Monday, August 24, 2009

Brits Outlaw "Bad" Phrases and Words

I'm reminded of George Carlin's bit about the 7 Words You Can't Say on TV. He made a point about how words themselves aren't bad - it's just the meanings that we attach to them. So what if you decide to attach a bad meaning to a word or phrase that doesn't offend the majority of the population? Well, obviously, you're correct, and the government needs to step in!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article6806502.ece

Some of the things they're outlawing for being racist or sexist include:

whiter than white
gentleman’s agreement
black mark
right-hand man

Also, the Learning and Skills Council wants staff to “perfect” their brief rather than “master” it, while the Newcastle University has singled out the phrase “master bedroom” as being problematic.

You have to dig pretty deep on some of these to find the "problem".

However, the last paragraph of the story contains the voice of reason:

Marie Clair, spokeswoman for the Plain English Campaign, said: “Political correctness has good intentions but things can be taken to an extreme. What is really needed is a bit of common sense.”

4 comments:

Schteveo said...

More Thought Police mumbo jumbo. Mumbo Jumbo?

I bet I just impuned the honor, character and lives of various dictionists, elephants and Afri'cants.


Common sense is a much rarer quality than genius

- Willim Wirt, 9th US AG, and the prosecutor in the trial of Aaron Burr.




OT,
I'm going to RI, leaving Sat, back the following Sun. Busy this week prior, applying for a mortgage, looking at houses and such. (I gotta get my new Home Buyer ObamaBux) Spider will (as usual keep the store running) and he'll (obviously)be in charge of (MOST) posting while I'm gone. (no one else cares about anything I guess)

Although this is a social visit to RI, and I intend to shoot guns, drink beer and eat clams, the main purpose is foul. I'm helping my son decide what to do with the (post) marital chattels. I'll check in periodically.

Play nice.

Spider said...

Good luck bud.

It's official. Britain has now qualified to be known as, San Francisco East.

Personally, i've never been a big fan of the Brits, in spite of (or perhaps because of) their history and their royality. I mean, hey, when a nation sends it's troops into battle wearing bright red coats, something's really wrong. Then there was that whole Neville Chamberlain (sp.) thing prior to WWII. Also, it has been documented that during the cold war, there were more KGB agents in the British government than there were in all of the USSR!
Sure, they've been our allies for decades, but so what. If it wasn't for us, England would be nothing more than a practice range for the Luftwaffe. The whole country is just a bit too effeminate, and way too socialist, for me.

Now, (somewhat like us) they have obviously become addicted to political correctness, a sure sign of social decay. My question is, where's the outrage from the people? Are the British people asleep like the American people have been? At least some of us are starting to wake-up now, but there's no sign of that from across the pond.

Remember, political correctness is a far greater threat to our freedom and liberty than is terrorism!

Heidi said...

There are still a few sane people over there. Read the comments at the end of the story. (Granted, some of them sound like Americans, but there have to be a few Brits in there!)

Anonymous said...

WORD OF THE DAY
LIBERAL, n.


Guilt-ridden alleged humans who are obsessed with making everyone else as miserable as they are. Killjoys, Party Poopers, Wet Blankets, Busybodies, Snitches, Socialists, Communists, College Professors, PeaceCreeps, Union Organizers, Mainstream Media, Hollywood Elite usually make very good liberals, but they won't admit it.