1 of 2

Write now Article Tools

"Fatty over thinny, fatty round again, fatty through the keyhole, fatty down the drain." My mother taught me this simply tie-tying rhyme when I was about 11 and had to wear a tie to school. Obviously, it made tying a tie easier, but I still left the knot in place and slipped it over my head. In fact, a quick check of my closet reveals that all three of the ties I own are currently knotted so as to be ready for action in a fraction of the time I'd need if I had to tie them afresh.

OK, so what does the rhyme mean? Firstly, start by draping the tie around your neck, with the thinner end on the side of your dominant hand. You should have a little more length on the fat side than the thin. Place the fat end over the thin end so the two strands cross a short way below where you want the knot to be. (Fatty over thinny.)

The next step (fatty round again) is to use the fat end to fully encircle the thin end - pass the fat end under the thin end and back over again, leaving some space in the loop for the fat end to go through later. You should then pass the fat end under the thin end again and pull it through near your collar button (or where it would be - fatty through the keyhole). Then drop the fat end through the loop you made before (fatty down the drain), and pull gently on the fat end until the knot's about the right size. Then pull the knot up to your collar and you're all set.

Then you can slip the knot up and down as you wish, and even slide the whole thing over your head for future use.

Learn more about this author, Colin Beveridge.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Learning to tie a tie?
We want to hear your view. Write now!