It is currently 28 Mar 2024, 12:11
"Ignorance coupled with prejudice is a fearsome combination"
SamQ aka Ah! Q! wrote:"Ignorance coupled with prejudice is a fearsome combination"
Gawd, Simon, you must have a teacher in the family. Sounds like the debrief after Parents' Night.....
Lurker wrote:My sons are now just reaching 40.
The youngest when he was about seven, happened to exclaim , in the classroom that he was knackered, common expression of mine.
He got told off for swearing, so the only time I ever challenged their teachers took place.
She had never heard of a knacker, ie where you take worn out animals, particularly horses at the end of their lives.
I visited and insisted on talking to her with the headmaster present.
I didn’t relent ( she wiggled for quite a while) until she admitted that it was her dirty mind and not my son’s vocabulary.
Trevanion wrote:Have I missed something? Since when was “spade” in any way offensive? Honest question
Trevanion wrote:Have I missed something? Since when was “spade” in any way offensive? Honest question
Blackswanwood wrote:Trevanion wrote:Have I missed something? Since when was “spade” in any way offensive? Honest question
When it’s used as a slang term to refer to a black person.
Trevanion wrote:Have I missed something? Since when was “spade” in any way offensive? Honest question
Blackswanwood wrote:When it’s used as a slang term to refer to a black person.
Andyp wrote:Black as the ace of spades. Spade often used in late 60’s/ 70’s as a derogatory term for persons of afro Caribbean appearance.
Adrian - it could be worse. You could have asked for a hoe.
Richard wrote:Talking of upsetting people, I recall when I lived in America twenty plus years ago someone, probably on nationwide broadcast media, said something along the lines of, "These * government spending plans won't solve the problem."
There was uproar in certain sections of the population about this racial slur (sic). I don't recall how it all panned out in the end, but the controversy raged on for days or weeks, and all this before ubiquitous online communications where rage and pile-ons now seem to be amplified to the nth degree. Slainte.
Andy Kev. wrote: I think you might be referring to the entirely acceptable phrase of, "These n i g g a r d l y government spending plans won't solve the problem".
Andy Kev. wrote:Richard wrote:Talking of upsetting people, I recall when I lived in America twenty plus years ago someone, probably on nationwide broadcast media, said something along the lines of, "These * government spending plans won't solve the problem."
There was uproar in certain sections of the population about this racial slur (sic). I don't recall how it all panned out in the end, but the controversy raged on for days or weeks, and all this before ubiquitous online communications where rage and pile-ons now seem to be amplified to the nth degree. Slainte.
I think you might be referring to the entirely acceptable phrase of, "These n i g g a r d l y government spending plans won't solve the problem". I had to put the spacing in the word because the linguisticly ignorant software replaced it with an asterix.
Note the spelling. It has got nothing to do with what has now become known as the "n" word. The chap in question was hauled up before somebody and pointed out the etymology of the word. That was accepted. If I remember aright, a black academic pointed out that it was perfectly acceptable. That was accepted too. He was still forced to resign which IMO was scandalous.
Eric's quote hits the nail squarely on the head. This sort of linguistic totalitarianism driven by ignorant fanatics should be fought at every turn. The problem is that you need to understand enough about the language to be able to do that.
Richard wrote:Andy Kev. wrote: I think you might be referring to the entirely acceptable phrase of, "These n i g g a r d l y government spending plans won't solve the problem".
That's exactly the word which I typed without the additional spaces you've employed, and it showed in that form when I posted, that is without being replaced by an asterisk. I happened to look at this thread some hours later last night to read two or three new contributions, and the apparently offensive word remained as I'd typed it with no spaces. It looks like it was mysteriously edited overnight to an asterisk.
You evidently recall more details about the stooshie than I. All I do remember about it really was that my wife (an American) and I were astonished to learn there was a heated debate about the subject including one at a fairly high level wherein it was obvious some of the protagonists had no idea of the word's etymology or meaning, and also couldn't be convinced of their misunderstanding. I guess they thought looking up the word in a decent dictionary wasn't necessary. Slainte.
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