Lizzie Borden Society Forum

Since Lizzie and Emma struggled with the definition of cordiality with almost the difficulty Bill Clinton had with what the definition of is is, I decided to research the word "cordial". What did it mean to Lizzie and Emma. To me it means simply being pleasant, whether or not there is a deeper emotional feeling. If that is the correct meaning, why did Lizzie and her sister balk? Wasn't a pleasant conversation with Abby from time to time enough? It turns out cordiality has deeper meaning.

dictionary.com defines "cordial":

1) courteous and gracious, friendly; warm: a cordial reception
2) invigorating the heart; stimulating
3) sincere, heartfelt: a cordial dislike
4) Archaic: of or pertaining to the heard

Synonyms: invigorating, affectionate, sympathetic, responsive

What is cordiality?
~~cordial quality or feeling
~~an expression of cordial feeling
Origin 1590-1600

Synonym: warmth, friendliness, geniality, heartiness

At www.agnelpig.net I find a page of Victorian etiquette when visiting that uses the word cordiality. "Treat them with such kindness and cordiality...that the recollection of their visit will ever be a bright spot in their memory."

At www.victorianlondon.org; Victorian London-Women-Courtship, Marriage and Romance, discussing men and women as couples I find, "There should, in short, be between them some common ground of agreement~some cordial mutuality in sentiment..."

The ultimate root for the word has to do with the heart, I suppose the Latin "cor". A similar word might be "accord"~agreement.

Considering all this I think, using modern words, that Lizzie was asked if there was a warm and caring relationship between her and Abby. I think that relationship was what we would call "lukewarm" at best. Maybe an extremely honest answer would be for example, "We were polite but we didn't have anything in common." Or, "There weren't any bad feelings between us but we had different interests." Lizzie tries always to be literal so she hung up on the word.

From my point of view 120+ years later, there was a lot of 'semantical' (<<<not really a word) BS regarding the Borden murders. Dr. Bowen got into a looooooong exchange regarding 'drab' dresses that makes both him and the attorney look like nitwits. That piece about defining 'cordial' is a nineteenth century soundbite. Taken out of context, it seems snippy. Taken in context, it seems pretty much normal.

If having an honestly lukewarm relationship with Lizzie involved getting a hatchet in the head then I'd hate to see what would happen when she really didn't like a person....

Interesting posts! Let's see exactly what was said ...

(Knowlton): "You have been on pleasant terms with your stepmother since then?" {Since the signing over to Abby of the part of the house for her step-sister five years prior - Augusta}
(Lizzie): Yes, sir.
Cordial?
It depends upon one's idea of cordiality perhaps.
According to your idea of cordiality?
We were friendly; very friendly.
Cordial, according to your idea of cordiality?
Quite so.
What do you mean by "quite so"?
MY SMILIE KEY BUSTED ...
lizzie: Quite cordial I do not mean the dearest of friends in the world, but very kindly feelings and pleasant. I do not know how to answer you any better than that.

I can always see Elizabeth Montgomery saying, "We were friendly; very friendly," in that distinct way she did. What a dance Lizzie and Knowlton did around that one word: "cordiality". Was Lizzie afraid that Knowlton found witnesses that heard Lizzie running her mouth all over town about how she disliked Abby? Or that eventually those witnesses might be found? So she was categorizing "cordiality" into Lizzie's own meaning of it in regard to Abby.

Non-existent Testimony:
Knowlton: "So, you told your dressmaker that Abby was an old good-for-nothing thing. And you made fat jokes up about her, referring to her as 'Mrs. B?' And how, Miss Borden, how cordial was that?"
Lizzie: In my opinion, I was being cordial. I could have said a lot worse!

I don't think she was exactly lying. But she knew that nobody could prove a person's opinion.

[Existent Testimony: Coroner's Inquisition, page 56, The Lizzie Borden Sourcebook, David Kent / Robert Flynn, Branden Publishing Co., Boston, 1992 ]

I love all your definitions/illustrations of cordiality, debbie and Augusta, and I agree debbie, that Lizzie couldn't have shown more clearly what her true feelings were! Incidentally, I think Lizzie would have indignantly denied that she'd said anything about Abby being 'a mean old thing', etc. The prosecution obviously couldn't introduce gossip but it is remarkable how people around town knew there was an unpleasant atmosphere in the Borden household.

To me cordiality, whether a Victorian term or not, simply means being friendly and considerate and putting people at ease.

It's perfectly obvious that Lizzie (mainly, in my opinion, because of Emma's life-long influence) did not like Abby and therefore she struggled to answer the 'cordiality' questions at the Inquest. She couldn't speak ill of the dead (as she knew she was in imminent danger of being charged with murder) and such sentiments would have been considered shocking, anyway.

On the other hand, she wasn't quite sure at the Inquest stage just how much evidence the police had collected about the coldness between herself and Abby, so she couldn't outright lie and say everything in the garden was lovely.

I'm guessing this:

Lizzie was a pain in the bustle to both her own attorneys and the prosecution. No lawyer is worth his salt if he doesn't caution his client to answer the questions with as much brevity as possible. 'Yes 'or 'no' are the best answers, and never ever volunteer information. Does Lizzie's do this?

Nope. She stubbornly spars with Knowlton and holds her own without alienating the jury. She says exactly what she wants whenever her wrongheadedness desires.

Lizzie may have been a murderess, but I do like and admire this spunky side of her!