Idle Question

[lightofdaye]

Luna's hair is often described as dirty blonde. But does she have 'dirty blonde' hair, or dirty 'blonde hair'? ie) blonde hair that is unclean or hair that is a dirty blonde colour.

I'd thought the former and seen it at least one fic, where Harry cleans it for her. But recently it occured to me that dirty blonde is description people do use for hair colour. So *shrug*

Comments

[nutmeg-44.livejournal.com]

I've always thought it was the colour not the state of being.

[lightofdaye]

cool. looks like it's just me.

[nutmeg-44.livejournal.com]

I always pictured her as a sort of flower-child hippie chick. Not necessarily dirty, just more 'homeopathic', if you get my meaning? In my head canon it wouldn't be absurd for her to give Ginny and Neville crystals to ward off evil in Gryffindor Tower. That kind of vibe.

[tamlane.livejournal.com]

Huh. It never occurred to me that this would be anything but a color descriptor. Though I suppose it's possible that Luna wouldn't have the best hygiene, being motherless and a bit spacey as she is.

[lightofdaye]

That was the take in the fic I read.

I looked up dirty blonde on the internet and possibly its more of an american term?

[nutmeg-44.livejournal.com]

It think it's an American thing, all the different shade designations for hair.

[nia_kantorka]

It's Luna's hair colour. Had to learn all these strange names of blondes (and other hair colours). Still don't know why strawberry blondes are called that as I would name them red haired. I'm hopeless and just had to learn this stuff. Meaning, you're not alone. :)))

[lightofdaye]

ha! But i'm actually English and should know. Maybe it's more of an american english thing.

[nevrafire.livejournal.com]

I definitely think 100% it means to imply hair color

I have a relative who has what would be deemed 'dirty blonde' hair and it basically is
'ash blonde'

[lightofdaye]

Cool. Most art and Evanna Lynch gives her much lighter blonde hair weirdly...

[nevrafire.livejournal.com]

yeah I think Evanna definitely influenced people's perception of Luna's hair
(although frankly I don't think it's as major as say, movie Narcissa ridiculous two toned hair)

[sabethea.livejournal.com]

Never even considered it might mean 'not clean'. Huh. How weirdly obvious an alternative meaning, now I think about it.

[lightofdaye]

It took me forever to realise it could be colour. lol.