Quaint (that’s how Chaucer spelt it) 
.
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I was told it was the correct medical term up until some time in the 18C. Hence would have been ok for Queen Anne to use.
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Sorry Roger. I was only going on some vague
Memory you sound much better informed
The wonderful source that is Wikipedia says it wasn’t an offensive term originally but has become so over the years
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Only actually considered obscene from the 17thC I thought ? Obv the explanation for all those rabbit jokes.
Anyway, read Chaucer!! Mind you in my school edition the obscene bits were in Latin and the most obscene bits were in Greek, not actually v handy if you were supposed to quote in an exam.
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There’s use and tedious, odious overuse, Nellie. One of the values of obscenity is the particularity of its use, it’s pointedness, it’s specificity in a chosen context, its purpose in giving exact emotional tone to an idea or opinion.
It’s over use, in undiscerning and indiscriminate ways, deadens it, dulls the literary and conversational palate to the point of nausea. It becomes an embarrassment, to me at least.
I only use obscenities occasionally and they usually have the effect of surprising and even delighting my audience, and sometimes of delivering a necessary shock or check to those who need one.
I echo everything that @Robert_Hodge has had to say on the subject. He is not prissy or condemnatory of obscenity, rather he is a like a Michelin chef when it comes to the use of literary seasoning and the realisation of healthy, tempting and satisfying menus.
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You clearly havent seen the Johnathan Pye video circulating. It does sum up the current UK political ineptitude, but even I found the level of profanity unnecessary and didn’t add to his acurate depiction of the inbreds that run or would like to run the UK
Well you are clearly not party to his PM’s then Peter.
Yup, I am back 
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Not sure if this is old or new - just seen it on linkedin - I like the original scene from the film - think it works, its funny anyhow.
I take your word for it, Cat, I have not been PMd and realise there seems to be more to this than I was aware of. But I did think Marina Hyde’s penmanship was 4th form rather than 6th form, if that allusion to Tom Brown’s Schooldays still has currency, which I doubt.
I have joined the new 3rd party - BOB - bored of Brexit.
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I just saw a video on Facebook of the new German leader who is going to replace Merkle (I think?)
She gave a fabulous speech (in my opinion) laying out how she thinks the EU has missed the opportunity to reform and to continue a meaningful relationship with Britain.
Sorry Caroline but, if it is the video I think it is, then the German population will be spitting feathers and going mental if that person was to be the next German Leader - she is a member of the AfD party…a far-right party with latent nazi tendancies barely concealed beneath the surface. The fact that they have any seats at all in the German parliament is a source of concern to the German system.
I may be wrong - can you post a link to the video you saw?
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There was a video linked in this post, could be the one to which Caroline refers.
As I pointed out in that thread, and Carl has re-iterated here the AfD could hardly be said to be pro EU, but with support running at about 18% they could also hardly be said to be “the voice of Germany” either.
Merkel’s replacement BTW is Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, leader of the CDU and nothing to do with AfD.
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Due for debate Monday, for what it’s worth.
Hi Carl - have seen this morning that someone else has posted the link to the speech in another item.
I don’t tend to follow German politics so mistakenly thought she was the new leader of Merkle’s party. That withstanding it was refreshing to listen to a political speech that made no mention of party politics and that came across as a rational, well measured comment of the ridiculous farce of the Brexit negotiations.
I agreed with everything she said but don’t support her party or any other German party. I am a firm believer that everyone is entitled to their own personal views of politics and religion except where it breaks the law and that each belief is as valid as the next.
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The AFD are an anti EU party. Funny how this goes hand in hand in so many cases with the far right. Right wing populism is on the rise across Europe.
You can champion free speech but let us take a moment to remember why the EU exists.
Fine to argue for reform from within but it is disingenuous to carry on endorsing this if you take a moment to consider the AFD agenda, now it has been clarified to you what that consists of.