What the heck is a fob?

[LadyBarbossa]

Alrighty, ladies an' gents.... got somethin' for ye...

Been searching the Met Museum site... lots of stuff there ( and unfortunately, a lot of their stuff that's late 17th and 18th c is not shown unfortunately).

But did see some images of items they titled as Fobs.

I guess here is tbe closest link to it:

http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/coll...;dd2=0&vw=1

On page 27 & 28.

They look so much like the decoration that are on Ladies Riding habits of the early 18th c. Or is that just my imagination?

I'm just a bit baffled about them.

~Lady B

[Bilgewater Browne]

I don't know about GAOP, but when I wore a pocket watch with my three piece suit, the fob was the chain that attached the watch to a button hole in my vest.

[Cannibal Chrispy]

yep, those are watch fobs.

[Mission]

It's an insult. As in, "You slack-jawed, ignominious fob!" or "Fob off, you fobbing fobster!"

Actually, I think a fob, at least in common parlance is a little decorative thing you attach to something. Like that shiny silver emblem cut out of metal featuring a girl of anatomically absurd Barbie™ proportions sitting sideways that you can attach to your key ring or the little leather thing that attaches to your coat's zipper pull so that it can come apart when you pull on it to many times. Those are fobs.

Oh, it's also a watch chain.

[Black Syren]

Was not a monocle also known as a type of fob? Or am I mistaken?

[Cannibal Chrispy]

It could be, there are tons of different ones on ebay compasses, match holders, magnifying glass..etc.

[Duchess]

It is my understanding that a Fob (as a noun) can be either the trinket/accessory itself or the cord/chain used to suspend it. Therefore the watch chain is a fob, but the pocket watch itself is also considered a fob. To fob (as a verb) is to cheat or deceive. Quite versatile for three little letters....

[Capt. Sterling]

fob

1   /fɒb/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [fob] Show IPA Pronunciation

–noun

1. a small pocket just below the waistline in trousers for a watch, keys, change, etc. Compare watch pocket.

2. a short chain or ribbon, usually with a medallion or similar ornament, attached to a watch and worn hanging from a pocket.

3. the medallion or ornament itself.

Origin:

1645–55; orig. uncert.; cf. G dial. Fuppe pocket

fob

2   /fɒb/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [fob] Show IPA Pronunciation

–verb (used with object), fobbed, fob⋅bing.

1. Archaic. to cheat; deceive.

—Verb phrase

2. fob off,

a. to cheat someone by substituting something spurious or inferior; palm off (often fol. by on): He tried to fob off an inferior brand on us.

b. to put (someone) off by deception or trickery: She fobbed us off with false promises.

Origin:

1350–1400; ME fobben; c. G foppen to delude; cf. fob 1

[Mission]

It's an insult. As in, "You slack-jawed, ignominious fob!" or "Fob off, you fobbing fobster!"

That was supposed to be humor. It's a pretty sorry attempt, but it was based on the phrase "fob off" which I think is funny. So I'll just sit here and giggle to myself every time I read it.

[Duchess]

It's an insult. As in, "You slack-jawed, ignominious fob!" or "Fob off, you fobbing fobster!"

That was supposed to be humor. It's a pretty sorry attempt, but it was based on the phrase "fob off" which I think is funny. So I'll just sit here and giggle to myself every time I read it.

Does that mean you accidently fobbed us?

[Cannibal Chrispy]

It's an insult. As in, "You slack-jawed, ignominious fob!" or "Fob off, you fobbing fobster!"

That was supposed to be humor. It's a pretty sorry attempt, but it was based on the phrase "fob off" which I think is funny. So I'll just sit here and giggle to myself every time I read it.

Does that mean you accidently fobbed us?

I dunno if it was accidental, methinks he likes yankin our fob!

[Mission]

Chrispy, I would never yank your fob. (Trust me.)

[LadyBarbossa]

So... umm... what do ye all make of the Fobs that the Met Museum have shown online?

They look like the decoration that is on Ladies Riding/Hunting/Traveling habits. Or am I just bein' silly with that?

~Lady B

[Mission]

Following your original link leads to a page of belt buckles followed by 1,278 additional pages of stuff. I tried a search for fobs on the Costume Institute search and it said there were 38 results but only showed two, neither of which seemed to be what you were talking about. (Both looked like watch fobs to me.)

My suggestions is that if you want to see what ladies wore on riding habits, check out some of the period pics Captain Sterling posts. It seems to me I have seen riding habits in there.

[Edit] Oh, wait, my bad. I just saw your comment on the page numbers...

Here's a direct link to 27.

They kind of look like something a lady would have to me. They're certainly not watch chains.

[Mary Diamond]

My personal opinion would be to label them Chatelaines ~

[LadyBarbossa]

Yeah... that was my first thought, Mary. A few of them appeared to be Chatelines.

Aye, Mission... oh, there are MORE than two. ::::points to first post::::

I've been looking them over... I did a search under the costume collection they have, searched for 18th century... and there are at least a page of Fobs (so they called them).

Lemme see... :::Runs back to the Met link:::

OK... here are a couple of them:

There are several more that are on page 8.

Follow this link: http://www.metmuseum.org/works_of_art/coll...;dd2=0&vw=1

I found one image, this is a gent... I'll put up th' one of a Lady.

But here is the gent wearing one of those eupulette like decoration off th' shoulder. Looks much like these fobs at the Met.

I'm rather hesitant and want to get the opinion of others on these decorations.

Aye, I did see (via Costume.org) the fobs used for watches... pretty wicked.

Alrighty... BBL

What ye think though?

~Lady B

[John Maddox Roberts]

Were those dangling ornament things also sometimes called "tags"? I remember reading "The Three Musketeers" as a boy wherein a central plot device was Milady de Winter stealing two of the duke of Buckingham's "diamond tags." Originally, they were part of a set given by Louis XIII to his wife, Anne of Austria. She secretly gave two to Buckingham and de Winter was charged by Richelieu to steal them so he could accuse Anne of being unfaithful to the king. I remember wondering what in the world a diamond tag might be.

[callenish gunner]

K... here are a couple of them:

the ornaments on the fobs are watch keys since the watches didn't have winding stems like the more modern watches do

[Graydog]

A forward operating base (FOB) is any secured forward position that is used to support tactical operations. A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities. The base may be used for an extended period of time. FOB's are traditionally supported by main operating bases that are required to provide backup support to them. A FOB also reduces reaction time and increases time on task to forces operating from it.

Wrong FOB?

[LadyBarbossa]

Just wondering where these sort of fobs would have been dangling or attatched. I've been looking at some images and don't see much. The closest I could find was the shoulder decorations beeing the same.

:::Shrugs:::: I'm just baffled.

Yeah, I've no doubt a couple of those had keys.

~Lady B

[blackjohn]

A forward operating base (FOB) is any secured forward position that is used to support tactical operations. A FOB may or may not contain an airfield, hospital, or other facilities. The base may be used for an extended period of time. FOB's are traditionally supported by main operating bases that are required to provide backup support to them. A FOB also reduces reaction time and increases time on task to forces operating from it.

Wrong FOB?

I love this guy!