What does the term "preppy" mean to you?

Parents Forum
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<p>Georgica Pond in the Hamptons - old money WASP historically.</p>

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<p>Let go, jmy. Let’s not get this thread locked down as well.</p>

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<p>Then apologize to JHS for that rude post to him (which seems to be a general slap at the US). There was no need for that insult.</p>

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<p><sigh> You won’t let go, will you?</sigh></p>

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<p>Pizzagirl- right, but Lilly is flashy and flashy is bad ha ha. What an interesting discussion! JRZMom has described “preppy” the best as I understand it. Obviously, it means different things in different parts of the country!</p>

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<p>I don’t see IP’s post as particularly rude. Mildly snarky maybe. If someone posted only rich kids play basketball in France I might well have posted something very similar.</p>

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<p>There is nothing to “let go” , IP. We both made observations. Now move along.</p>

<p>*** eta- Actually, basketball can be pretty darned lucrative in the US as well, mathmom. And you wouldn’t post something like that. You are far too cordial!</p>

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<p>Here are the rosters for this past year’s Dartmouth squash teams:</p>

<p>[M</a> Squash - Roster - DartmouthSports.com—Official Web Site of Dartmouth Varsity Athletics](<a href=“Men's Squash - Dartmouth College Athletics”>Men's Squash - Dartmouth College Athletics)
[W</a> Squash - Roster - DartmouthSports.com—Official Web Site of Dartmouth Varsity Athletics](<a href=“Women's Squash - Dartmouth College Athletics”>Women's Squash - Dartmouth College Athletics)</p>

<p>And the undefeated national championship Yale women’s team: <a href=“http://www.yalebulldogs.com/sports/w-squash/2011-12/roster[/url]”>http://www.yalebulldogs.com/sports/w-squash/2011-12/roster&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Quod (as the saying goes) erat demonstratum.</p>

<p>In fairness, of course the best squash players in the world are non-wealthy Pakistanis (and I could post some other college squash rosters that have many more South Asians than Dartmouth or Yale), just as the best polo players are non-wealthy Argentinians. That doesn’t change the social meaning of squash (or polo) in this country. All it means is that some Pakistani and Argentinian athletes meet a lot of affluent American preppies, and some affluent, preppy Americans sometimes have brief, torrid affairs with Pakistani or Argentinian athletes.</p>

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Pictures. We want pictures. :)</p>

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<p>JHS, I am curious. How did the social meaning of squash become what it is?</p>

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<p>The real question is how did squash become a poor man’s game in India. Squash grew out of racket ball games at Eton and Harrow and the first squash courts in the US were built at a very well known prep school (St. Paul’s). [U.S&lt;/a&gt;. SQUASH | History of Squash](<a href=“http://www.ussquash.com/functions/content.aspx?id=1252]U.S”>http://www.ussquash.com/functions/content.aspx?id=1252)</p>

<p>BTW my house at Harvard (built in the 1930s) had seven squash courts in the basement.</p>

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<p>I was just reading the history of squash on wiki when you posted, mathmom. Quite interesting, really. Makes sense that sports that originated in western europe (France) would make their way to England (The Harrow School) and the colonies. <a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_(sport[/url])”>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squash_(sport)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>The British brought it to India. It requires very little gear and very little court expense. Compared to tennis, it is a steal.</p>

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Last sentence perhaps sheds some light…</p>

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<p>Are we talking about bankrupt preppies here?</p>

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<p>Now <em>that</em> made me laugh, IP. Good one!</p>

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<p>My earliest fond memories of playing squash was against the brick wall in the attic. Badminton, of course, was much more popular, but it needed much more space, the net, and a partner. Squash I could play on my own, and just against the wall. I would play for hours. Then I graduated to tennis (thankfully my family could afford it, which is not true for the vast majority of Indians) and only played squash for fun.</p>

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<p>^^^ JHS,
LOL on those squash rosters. I think you nailed it. Squash in the U.S. is the ultimate preppy sport, though it has different social meanings elsewhere around the globe.</p>

<p>I also think of lacrosse and crew as preppy sports, though there you’ll find the college rosters sprinkled with a few more public school kids, mainly from affluent suburban high schools. Here’s Dartmouth’s men’s heavyweight crew roster:
[M</a> Crew Heavyweight - Roster - DartmouthSports.com—Official Web Site of Dartmouth Varsity Athletics](<a href=“Men's Heavyweight Rowing - Dartmouth College Athletics”>Men's Heavyweight Rowing - Dartmouth College Athletics)</p>

<p>And men’s lightweight crew:
[M</a> Crew Lightweight - Roster - DartmouthSports.com—Official Web Site of Dartmouth Varsity Athletics](<a href=“Men's Lightweight Rowing - Dartmouth College Athletics”>Men's Lightweight Rowing - Dartmouth College Athletics)</p>

<p>And men’s lacrossse:
[M</a> Lacrosse - Roster - DartmouthSports.com—Official Web Site of Dartmouth Varsity Athletics](<a href=“Men's Lacrosse - Dartmouth College Athletics”>Men's Lacrosse - Dartmouth College Athletics)</p>

<p>And women’s lacrosse:
[W</a> Lacrosse - Roster - DartmouthSports.com—Official Web Site of Dartmouth Varsity Athletics](<a href=“Women's Lacrosse - Dartmouth College Athletics”>Women's Lacrosse - Dartmouth College Athletics)</p>

<p>In fact, I’ve long regarded the Ivy “hook” for recruited athletes as something of an affirmative action program for prep school kids, given the mix of sports those schools recruit for. You won’t find a lot of squash, crew, or lacrosse teams in urban public high schools—or for that matter, in most suburban high schools, except towards the high end. And you certainly won’t find them in rural or small town high schools, except perhaps in small pockets of New England.</p>

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<p>Seems like my kid stumbled upon a preppy goldmine which bucks the Asian mold then!? LOL. And all because I grew up adoring the Khans from Pakistan, who were all dirt poor in the beginning, and at best middle class after the success. I wanted to have a sport that I could play with my kid, and tennis was of no interest to my kid.</p>

<p>Life works in strange ways.</p>

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<p>My nephew is on the water polo team at an Ivy and his teammates are almost all elite boarding school or prep school grads as far as I can discern. So I’d add water polo to bclintonk’s spot-on observations about squash, lacrosse and crew.</p>

<p>Rugby might also fit – I don’t know any public high schools that offer rugby teams.</p>