers as a result. Stoller’s attempt to add some hipster shock value to her “Happy Hooker” book (She’s referencing prostitutes! How outre!) is rather pathetic.