Here in France all women of a certain age are Madame, whether married or not. We are now having to be addressed by our maiden name on official documents, whether we like it or not and you are being offended by being called tu.
It is a good job you don't live in the North of England where we are called 'love' or Glasgow where you would be 'hen'.
Some kind of mental conjoined twins perhaps?
Do you think Clarkson and Boris Johnson are related?
Nicely summed up Brian. Brits really do consider private school attendance as a stamp of 'poshness', especially an old established school such as Repton. It isnt just the education either. Attending public schools make it possible to have connections (the old school tie network) that will smooth the path to wherever that person needs to go. It also gives a person social confidence, which is otherwise recognised as arrogance.
Exactly where I was going but couldn't say it as well as you have ;-)
There are different sorts of soul Brian, A souls & B souls, etc. Clarkson is an R soul ;-)
Yep, sums it up dunnit!
Clarkson and soul in the same sentence?
Love the cartoon!
I'm sure you know what you're talking about Brian but I'm blowed if I do!
Ugh the Sun. Actually all of those papers. Mind you I suppose writing for them must pay the bills but it is still tantamount to prostitution isn't it, only selling a soul rather than a body. Or else a particularly cynical exercise.
The difference is intent. 'Mens rea' in law. Members of a particular group can & will use language to each other that, used by people outside the group who should know better, is rightly considered an insult.
Think of tutoiement and voussoiement (aka vouvoiement) as a parallel. If some random French person tutoies me, that is offensive and they know it is. If some random British or other foreign person tutoies me I just think 'oh they are foreign'. The same goes for calling someone an epithet linked to their colour, origin or sexual or other persuasion.
Well Victor my lad, lay of the sherbert before you write or I'll stamp and stamp my foot and throw my teddy at you!
"Kids do not see the hidden dangers lurking round every corner adults are seeing, they also do not see a world that is all soft and fluffy."
Isn't that what I was trying to say?
I know very well that some people are going to say that it just had to be the Guardian, but it is indeed, however whilst the other papers are putting him through the shredder this piece shows his track record:
I think my argument rests that he should have been given the boot long ago. Now it seems the Beeb has given him a warning that one more bloomer like this and he is out, sacked and consigned to motoring history. He says that himself in his Sun column. Writing for that rag also sums him up for me.
Carol's point is that because he has a lot of money, the formerly 'socialist' paper the Mirror portrays him as posh along with all the other Chipping Norton set. Mind you, he did go to Repton which is a minor public school although he got himself expelled. He goes out of his way to pretend not to be posh but then acts like a totally right wing Tory who are rarely 'the common man' he pretends to be, thus walking into the hands of the Mirror and their like. He has in his time referred to the Greens as being made up of 'old trade unionists and lesbians', the last word being the only part of the quote I know is right, and has made plenty of prejudicial and sexist remarks anyway. This one, whatever his position on people's ethnic origins, was picked up and that is the only difference but he should have been kicked out by the BBC years ago, his arrogance is stunning.
Sadly Veronique, you didn't seem to grasp what I actually meant. We at the moment are instructed by governments to now accept almost everything we were previously expected to shun. It's almost like fashion, this year we mustn't say things offending other nations or different sexual persuasions, who knows in a few years time it may all change again, especially if a religious zealot get elected, Even Cameron has come out saying some quite strange God fearing statements of late.
What I really have issue with is how the oppressed minorities shall we call them are ok to actually use these words towards each other and I include racist remarks and homophobic remarks but people outside of the groups get pilloried. if it isn't ok for us to use the terms it isn't ok for anyone else.
I can't paste the pic. Tomorrow's cartoon in the Times.
Oh and as for Mr Morgan, Carol, following a comment he made JC tweeted:
"I'm not going to box Piers Morgan. I'm too busy. But I know plenty of people in the British Army who'll gladly take my place."
Ha ha ha.
Who is to say who is normal, John? Just because we live a judeo-christian heteronormative society doesn't make it all right to call male homosexuals shirtlifters or poofs or whatever other unsavoury terms you may be familar with. No doubt you have some choice epithets for lesbians too. Harmony is made up of different notes, you might like to ponder that.