Wallflower (people)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In social situations, a wallflower is a slang term used to describe shy or unpopular individuals who do not socialize or participate in activities at social events. It is most often used to describe someone who stays close to a wall and out of the main area of social activity.

The term originated from ballroom dances, where the people who did not wish to dance (or had no partner) remained close to the walls of the dance hall, blending in with flowers on the wallpaper.

The first known usage of the term was in an 1820 book entitled County Ball by Mrs. Campbell Praed.

It was originally used to refer to women, and only in the context of dances; more recently the term has been expanded to include men and other social gatherings.

[edit] Cultural Reference

In homosexual culture, wallflower refers to a usually younger individual, who is gay, and others assume so, yet because of their naïveté and inexperience they are not yet 'aware' or have not yet accepted it in their own mind.

The book The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky is about a young boy who is a shy awkward high school freshman.