As an author who enjoys a Tru-Blu Aussie twist to the language, some of our everyday local terms find their way into my stories that are foreign to some of my readers. The fun part is, I get to interpret them like this month’s slang term is all about the brolly.
So take a seat and learn about brolly’s myths and legends, I’ll even toss in some famous brollies and other random brolly bits for fun! Let’s do this…
What is a brolly?
A Brolly (brollies) is an umbrella that is a portable shade used to protect you from the elements of sun and rain.
The word Brolly is the slang term used for an umbrella in Australia, New Zealand, UK, Ireland and even in South Africa.
Some locals also call it the storm stick, a rain-shade, even a bumbershoot!
How do you pronounce brolly?
Brolleeee like a lolly, trolley, dolly, Molly
Where did the Brolly come from?
The brolly has been throwing shade for about 4,000 years. First popping up in Egypt to shadow the wealthy nobility from the sun. It was a step up from feathers or large leaves held up by a simple stick.
Carrying this simple concept forward, the Chinese made them waterproof by using waxed paper spread over bamboo frames.
It soon became a lady’s must-have fashion accessory for a long time until it fell out of fashion when the hats got bigger and economies fell.
[bctt tweet=”Learn about this humble storm stick that been around for over a thousand years…” username=”melarowe”]
Then, in the 1900s they cleverly created the folding umbrella in Austria.
This leaves us to today, where there are over 30 million umbrellas bought every year, with over a thousand factories dedicated to manufacturing this humble storm stick.
The Parts of the brolly:
Canopy
This is the material that makes or breaks it into a fashion accessory. Like Miss Molly and her brolly in DIAMOND IN THE DUST.
Ribs and Stretchers
This is the skeleton that the canopy covers.
The Runner
Is the button-styled mechanism that opens and closes the brolly.
The shaft
Not the Netflix show, but it’s the brolly’s backbone.
The ferrule
This is the tip. That pointy flat bit that’s usually made of some form of metal, or where the spies stash their dagger-tip or sword.
The curved handle
This was originally designed so the servants could hold the brolly better for their masters! Today, there’s a clever crafter who has designed their curved handles into drinking flasks for hiding your favourite beverages. Yes, you read that right. Thirsty?
The Brolly Types
The classic storm stick
Is the full-sized umbrella. Known for flipping the wrong way in a storm and for poking people in the wrong spots. It’s also used as a walking cane for some, or for dancing in the rain.
The parasol
It’s generally made of paper or other forms of fragile materials to shade people from the sun as it’s mostly used as a status symbol, and they come with a straight handle (no curves here).
Difference between the umbrella and parasol
The umbrella is stronger, waterproof, and has a curved handle, unlike the delicate parasol.
The Beach Brolly AKA The Garden Brolly
This is the big brother to the parasol. They get staked into the ground, sand, or into a pole near those fabulous poolside bars. They make their annual comeback every summer at a beach or barbie near you. Or is that just me?
The Pocket (foldup) Brolly
The most common brolly, usually found on the floor of the car or kept in our bags.
The Bubble Brolly
Popular with children as they’re shaped in a dome. I have spotted them wearing ears on top like a cartoon character or they come in see-through varieties. They look super cute when carried by little children jumping puddles where their giggles echo like sunshine on a cloudy day. Aww.
The Golf Brolly
These are the big and widest varieties of the hand-carried brolly, that are tough enough to tackle most winds, except improve your game.
The Brolly Cloche
It’s a fine mesh bubble brolly placed over the top of young seedlings in the garden to protect them from any leaf-munching nasties.
If you have one of those clear plastic brolly bubbles you don’t use anymore, you can recycle it by using it in the garden. It’ll protect those freshly planted seedlings from the rain by creating a teeny glasshouse to give them a head start.
The Brolly Symbol
As a fan of the Netflix show, the Umbrella Academy, it uses the brolly symbol as part of its branding.
The brolly’s canopy symbolises shade, shelter and protection. The parasol is the symbol for the sun. And both are considered an emblem of power and dignity.
The Upside Down Brolly
Is said to encourage love and healthy sexuality. Somehow it also symbolises for one to stand up and fight for what you believe in. To flip an umbrella upside down is considered a sign for collecting and holding on to things like that term, ‘saving it for a rainy day.’
[bctt tweet=”Learn the many meanings behind the symbol of the humble umbrella” username=”melarowe”]
The Red Brolly
Red is the colour of beauty, there are tonnes of romantic images of couples or a woman alone carrying a red umbrella in the rain.
Some also used to see the red umbrella as a sign used for resistance movements.
Umbrella Tattoos
The most common meaning for the umbrella tattoo is for protection. It’s the brolly’s purpose to keep its bearer protected from natural elements and protection from the things thrown into their life’s path.
Brolly Myths & Superstitions
They say it’s bad luck to open a brolly inside the house. The obvious being it could poke out someone’s eye or knock over some trinket on the nearby bookshelf. This then starts a quarrel which may have started this superstition.
Another theory is that the springs in the first fold-out umbrella were hazardous to the household as they were notorious for suddenly springing open, scaring the bejeezus out of people, while poking out anyone strolling by.
But this superstition dates back to the ancient Egyptians who saw it as bad luck using their sun-shades indoors as it would bring disrespect to their sun god, or other gods, who would leave.
[bctt tweet=”Not to rain on anyone’s parade but there’s a lot of myths and superstitions revolving around umbrellas! Here’s why…” username=”melarowe”]
Another foretelling is if the wind turns your umbrella inside out it may be time to look at things from a different angle. It’s the air element that is telling you to put some new thought into something.
Not to rain on anyone’s parade, but I know of some great parasols used for decorations in my favourite restaurant.
The Most Famous Brollies
Every manufacturer says they are the most famous or the best brolly builders out there. Many art sculptors will tell you the same. And some are, but, I’m not talking about the brolly emoji, but show biz.
Those scenes on the big and small screen involve an umbrella where you’ll find most of the umbrella scenes lead to those romantic rain kisses where the umbrella is tossed aside in a sweeping moment of passion as the two lovers kiss in the rain.
Powerful, huh?
That’s why there are hundreds to choose from.
[bctt tweet=”what’s your favourite umbrella scene in a movie or even TV series?” username=”melarowe”]
So let’s keep this to a few non-romantic brolly classics…
How can you go past Julie Andrews in MARY POPPINS?
Gene Kelly’s Singing In The Rain.
Audrey Hepburn’s parasol in My Fair Lady.
The Penguin is always carrying a brolly in the Batman comics, the tv shows and the movies. It’s a lethal weapon that emits gas, paint, and bullets. This bad guy truly knows how to switch up his favourite wardrobe accessory.
How can we forget Hagrid’s brolly in Harry Potter when he starts a cosy fire with his storm stick after soon introducing himself to the young wizard.
Pleasantville has a twirling red brolly moment while the rest of the film is in black and white. It’s cleverly done.
The Friends opening theme has all of the crew holding up their coloured umbrellas while sloshing around a water fountain.
And how can you go past the UMBRELLA Academy and their use of the humble storm stick in this series?
I know there’s plenty more. So what’s your favourite umbrella scene in a movie or even TV series? Let me know in the comments below.
Random things about the brolly
The most expensive umbrella is worth about $50k and is made from crocodile skin.
Brolly Sheets are waterproof quilted sheets to protect bed mattresses.
A Brolly Dolly is the term for those glamorous grid girls spotted at most major racing events.
Umbrella cells line the inner surface of the urinary bladder, ureters, and in the pelvis somewhere, forming an impermeable barrier that separates the urinary space from the underlying muscle layer. So says the medical dictionary!
Umbrella paragraphs are the introductory openings in legal writings, it’s the lead summary of what’s coming!
The Black Umbrella is the most common colour as it blocks out 90% of UV rays. It also absorbs the heat quicker, making them dry faster!
Besides the Penguin, spies have used brollies as weapons. The French President Nicolas Sarkozy has a Kevlar coated brolly. Hey, I think Batman may have had a bullet-proof brolly when battling against the Penguin?
Wedding brollies are a much-loved tradition in New Orleans. They have delicately decorated parasols, held by the newlyweds to signify the start of their new life. But it gets so much better! The bride and groom carry their wedding parasol to follow a brass band as they leave the church. This fabulous party procession then heads over to the reception area with all of its guests dancing behind them on the street. I love this!
Oh, and National Umbrella Day is on February 10th. Which is a nice touch into the lead for Valentine’s Day.
The Brolly in a story
From the book, DIAMOND IN THE DUST, we meet the magnificent Miss Molly, who is an avid collector of brollies to match her glamorous wardrobe. She even has a special case to choose her brolly-of-the-day like selecting a handbag to match her shoes.
Find out how Molly wields her brolly around in this outback small-town story by downloading your copy today.
**All still images relating to this post’s topic are via the talented & fabulous photographers at https://unsplash.com/ Thanks guys.
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#Escape2HEA ~ because everyone deserves an Escape from the drama in their day!
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Sue Legg
Mel, you do some wonderful ‘blogs’ & they are so colourful but clever in intertwining your ‘shout out’ for your books & stories within. Who doesn’t love a Brolly ☔️. I loved reading this & admire you & whoever is your little helper for putting this altogether. I hopes appreciate your time & effort. Five stars 🌟.
Mel A ROWE
Aww, Sue, what a lovely comment! It was a reader who didn’t know what the word ‘brolly’ was, which led me down the rabbit hole of discovery. I’m so glad you enjoyed it, probably as much as I did writing it. Thank you for your five-star comment.