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General discussionMeaning of "I.T."(28 posts)solved(28 posts)solved
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Posted November 11, 2015
I'm reading an Agatha Christie book (Evil Under the Sun). And there is a quote:

********************
Hercule Poirot nodded. He said:

'Yes, she is beautiful. But it is not beauty that counts in the end. It is not beauty that makes every head (except one) turn on the beach to look at her.'

'It's I.T., my boy,' said the Major. 'That's what it is - I.T.'
********************

And 2 books earlier (Sad Cypress), another girl was described as:

"She wasn't one of those girls who are all S.A. and I.T. She was a quiet girl!"

S.A. is sex appeal. It has been used in quite a few Agatha Christie books before. From both contexts, it seems I.T. is something similar, but for the life of me I can't figure out what it could mean.

The books were written in 1941 and 1940 respectively.

Google didn't help. If anyone here would know what it is, I'd really appreciate it. Only found one thing so far, and it's clearly WRONG:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110901174136AAMsFVN
This question / problem has been solved by Lunedimage
Posted November 11, 2015
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ZFR: 'It's I.T., my boy,' said the Major. 'That's what it is - I.T.'
Without further context I can only guess something like: Impetuous Temperament
Posted November 11, 2015
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ZFR: If anyone here would know what it is, I'd really appreciate it.
To the Urban Dictionary we go. This seems to fit.
Posted November 11, 2015
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ZFR: I'm reading an Agatha Christie book (Evil Under the Sun). And there is a quote:

********************
Hercule Poirot nodded. He said:

'Yes, she is beautiful. But it is not beauty that counts in the end. It is not beauty that makes every head (except one) turn on the beach to look at her.'

'It's I.T., my boy,' said the Major. 'That's what it is - I.T.'
********************

And 2 books earlier (Sad Cypress), another girl was described as:

"She wasn't one of those girls who are all S.A. and I.T. She was a quiet girl!"

S.A. is sex appeal. It has been used in quite a few Agatha Christie books before. From both contexts, it seems I.T. is something similar, but for the life of me I can't figure out what it could mean.

The books were written in 1941 and 1940 respectively.

Google didn't help. If anyone here would know what it is, I'd really appreciate it. Only found one thing so far, and it's clearly WRONG:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110901174136AAMsFVN
That's unusual. The term is usually just "It". As in, "she's an 'It' Girl." I suspect it's a translation/typographical error.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_girl
Posted November 11, 2015
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Luned: That's unusual. The term is usually just "It". As in, "she's an 'It' Girl." I suspect it's a translation/typographical error.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_girl
Out of context - and that phrase wasnt really in use back then either.
Posted November 11, 2015
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ZFR: If anyone here would know what it is, I'd really appreciate it.
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JMich: To the Urban Dictionary we go. This seems to fit.
Wow! Isn't there anything you don't know!?
You always seem to show up from nowhere, solve a difficult problem, and ride away, towards the sunset.
Colour me impressed!
Posted November 11, 2015
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JMich: This[/url] seems to fit.
...and thats a quote from a British comedian in the last ten years or so - so also does not fit the era.

Its evidently supposed to be a term squaddies and other military men would use. unfortunately, almost all the ones I know who were alive around then are either dead or a little short for lunch.
Posted November 11, 2015
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ZFR: I'm reading an Agatha Christie book (Evil Under the Sun). And there is a quote:

********************
Hercule Poirot nodded. He said:

'Yes, she is beautiful. But it is not beauty that counts in the end. It is not beauty that makes every head (except one) turn on the beach to look at her.'

'It's I.T., my boy,' said the Major. 'That's what it is - I.T.'
********************

And 2 books earlier (Sad Cypress), another girl was described as:

"She wasn't one of those girls who are all S.A. and I.T. She was a quiet girl!"

S.A. is sex appeal. It has been used in quite a few Agatha Christie books before. From both contexts, it seems I.T. is something similar, but for the life of me I can't figure out what it could mean.

The books were written in 1941 and 1940 respectively.

Google didn't help. If anyone here would know what it is, I'd really appreciate it. Only found one thing so far, and it's clearly WRONG:
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110901174136AAMsFVN
I thought SA was socially acceptable and IT was like the "it factor" i.e. they are part of the in crowd, something that all the girls wanted to be.
Posted November 11, 2015
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Luned: That's unusual. The term is usually just "It". As in, "she's an 'It' Girl." I suspect it's a translation/typographical error.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_girl
So I rechecked the book, and indeed while S.A. is written with periods, "IT" is written without them. The capitalization made me think it's an acronym, but I'm leaning now towards this being the right answer.
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Sachys: and that phrase wasnt really in use back then either.
According to the wikipedia article it reached global attention in 1927 and was used as early as 1904. So it could be it.
Post edited November 11, 2015 by ZFR
Posted November 11, 2015
Eye Tee.
That's what makes her special.
Posted November 11, 2015
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trentonlf: I thought SA was socially acceptable
No. Agatha Christie used this word quite a few times in cases where it clearly meant sex appeal (for example where it was used as a noun, not adjective, like "this girl has a lot of SA").
Posted November 11, 2015
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trentonlf: I thought SA was socially acceptable
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ZFR: No. Agatha Christie used this word quite a few times in cases where it clearly meant sex appeal (for example where it was used as a noun, not adjective, like "this girl has a lot of SA").
Found my translated copies of the books. What chapters are the quotes from, just to see how they were translated?

Edit: Found the "Evil under the sun" quote (end of chapter 1). They seemed to have skipped it and translated it as "It is, my boy, it is." On to the Sad Cypress.
Post edited November 11, 2015 by JMich
Posted November 11, 2015
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ZFR: According to the wikipedia article it reached global attention in 1927 and was used as early as 1904. So it could be it.
Among flappers - but if you read the context of the major its a military abreviation for something. Same as my dad might have seen a lass and said shes "only for shore leave!" - ie not for marrying.
Theres a whole host of such phrases, but I'll see if I can rouse my uncle John's brain into gear as he was in service at the time the book was written.
Posted November 11, 2015
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JMich: Found my translated copies of the books. What chapters are the quotes from, just to see how they were translated?
Evil under the sun:
Chapter 1, sub chapter V.

Full text:
Poirot said coldly:

'I am not a Frenchman!'

'Well, don't tell me you haven't got an eye for a pretty girl! What do you think of her, eh?'

Hercule Poirot said:

'She is not young.'

'What does that matter? A woman's as old as she looks! Her looks are all right.'

Hercule Poirot nodded. He said:

'Yes, she is beautiful. But it is not beauty that counts in the end. It is not beauty that makes every head (except one) turn on the beach to look at her.'

'It's IT, my boy,' said the Major. 'That's what it is - IT.'
Posted November 11, 2015
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Luned: That's unusual. The term is usually just "It". As in, "she's an 'It' Girl." I suspect it's a translation/typographical error.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It_girl
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ZFR: So I rechecked the book, and indeed while S.A. is written with periods, "IT" is written without them. The capitalization made me think it's an acronym, but I'm leaning now towards this being the right answer.
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Sachys: and that phrase wasnt really in use back then either.
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ZFR: According to the wikipedia article it reached global attention in 1927 and was used as early as 1904.
I read a lot of mysteries from the early-middle 20th century, and have read Evil Under the Sun more than once. I was pretty sure it was "IT" (pun intended). :)

Sachys, the 1990s meaning is subtly different from the earlier meaning. "IT" in the 1930s is a mixture of sex appeal and charisma.
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General discussionMeaning of "I.T."(28 posts)solved(28 posts)solved
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