By 1990 the REMO General Store in Sydney was already well known for its diverse range of T-shirts designs, representing the unique talents of artists and thinkers from all over the world. That year Beth Bartholemew, a designer from Brooklyn submitted an idea for an upside down pineapple, and accompanied her artwork with the following musings:
“Why do continents drift apart? Why do babies cry so much? Why do we have two eyes? Why are pineapples upside down? Is upside down one word?”
Some time later we developed a colour version of Beth’s black and white design, and that version has continued to form part of our portfolio.
Little did we know at the time that one day that symbol would come to be associated with something quite particular, namely swingers, i.e. people who enjoy having sex with third parties in tandem with their partners.
Since American colonists began importing pineapples from the Caribbean and South America in the 1700s, the fruit became a lasting symbol of hospitality and welcoming. Because of their scarcity and price, pineapples were originally served only to most-honoured guests. But these days, the association between upside down pineapples and swingers has become an open secret online, with several sources warning unsuspecting parties about the symbol’s meaning.
The first use of the upside down pineapple online was in 2006 on Urban Dictionary, and the first time it was specifically defined there as being a symbol for a swinger was in 2017.
Here’s how it works: Swingers place an upside down pineapple in their grocery trolleys to search for other swingers while shopping. Swingers also began placing an upside down pineapple on their mailboxes to show that a swinger’s party was occurring in that house. Other manifestations include on tattoos and anklets, or incorporated within designs on clothing. The signalling system eventually reached cruise ships. Couples who wanted to engage in partner swapping put upside down pineapple signs on their cabin doors or hung them from handles.
It’s worth restating that pineapples are only associated with swinging when they’re upside down. And indeed, sometimes a pineapple is meant to be just that … a pineapple. Even so, since the 2010s, TikTok and Reddit have been peppered with posts by people unaware of the whole pineapple thing who were reporting that couples had been extremely “friendly” to them when they happened to be wearing their favourite pineapple design.
And we recently received this amusing email from Buff Dickson, a longtime CustOMER:
“We live near Chicago now and my husband is a college professor and a preacher. His classic ‘look’ is a t-shirt and blazer. One of the favourite shirts I gifted him was the upside-down pineapple. He was a guest speaker in Green Bay, Wisconsin recently and afterwards at a pub the barman, who had been at the church service, asked John (a little uncomfortably), if he knew what his shirt meant? ‘No idea, my wife gave it to me.’ Thanks for telling me I had given my husband a swingers symbol!! Any other ‘coded’ pictures that would be inappropriate for a vicar’s wife to gift? I guess I’ll find out in your next book.”
Story Idea: Buff Dickson, the preacher’s husband. John Dickson’s website HERE.
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