- Joined
- Nov 26, 2016
- Location
- central NC
Lawyers were among the first to use these arrangements to ward off germs from defendants. The fad quickly caught on and soon everyone was donning a “tussie-mussie.” Suitors brought tussie-mussies to young ladies filled with flowers symbolizing subtle sentiments. This type of communication was called the language of flowers or floriography. A pink rose tussie-mussie symbolized friendship. A red rose tussie-mussie symbolized love.
The origin of the word tussie-mussie is somewhat mysterious. Many believe it comes from an older word, tus or tusse, which meant a knot of flowers. A proper tussie-mussie is always carried in a cone. In Victorian times, this cone was often made of paper.
A tussie-mussie should not be confused with a nosegay. While a nosegay is also a small bouquet of flowers that is tied together, it is not a gift and it is not placed in a cone. The word nosegay is a compound word that means something pleasant or bright for the nose, an accurate description of the original purpose of the nosegay.
Tussie-mussies were quite popular with Victorian era brides. Many tussie-mussies had a long chain with a "finger ring" which allowed a woman to hold on to her flowers while she was dancing. These examples also had a nail or pin which kept the flowers inside the holder even when it was held upside down.
Other tussie-mussies only had a ring incorporated into the end or a simple decorative ornament. Kate Middleton carried a bridal bouquet in the style of the Victorian tussie-mussie when she married Prince William.