Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

Totally agree - it all depends on how it's used and how people take it.

In Britiain at the minute there is such a culture of political correctness that British people will sometimes take offence. Not all. Some will laugh it off, others complain.

Its because of the way things are in Britain at the minute that formal complaints are being made - after all there are so many complaints against things that the British say and do now. Things being banned left right and centre, what can we expect other than it spilling over into other countries.

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

Eeeeeever so slightly condescending!

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! :)

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

Just replying in a similar style to the original ' please read my post' comments from Vash

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

I've never heard anyone when saying that Australia is 20 years behind be good natured about it - it's normally at about the same time they are getting a few things off their chests out on the Moving Back to Uk forum. :p

Never ever seen Pom as ever remotely offensive.

If a bloke levelled it at me as a term of deliberate insult I'm sure I'd find much more personal replies that would actually stick.

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

In reality there isn't much that is black and white in this world. Most things exist on a grey scale from one extreme to the other. In this case there are names that are amicable on one side, names that are offensive on the other and names that fit in between the extremes. Add into that people with different sensitivities and it can be hard to define what is right and what is wrong and it can be easy to say "someone will be offended by that".

Taking as a rule what most people will put up with then names like, Pom, Taff, Aussie, etc. all lie on the more amicable end. Obviously n*gger, sheep sh*gger, etc. exist on the offensive end. Other names like Jock, Paddy, Yank, etc. lie somewhere in the middle. Obviously names can move around on this scale over time with names like Paddy and Jock moving from the amicable end towards the offensive (although how far will vary from situation to situation and country to country, for example, p*ki in the UK is towards the offensive end while paki in Aus is towards the amicable end). It is interesting to note that more names have moved towards the offensive end in the UK than in Aus.

It's because of this grey scale that analogies fail. Comparing Pom to Paddy may make it seem bad but comparing it to Taff doesn't make it bad at all (said the Welshman). Put another way, you can choose your analogy to fit your point.

Can anyone see the other interesting (but controversial) observation that comes out of this scale?

:)

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

Does this mean that the UK is a more politically correct society than Australia, or a more sophisticated society, showing greater sensitivity to other nationalities?. Both, perhaps?

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

The first point is probably true but only slightly. The second point may be true or alternatively it could be that they have made these words more offensive and hence subject to point 1.

The other observation is that the English (and I don't mean Brits) are more likely to use words from the more offensive end disguised as sarcasm.

:)

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

A great deal of English humour is based on sarcasm, a concept that Australian's seem to struggle with, but to claim that the English are more prone to be offensive to other races than Australian's is a Hell of a leap and from my personal experience simply not based in fact.

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

Yeah, it is a big leap. I was only taking the micky out of the superior attitude in the last post ;) :D

Having said that we each have different experiences and no doubt you have no experience of the English taking the piss out of your country (or contrymen). It's because you're English, not because it doesn't happen.

All races are made up of a mixture of people, some are humorous, some are not. Personally, I've not found the Aussies any more or less sarcastic than the English. Some people can do it and some people can't. Some people just think that being offensive is sarcasm but they're stupid. Some people can take sarcasm some people can't.

Vive la Difference!
(Talking of which, remind me what the English say about the French and the bathing and washing habits ;) )

:)

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

I have highlighted the insupportable generalisation. :rolleyes:

One day, when you're older, you may realise that you do not speak for the English people as a whole and your personal opinions do not necessarily reflect the majority view.

You don't say? :)

In a previous thread, you said you were hoping to be back in England within the next two years. Here's hoping you get your arse home even sooner - for your own sake as well as everyone else's.

See the highlighted part? That's called "metonymy". :cool:

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

Never! Can't believe that at all. Who would do such a thing? :rolleyes:

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

Try reading the rest of the thread and you may be surprised at what my opinions are you jumped up little gobshite. Tell me, at what point in your love affair with Australia did you decide it was so great that you left?.

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

The bloody arrogance is staggering... one day when I'm older!! I was working for a living when mummy was still tucking you up in bed and your main concern was where your next pot of board wax was coming from.

Re: POM, an insult??!!
 

Bwahahahah! Result! :D :D :D

It was the day that I decided I wanted to see the place where my maternal grandfather was born and raised, and my father was raised.

This was the same day that I decided I had to act upon my long-held desire to see for myself the classic icons of the British history that I had studied at school; to explore my cultural and historical roots - and of course, to visit my English relatives.

This was the same day I decided that I wanted to see more of the world, and realised that the UK would be a handy springboard into Europe; indeed, next year I shall visit Kiel (Germany) where my father was born.

This was the same day I decided that I wanted to step outside my comfort zone (where I had been stuck in a rut for far too long).

And it was the same day that I decided to sell my house and purchase an investment property, to keep myself in the Australian property market... ready for the day when I return home Down Under. :cool: