Pinkies, bands and my first survey :))

[syredronning]

One has to be anal-retentive obsessed with details if one looks at the place of rings on the fingers of men in American movies. It started with DeForest Kelley and the band on his left small finger. But by now I know that many men in movies (e.g. a German soldier in the 1969 movie "Where Eagles Fly") wear a ring on the small finger.

Now, AFAIK this is a little error, because in Germany, wedding bands would be traditionally worn on the right ring finger. Left is reserved for engagement rings. (However, I am not sure if it was that way during the 3rd Reich.) In Anglo-Saxon countries like UK and US, left is for wedding bands.

Doing a research, the following might have been an American habit in the end of 19th century:
"The pinkie ring was an ersatz wedding ring till he could afford a real one."

Anyway, by now I'm really curious, and so I set up my first survey ever! And I would love to hear your answer about

[Poll #445152]

Comments

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, men don't wear engagement rings.

Pinky rings tend toward the decorative: signets, birthstones etc. My father wore a star sapphire pinky ring for years.

[syredronning.livejournal.com]

Interesting. In Germany, either both wear engagements ring or neither. However, it's rather outdated here IMHO.

[ex_mrs260625]

I don't know enough about wedding/engagement rings to answer questions about them, so I'll just comment on Deforest specifically. I always wondered if he wore a band on his pinkie because he didn't want to remove his wedding ring while he worked? It could be his wedding ring shifted over, if his fingers are close enough in size, or it could be another ring that he and his wife chose together to represent their wedding band while it was off for work.

I'm just speculating, of course. Maybe it was just a ring he liked. :0)

[syredronning.livejournal.com]

It is his wedding band, yes. And he always wore it at that finger, you can see it in photographs all through his life :) However, after I found this out, I had a look at other actors, and it seemed to be quite common in older times.

[dreamplum.livejournal.com]

My violining means that I have to wear my ring on my right hand.

[kirolee.livejournal.com]

As far as I know, men in the US don't wear engagement rings, but I wear mom's rings from her first marrige on my right right finger. Though If I visited Germany, they would get switched.

(dang, I need a S/Mc avie...)

[syredronning.livejournal.com]

Ah, thanks :)

[kirolee.livejournal.com]

I'm not married, so I wear them in reverse so people don't get the wrong idea.

[watergal.livejournal.com]

There was a thing in the US around the 80s and early 90s when a pinkie ring was a gay symbol--for men and women. I still see it used that was occassionally, especially on 40-60ish yr olds.

Mostly pinkie rings now seem to be decorative or non-romantic significance like club membership, schools, a parent's ring, etc.

I have never heard of US or Canadian men wearing engagement rings. US and Canadian standard for men who choose to wear wedding bands--many don't--is 4th left.