Comments on: What does "fifty dollars for the powder room" mean in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"?

Question: What does "fifty dollars for the powder room" mean in "Breakfast at Tiffany's"?

pieoverdone — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 07:48:57 -0800

I grok that Holly Golightly is a call girl in Breakfast at Tiffany's, but what does 'fifty dollars for the powder room' mean?

By: thinkpiece

thinkpiece — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 07:57:17 -0800

She was asking for tip money for the attendant -- but obviously, looking to make a little extra for herself.

By: Smart Dalek

Smart Dalek — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 08:00:06 -0800

I believe it's a reference to "tidying up".

By: Lola_G

Lola_G — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 08:11:41 -0800

thinkpiece is correct. She uses her feminine wiles to get money from the "johns" intending to go to the powder room and then takes off with the cash.

She is a call-girl in the novella and Paul ("Fred") is a gigolo but this is tamed down in the movie version.

In the movie version she is portrayed as trying to snare a rich man and Paul is simply a "kept" man.

By: signal

signal — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 08:16:27 -0800

I don't think it's a scam as much as a euphemism. It's more polite to ask for money for the powder room than to actually charge a fee.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 08:29:49 -0800

What signal said. It's a nice way to say a cash gift for services rendered.

By: Lola_G

Lola_G — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 08:49:24 -0800

Again, it depends on whether you are referring to the novella or the movie. Truman Capote was clever enough for the euphemism, however, Hollywood cleaned up the movie (much to the dismay of Capote) and she is portrayed as more of an opportunist.

Remember "Sid" from the first scene ("Every Tom, Dick and Sid.") says to her (paraphrasing) "Didn't I pick up the tap for your friends and give you $50 for the powder room?" He was upset because she took off and seemingly no services were rendered.

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 10:22:20 -0800

Well right. But he was banging on the door demanding said services, suggesting he assumed a quid pro quo. I think the movie delicately sidesteps whether the quid generally gets quoed or not.

By: zpousman

zpousman — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 10:49:25 -0800

... or the tit actually gets tatted.

By: fenriq

fenriq — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 11:36:05 -0800

It was a polite way of being paid for spending time with people that she otherwise wouldn't be spending the time with.

I don't think Holly was a call girl so much as she was a paid companion. Someone that makes an ugly person less ugly.

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 12:59:26 -0800

It's a euphemistic way for men to give their quasi-professional paid escorts money. $50 for a cab (which cost $5 in those days), $50 for the "powder room" (when the standard tip to the restroom attendant at a fancy place was $1), etc., made it seem less sordid and yet added up in a time when monthly rent was $100 or so.

By: jfuller

jfuller — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 13:30:35 -0800

Tangentially, the Inflation Calculator says "What cost $50.00 in 1958 would cost $312.19 in 2003." It's been some time since I read B at T--did it state when the story was supposed to take place? If it was well before the 1958 publication date the difference would be even more striking. But after all I expect a girl of Holly's age, looks and personality would be turning $800 tricks today.

By: Sparx

Sparx — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 21:06:46 -0800

CunningLinguist said: quid generally gets quoed or not.

By a pro, presumably