Incredibly Long Fingernails

[maximus otter]

Not to the extreme length of these folks... but according to my Mom, in the Atlanta area in the late 50's & early 60's, there was a fad for having one very long pinky nail amongst her peers.

To use as an improvised cocaine spoon, or inspired by those who did so?

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Coke Nails

maximus otter

 

[Floyd]

There are a few theories as to why. The aforementioned 'itching an ear' and even 'coke finger', are but two, but it seems that it was originally a sign of wealth and breeding and it meant that you didn't have a manual job. A bit like how the upper class men had very long hair back in the 16/1700s perhaps.

 

[MrRING]

To use as an improvised cocaine spoon, or inspired by those who did so?

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Coke Nails

maximus otter

I think it was just for fun amongst schoolgirls getting ready to enter the workforce of secretarial and office jobs. My Mom worked as a key punch operator, and it's possible that an extra long nail helped... but I'm pretty sure fun was a bigger motive!