Question:
Why do Americans call their fringe "Bangs" ?
Daisyhill
2007-09-28 16:19:40 UTC
it's such a bizzarre term for something which is so obviously a fringe....a fringe means just that...a row or edging...bangs? Well, bangs are loud noises!
Fifteen answers:
Sam84
2007-09-28 16:30:51 UTC
Quoting this from the Web site I've provided:



"Bangs," the hair style, does indeed come from the same roots as "bang," the sound of a gun, a slamming door, or countless other abrupt noises. The word "bang" first appeared in written English in the 16th century, but is thought to have been known in the dialects of Northern England long before that date. "Bang" comes from an Old Norse word "banga" meaning "to hammer," and is a linguistic relic of the Viking invasions of England beginning in the eighth century. "Bang" at first meant "to strike violently," but gradually the word came to be used for any sudden or violent movement, especially one which caused a loud noise. One of the earliest written examples of this expanded sense of "bang" refers to slamming a door, an apparently universal human action which may yet prove to be as great an instrument of self- expression as the typewriter. Aside from doors, nearly anything could go "bang," from guns to pianos, and "bang" also came to mean fight or beat up.



"Bang" continued to evolve, and by the 19th century was used to convey suddenness or finality, which brings us at last from Old Norse hammers to modern haircuts. "Bangs" are so-called because they are created by cutting the hair "bang- off," abruptly and straight across the forehead. And finally, at the risk of offending our bang-coiffed readers, I must tell you that "bangs" as a young lady's hairstyle almost certainly originated with the practice of cutting horses' tails straight across, a style known to this day as a "bang-tail."
fowkes
2016-12-18 10:19:57 UTC
Bangs Fringes
crystal nw
2007-09-28 16:29:48 UTC
It is just an american thing. There are a lot of stuff you probably call stuff that we dont, and vice-a-versa. Like for us, "fringe" just sounds weird because I personally dont understand that. A fringe to me is a material found at the bottom of a skirt, or table cloth, or curtain. That is what a fringe is to me. So, I guess it is just a cultural thing. If you were born here in america or lived her for some years, you would start to call them bangs too! If you walked around saying "I need to go get my fringe trimmed", no one would know what you were talking about.
☺♫Ellie♫☺
2007-09-28 16:30:57 UTC
I think its because they bang aginst your head when you walk. Its not a loud bang, but you get the point =). Some Americans call them fringe instead, but I think its considered a type of bang in America. I think it means the straight bangs across your forehead. Different countries say different things. Its just like americans call athletic shoes sneakers and some europeans call them trainers.



?
2016-10-10 04:01:15 UTC
definition of bang:a edge of banged hair. i think there are 2 definitions for it, like i think human beings would have referred to as them fringe at one time right here too, yet somebody chanced on a sparkling word for it in u.s. and everybody started out utilising that word quite. As new words are extra to our American dictionary we use those words and that they had no longer be extra to the British dictionary. We use bang as plural so it is going to likely be reported as "bangs". and that i by no skill heard of fringe until I performed golf.
abcw
2007-09-28 16:24:58 UTC
I'm not sure why, but bangs is a way to describe the hair over the forehead, usually cut to only cover that part of the face.

Bangs is like a kind of nickname, like british say "bloody" if something's bad, but American's don't understand why they say that!
2007-09-28 16:31:45 UTC
It actually comes from horses. It used to be fashibable to cut a horses tail straight across which is called a "bangtail" or a "bobtail" the latter name was transferred onto human hair, withouth the "tail" as "bangs" where the hair is cut straight across the forehead.



Hope this helps!
*~*RaChAel*~*
2007-09-28 16:42:31 UTC
Why do non-American's call bangs fringes?
Stardust
2007-09-28 16:24:31 UTC
It's just a term we use...why question it. It's like why do some people call the bathroom a Loo?



Just a cultural thing I guess.



stardust
Mrs. Maintenance
2007-09-28 16:23:24 UTC
I don't know...are you English? I love the way you guys talk over there...you have such neat words for stuff.
California Kush
2007-09-28 16:24:05 UTC
Why do british people call their bangs "Fringe"?
2007-09-28 16:22:38 UTC
Because they get into their eyes, then they don't see that wall or closed door, and "Bang".
Danagasta
2007-09-28 16:26:24 UTC
Because they hit the forehead. I hate ethnocentric snobs. Not everyone has to do things the way you people do.
umbrella
2007-09-28 16:23:37 UTC
hahahahaha you are funny. that's too cute!!!
Teenager
2007-09-28 16:48:35 UTC
we call them bangs cuz thats what they are, bangs. DUH!


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