Weird Word of the Week: Vogueing

Here's another great word Madame L found by accident. She had heard this word before, of course. Hasn't everyone? And doesn't everyone in every family across America take turns vogueing every Sunday morning as they check out the Lord & Taylor ads in the Sunday New York Times?

No?

Pity.

According to Wikipedia, "vogueing" is a dance style "...characterized by model-like poses integrated with angular, linear, and rigid arm, leg, and body movements." But of course it is much more than that.

Slate writer Katy Waldman uses the word "vogueing" as she writes about "power poses" a woman might use as she asks for a raise. She refers to "The End of Men" (which, BTW, Madame L is not going to buy and probably won't even check out of the library). Ms. Waldman writes about how she prepared for her interview in which she asked her boss for a raise:

I sent the Big Kahuna an email asking to meet with him about my salary for the new year. I figured he would reply to the message suggesting a time and I would prepare with my Wonder Woman stance beforehand. But instead he stopped at my desk on his way back to his office. “How about now?” he said, perhaps because he’s a casual boss or perhaps because he knows it’s best not to give us employees any time to prepare via vogueing in the bathroom.

“Sure!” I enthused, panicking. I followed him down the long hall with my hands resting on my hips and my shoulders not-so-subtly open, praying he wouldn’t turn around and see me locomoting like a fool. The leisurely walk took about half a minute. Were neural terminals emptying their packets of testosterone into my synapses, enzymes vacuuming up most of the cortisol? Hard to tell: This was my first salary negotiation, so I’m not sure how I would have felt without the pose. But when I sat down in his office, I squared my chest slightly. For an extra boost, I was assuming one of the less obvious high power positions—legs slightly apart, chin up, torso forward. The key was projecting poise without arrogance; if I could do that, I would be, as they say, in business.

Did it work? All that vogueing? Dear Readers, you'll have to read the (hilarious) article by Ms. Waldman. Enjoy, keep coruscating, use those power poses, and,

You're welcome,

Madame L