Kilt, n. A costume sometimes worn by Scotchmen [sic] in America and Americans in Scotland.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Bierce jokes that kilts are worn by Scots in America and Americans in Scotland, highlighting cultural displacement or tourism.
- In plain terms
- Kilts are worn by the wrong people in the wrong places.
- What can you take from it?
- Cultural symbols often lose meaning when adopted abroad.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How do we adopt foreign customs?
- Is authenticity possible in tourism?
Another view
The quote relies on stereotypes and ignores authentic cultural practice.
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