This happened in England and it is political correctness gone so mad I have to tell you about it.

Political correctness, part 1

York toddler group changes Twinkle Twinkle Little Star sign

A York toddlers group has changed a potentially offensive sign language gesture in a nursery rhyme.

The signs for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star contains a symbol that could be misinterpreted as female genitalia.

Staff at the Sure Start centre in Acomb made the change after attending a sign language course and realising the action for diamond had a dual meaning.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-york-north-yorkshire-16223109

Political correctness, part 2

None of the broadsheet papers published a picture of the diamond gesture made by children when singing the song. This is the gesture, with the hands held high, above the head:

Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/4004627/Toddlers-Twinkle-sign-ban.html

Ignorance. Or stupidity?

None of the broadsheet papers and few tabloids that published this story pointed out that the diamond gesture that goes with the song is very different from the sign for vagina in British Sign Language, which is this, with the hands held over the abdomen:

The sign for female genitalia is an inverted diamond held in front of the crotch. During the rhyme, children hold their hands high in an upright diamond.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2075025/Toddlers-singing-Twinkle-Twinkle-banned-making-gestures-case-offends-deaf-people.html#ixzz1gpVfUMjD

From a blog:

deaf people are deaf - not stupid!

Source: http://bigdollop.blogspot.com/2011/12/york-city-council-star-of-bethlehem.html

It is rather silly, but in the modern world silly people can win lawsuits. Better safe than sorry is the idea, most likely.

similar to baba black sheep, black board ( those white board is still excepted ) .......... the list goes on

working in a very multi culture office now in london, not one black/asian ect ever finds jokes/signs ect offensive, but they find them funny , just look at the biggest new comdien in the uk , he is from Iran !, he can take the piss out of everything, and everyone finds it funny, but being PC , it is to PC to say what he is doing !

but what is the difference to a blonde/irish joke, to say black/jew joke ? nothing, just one half can laugh along with it

His colleague filed a complaint when the young graduate in the office asked him an offensive question regarding his request for an ink cartridge

"Black or coloured?"

SC

Most things the right call PC these days are just good manners.

There's exceptions of course but the media pick up on a lot of stuff and make a big deal of it when it would never have gone any further.

If the black ink thing was part of a long standing case of racist bullying it probably wouldn't have been mentioned.

I remember saying to a Singaporean friend about a young Thai man, "He's got Negro blood in him."

The Singaporean said, "You can't say that!" And there's nobody more PC than a good Singaporean.

But I said it.... and I would say it again. We're allowing ourselves to be browbeaten by these PC addicts (whoever they are). Tell it as it is, I say.

Oh, and a Happy New Year to you all (is that PC enough for you?)

Oh, and a Happy New Year to you all (is that PC enough for you?)

Some cultures do not celebrate the beginning of the New Year as being on the 1st January. In claiming so you are excluding ethnic minorities.

You should really qualify that it is Happy New year according to the Gregorian calendar only and that it in no way overrides the legitimacy of 'New Year's' that are celebrated on other dates.

I remember saying to a Singaporean friend about a young Thai man, "He's got Negro blood in him."

What do you actually mean by that? What's your definition of 'negro'?

I remember ...Tell it as it is, I say.

...

Quite right. I believe in calling a spade a spade.

As my first boss said of another manager "He's a plain-spoken bloke; he'll call a spade a fookin' shovel"

SC

Oh, and a Happy New Year to you all (is that PC enough for you?)

Some cultures do not celebrate the beginning of the New Year as being on the 1st January. In claiming so you are excluding ethnic minorities.

You should really qualify that it is Happy New year according to the Gregorian calendar only and that it in no way overrides the legitimacy of 'New Year's' that are celebrated on other dates.

Can't fool a Brit.

I remember ...Tell it as it is, I say.

...

Quite right. I believe in calling a spade a spade.

Racial pun intended?

I remember ...Tell it as it is, I say.

...

Quite right. I believe in calling a spade a spade.

Racial pun intended?

That wouldn't be right. Besides, I have no sense of humour.

I don't understand what you mean.

SC

I remember ...Tell it as it is, I say.

...

Quite right. I believe in calling a spade a spade.

Racial pun intended?

That wouldn't be right. Besides, I have no sense of humour.

I don't understand what you mean.

SC

My father used to quote it as "Calling a spade a fookin nigger". But then that was an earlier generation.

...]

Quite right. I believe in calling a spade a spade.

Racial pun intended?

That wouldn't be right. Besides, I have no sense of humour.

I don't understand what you mean.

SC

My father used to quote it as "Calling a spade a fookin nigger". But then that was an earlier generation.

I'm not familiar with these card-playing terms.

My father used to quote it as "Calling a spade a fookin nigger". But then that was an earlier generation.

I believe one might still here these dittys today within the English-speaking world.

My father used to quote it as "Calling a spade a fookin nigger". But then that was an earlier generation.

I believe one might still here these dittys today within the English-speaking world.

Funnily enough, if you refer to the thread specifically on this topic, most people would misclassify a spade if they saw one anyway, while JT believes that there is no difference between spades and shovels anyway.

We should also distinguish between turns of phrase, and ditties such as the hypothetical "Ace of Shovels"; I think a ditty would need harmony and several metred lines, as the prosodists will remind us.

SC

I spotted a Presbyterian church yesterday on the way to Bangkapi. Such divergence...what a breath of fresh air!

Well it might have been in another city....

Edit: sp.

Oh, and a Happy New Year to you all (is that PC enough for you?)

Some cultures do not celebrate the beginning of the New Year as being on the 1st January. In claiming so you are excluding ethnic minorities.

You should really qualify that it is Happy New year according to the Gregorian calendar only and that it in no way overrides the legitimacy of 'New Year's' that are celebrated on other dates.

chinese ethnic minority hmm 1/3rd of world population, interesting.

Oh, and a Happy New Year to you all (is that PC enough for you?)

Some cultures do not celebrate the beginning of the New Year as being on the 1st January. In claiming so you are excluding ethnic minorities.

You should really qualify that it is Happy New year according to the Gregorian calendar only and that it in no way overrides the legitimacy of 'New Year's' that are celebrated on other dates.

chinese ethnic minority hmm 1/3rd of world population, interesting.

Kung Hei Fatt Choy! (or the equivalent in whichever dialect you prefer). Just put it aside and keep it until Chinese New year.

Niggers, Pakis, <deleted>, Kikes, Chinks, Gooks

My aren't we the sophisticated gentlemen...

Do any of you seriously believe that these are acceptable terms to use?

Being part Wop myself, I would not be likely to use any such abbreviations. I used Negro above, but would not use Nigger; Negro, to me, is no more offensive than Caucasian.

Niggers, Pakis, <deleted>, Kikes, Chinks, Gooks

My aren't we the sophisticated gentlemen...

Do any of you seriously believe that these are acceptable terms to use?

Is spearchucker acceptable?

Niggers, Pakis, <deleted>, Kikes, Chinks, Gooks

My aren't we the sophisticated gentlemen...

Do any of you seriously believe that these are acceptable terms to use?

Is spearchucker acceptable?

I'm not sure it's right to laugh but

Niggers, Pakis, <deleted>, Kikes, Chinks, Gooks

My aren't we the sophisticated gentlemen...

Do any of you seriously believe that these are acceptable terms to use?

Is spearchucker acceptable?

Or Micks or Huns, Paddies, or Sweaties or Frogs or Krauts or Nips (not that I approve of spirits...)

SC

My grandfather, the Glaswegian that he was, would often call me a Sassenach

Negro, to me, is no more offensive than Caucasian.

It might not be if you were Russian.

Being part Wop myself, I would not be likely to use any such abbreviations. I used Negro above, but would not use Nigger; Negro, to me, is no more offensive than Caucasian.

who or what is a "Wop?"

Being part Wop myself, I would not be likely to use any such abbreviations. I used Negro above, but would not use Nigger; Negro, to me, is no more offensive than Caucasian.

who or what is a "Wop?"

It used to mean an Italian, but my slang dictionary says it now means a Spaniard or S American. In S African slang, apparently it means a penis, which was not quite what I meant!

Being part Wop myself, I would not be likely to use any such abbreviations. I used Negro above, but would not use Nigger; Negro, to me, is no more offensive than Caucasian.

who or what is a "Wop?"

It is the sound my tire made when I happened to run over a sharp piece of metal on the highway last year. wop wop wop wop etc.

Being part Wop myself, I would not be likely to use any such abbreviations. I used Negro above, but would not use Nigger; Negro, to me, is no more offensive than Caucasian.

who or what is a "Wop?"

I had always heard it was short for "Without Papers" and used for Italians