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Good time girl

(64 Posts)
nananina Fri 19-Oct-18 12:57:26

My 18 year old DGD is at uni - she's a sensible, caring young woman. She has herr first boyfriend and the same for hi.m. He's a lovely young man and we've all taken to him. However his mother is rather controlling and he asks her if he can go out etc, He is 18 next March. The mother asked her son where A (DGD) was and he is and he said she was out with her friends and his mother commented "Oh she's a good time girl................" I may be over reacting as I know what it means to me and it means nothing nowadays. Can you tell me what it means to you or maybe the connotations it brings to mind.

luluaugust Sun 21-Oct-18 17:56:32

I can only imagine this boy's mother learnt the phrase from her grandmother, it goes back to at least the 1920's and is just so old-fashioned, whilst it obviously means a girl who goes out and has a good time it does have a rather nasty underlying meaning which should not be used for a modern 18 year old girl. I suggest mama does not understand the full meaning!

NanKate Sun 21-Oct-18 16:16:46

To answer your question Kitty something with purple feathers or ribbons and I will be ready to party the night away. The boys will be saying ‘Don’t take any notice of Nan she is always like this after a rum and coke’. ?

M0nica Sun 21-Oct-18 16:04:39

Good time girl is definitely pejorative as a description means much the same as no better than she ought to be
I gather that is how my paternal grandmother described my mother because she wore make up and liked going to the theatre and ballet.

DF ignored his mother and married her anyway and it was a long and happy marriage.

notanan2 Sun 21-Oct-18 15:08:15

I have never heard that term used in a complimentary way!
But really it is the BF not his mother who is to blame for any resulting offence because what exactly did he think would be gained from reporting this back to his girlfriend. Silly boy!
Either he is silly & naive or the less generous interpretation would be that he actually enjoys the two main women in his life squabbling over him. Some men do, but due to his age I'll give benefit of the doubt and say its the former.

Baggs Sun 21-Oct-18 14:07:26

That's the one, Fennel! I had misremembered Up-town! It's a very memorable tune and rhythm even for a pop ignoramus like me.

Thank you!

paddyann Sun 21-Oct-18 13:47:24

He's only 17 ,some boys at that age are very immature .His mother will likely know him better than his new girfriend does and many of us ,me included kept a close eye on our 17 year olds .

Day6 Sun 21-Oct-18 13:09:14

grandaughter even.

Day6 Sun 21-Oct-18 13:04:34

I thought Eglantine's post was perfectly fair.
The 'she said this' investigation into the words of the mother of your daughter's new boyfriend strikes me as strange. Some people look for offence.

Let it run. They are young adults finding their way. Don't make his mother the enemy at this stage. Talk about the infancy of a family fued...... <eyeroll>

Life is too short.

Fennel Sun 21-Oct-18 12:56:53

There's Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl, .......looking for a Downtown Boy."
www.youtube.com/watch?v=baTNcYGxww8

grumppa Sun 21-Oct-18 12:43:13

Or "gay, fun-loving" as in Private Eye's "gay, fun-loving Rita Chevrolet" many years ago.

Jalima1108 Sun 21-Oct-18 12:36:18

I'm sure, if your DGD has a mind of her own, she will hear warning bells loud and clear if her BF is controlled by his mother.
She's only 18 and he's even younger; I do have friends who met at this age (and younger) and have been married for years but they are the exception.

There are several different songs with Good Time Girl in the title or lyrics, yes, Nancy Sinatra did sing one version. However, she was the girl waiting in the wings for when the fellow got fed up with the 'good-time girl' hmm.

DH's Gran used to say 'All fur coat and no knickers" grin - I thought it meant all show but nothing to boast about.

Iam64 Sun 21-Oct-18 12:17:44

henetha, es, its exactly that - like 'no better than she ought to be' (or round here "fur coat and no nickers' if someone really took against the young woman)

Yes, nina I do feel you're over reacting and possibly over involved given your comments above. This is a first boy friend, unlikely to be the last in her 3 years at university. Like many friends, we became very fond of one boyfriend and missed him when he fell out of favour.

Baggs Sun 21-Oct-18 12:12:49

Thank you, PECS, but it's not Nancy Sinatra. I've been doing some searches and have discovered it's a very common term in song lyrics but not the actual song yet. I've got MrBags on the search too. I think it must be from the 60s or 70s as I haven't heard much pop music since then–not my thing.

I hummed the tune to MrB and he recognised it so it's not just my memory playing tricks grin.

henetha Sun 21-Oct-18 11:12:02

Is it about the same as "No better than she should be" which always puzzled me when I was young?

mcem Sun 21-Oct-18 10:00:13

Since this thread has shown up different interpretations of the expression, it may be that the lad didn't quite understand it either.
My GD (18) lives with me at the moment and does confide in me.
I too worry a bit about BF's mum - insisting that she has to do all his laundry, that Saturday is family takeaway night, that she has a fair bit of control of his cash, that she has found his new job in her workplace!
However he clearly adores GD who is a bright and hard-working young woman and I believe that they have a future together.
If asked, I offer an opinion but try to stay out of it.

kittylester Sun 21-Oct-18 09:43:26

Have you bought a hat, Kate?

PECS Sun 21-Oct-18 08:30:52

Baggs several songs with phrase good time girl..think Nancy Sinatra sang one..also lots of folk songs with that reference. May also be a more recent one by a singer I don't know... will ask DGD when she is here later!

PECS Sun 21-Oct-18 08:27:42

If it is the lad's first GF his mum may be anxious for him & her! Maybe she sees her son, in love for the first time, and is trying to protect him from hurt. Maybe he is besotted and mum is pointing out that GF may not be looking for a long term relationship just yet! She may have said it clumsily or spitefully.. but really some parents / grandparents need to give children / young people space to learn for themselves. And just be there to comfort when they need a shoulder to cry on.

FlexibleFriend Sun 21-Oct-18 08:15:09

You certainly come across as offended or why say " I may be over reacting" what exactly does that mean if you'r not offended?

M0nica Sun 21-Oct-18 08:11:30

The kind of mother who in 10 years from now will be posting a thread on GN asking why her DS & DDiL limit her contact with her DGC and that it is all her DDiL's fault.

Eglantine21 Sun 21-Oct-18 08:10:38

Im sorry that what I posted made you cross nananina. Perhaps I was a little abrupt.

However, having read many times, the posts that appear on the estrangement threads, I couldn’t help but feel that this is how it all starts. With a family that are so close and involved that they want to absorb the new member into their family and have only negative things to say about the other family.

You see his mother as controlling. Perhaps she sees your family as wanting her out of the picture. Perhaps she sees a future where she is one of the people posting on Gransnet that her daughter in law only bothers with her own family?

You think I am judgemental. I am making a judgement based on your posts. I try to be fair in my judgements and see everyone’s point of view.

It’s not always a comfortable thing to try to do.

PECS Sun 21-Oct-18 08:06:11

I suspect BF mum could be trying to denigrate this " older woman" that her DS is going out with! "Good time girl" used to imply a flighty girl who had several men!
BF may have thought " typical bloomin' mother" & thought it a bit of a laugh or worried that DGD was out on the town meeting other lads!
Either way DGD is 18 and will know if she likes BF enough to ignore spiteful remarks from his mum and carry on as before or not!

Baggs Sun 21-Oct-18 07:47:37

I immediately thought of a rather cheerful song that was sung in my youth when I read the phrase "good time girl". You can tell how not au fait I was and am with popular music because I can't remember anything else about it except that it had a good lilt and rhythm.

Can anyone enlighten me with the singer/band and when?

mumofmadboys Sun 21-Oct-18 07:23:57

Nananina please don't be put off GN. Most people are usually kind and helpful.

NanKate Sun 21-Oct-18 06:52:36

I am with you Silverlining why shouldn’t Nananina be involved in her DGD’s life I know I certainly am with my two young grandsons. I have already met my DGS’s intended and he is only 7!

When my DS was at Uni he had a special relationship with his Nan. Her wise words stay with him to this day.