Barrack Obama, YES WE CAN !!!!!!
#139
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Re: Barrack Obama, YES WE CAN !!!!!!
Not always. Give the man the benefit of the doubt.
I'm sure you must be correct, and it COULD be a racial slur. But I am quite certain that is not the only use for the term - I have never heard it used that way, and wouldn't have thought so.
I think it depends upon intent, and I am quite confident that Bob did not mean it that way.
I'm sure you must be correct, and it COULD be a racial slur. But I am quite certain that is not the only use for the term - I have never heard it used that way, and wouldn't have thought so.
I think it depends upon intent, and I am quite confident that Bob did not mean it that way.
#140
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Re: Barrack Obama, YES WE CAN !!!!!!
I think there's an old saying (not directly related but it reminds me...)
"Even a blind hog roots up an acorn once in a while"
Ah well, doesn't relate that well actually - but it amuses me
#141
Re: Barrack Obama, YES WE CAN !!!!!!
"When we got into office, the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as we'd been saying they were. "
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) Thirty-fifth President of the USA
#142
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Re: Barrack Obama, YES WE CAN !!!!!!
Here's a quote that works rather well too, I wonder if Obama will find himself thinking of it post inauguration
"When we got into office, the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as we'd been saying they were. "
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) Thirty-fifth President of the USA
"When we got into office, the thing that surprised me most was to find that things were just as bad as we'd been saying they were. "
John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) Thirty-fifth President of the USA
#143
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,542
Re: Barrack Obama, YES WE CAN !!!!!!
Language Barrier Alert
The phrase "put a monkey in a suit and it would get elected" is common in regard to elections in Britain, it simply means they will elect anyone of that particular party.
Some words are racist in one country and not another which is why TV prog Spooks is called MI5 in the US.
I'm sure us Brits also grew up being called cheeky monkeys it is in us and is completely innocent.
From The Times http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle4362917.ece
"There’s an oft-repeated dictum that if you were to pin a red rosette to a monkey, it would get elected in Glasgow. I suspect that, had I been a monkey, I’d have been handed a pile of leaflets and pressed into action"
From the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2....politicalnews
In a town where it was said that you could pin a Labour rosette on a monkey and people would vote for it, things have changed. Hartlepool voters got rid of the Labour-controlled council in last May's elections after 22 years in charge, and they could turn against Mandelson in the same way.
The phrase "put a monkey in a suit and it would get elected" is common in regard to elections in Britain, it simply means they will elect anyone of that particular party.
Some words are racist in one country and not another which is why TV prog Spooks is called MI5 in the US.
I'm sure us Brits also grew up being called cheeky monkeys it is in us and is completely innocent.
From The Times http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle4362917.ece
"There’s an oft-repeated dictum that if you were to pin a red rosette to a monkey, it would get elected in Glasgow. I suspect that, had I been a monkey, I’d have been handed a pile of leaflets and pressed into action"
From the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2....politicalnews
In a town where it was said that you could pin a Labour rosette on a monkey and people would vote for it, things have changed. Hartlepool voters got rid of the Labour-controlled council in last May's elections after 22 years in charge, and they could turn against Mandelson in the same way.
#144
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: NW Chicago suburbs
Posts: 11,253
Re: Barrack Obama, YES WE CAN !!!!!!
Language Barrier Alert
The phrase "put a monkey in a suit and it would get elected" is common in regard to elections in Britain, it simply means they will elect anyone of that particular party.
Some words are racist in one country and not another which is why TV prog Spooks is called MI5 in the US.
I'm sure us Brits also grew up being called cheeky monkeys it is in us and is completely innocent.
From The Times http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle4362917.ece
"There’s an oft-repeated dictum that if you were to pin a red rosette to a monkey, it would get elected in Glasgow. I suspect that, had I been a monkey, I’d have been handed a pile of leaflets and pressed into action"
From the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2....politicalnews
In a town where it was said that you could pin a Labour rosette on a monkey and people would vote for it, things have changed. Hartlepool voters got rid of the Labour-controlled council in last May's elections after 22 years in charge, and they could turn against Mandelson in the same way.
The phrase "put a monkey in a suit and it would get elected" is common in regard to elections in Britain, it simply means they will elect anyone of that particular party.
Some words are racist in one country and not another which is why TV prog Spooks is called MI5 in the US.
I'm sure us Brits also grew up being called cheeky monkeys it is in us and is completely innocent.
From The Times http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/new...cle4362917.ece
"There’s an oft-repeated dictum that if you were to pin a red rosette to a monkey, it would get elected in Glasgow. I suspect that, had I been a monkey, I’d have been handed a pile of leaflets and pressed into action"
From the Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2....politicalnews
In a town where it was said that you could pin a Labour rosette on a monkey and people would vote for it, things have changed. Hartlepool voters got rid of the Labour-controlled council in last May's elections after 22 years in charge, and they could turn against Mandelson in the same way.
But I'm a yank, and I wouldn't have thought of a racist connotation unless someone mentioned it.
No criticism to Uga, I'm sure she's right and it is sometimes used that way. Just not always.
#147
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Re: Barrack Obama, YES WE CAN !!!!!!
I remember seeing a pic (referring to domestic violence I believe) that Mr. F likened to the Nazi's portrayal of the Jews as the bad guy - and I never ever would have thought of that. Just looked like a big muscled bad guy to me, didn't strike me as racial at all. Whereas he saw the fellow's nose and dark hair etc. as looking Jewish.
Doesn't make him wrong or me right or vice versa - we just tend to see things through the lens of our own experiences imo.
I am confident no insult was intended with the monkey reference in this case though.
#148
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,542
Re: Barrack Obama, YES WE CAN !!!!!!
Just to be clear... my point is that Monkey is not generally a slur in Britain, and in particular the reference to the political context. Here in the US in some areas its completely different, I became more aware of it when I met my DH just as I learned that using the term 'boy' can be very offensive as it relates to slavery.
#149
Re: Barrack Obama, YES WE CAN !!!!!!
Just to be clear... my point is that Monkey is not generally a slur in Britain, and in particular the reference to the political context. Here in the US in some areas its completely different, I became more aware of it when I met my DH just as I learned that using the term 'boy' can be very offensive as it relates to slavery.
#150
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Location: NW Chicago suburbs
Posts: 11,253
Re: Barrack Obama, YES WE CAN !!!!!!
Or... people can use it jokingly to a son or husband/bf and not mean a thing (even the yanks). I've certainly said to a teenager "Hey there boy, whatcha doin'?" and didn't mean a thing by it.
It is so easy for such things to be taken other than they are intended.