CELTS (edit)

[Progenitor A]

I was rather shocked the other night
I watched a programme called 'Mrs Brown's Boys' and it was so politically incorrect that I was astonished!
Full of sexual references and swear words it was actually very funny indeed

Not totally politically incorrect of course because there was no mention of race - in such households as that depicted , surely race plays a large part?

But race is the only remaining mortal sin, other venialities pale into insignificance in comparison to mention of race

But , accepting the necessary cowardice of the writers in not addressing one of the most important factors in our society, it was a good comedy

But one thing puzzles me

Mrs Brown is CELTISH and on British television, the CELTS are allowed to say 'F*ck' - admittedly they say it with an 'e' rather than the 'u', but 'F*ck' it most certainly is

Why are the CELTS allowed to use this profanity so liberally whereas it would be unacceptable in other mouths I wonder?

Was that the only evidence of racism in the show?



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Yes, mentioning other races and nationalities by name is considered a mortal sin by certain right-minded folk and we have been reported to Proboards for "abuse" as a result of your gross insensitivity, ProgenitorA. So stop it.

[alancalverd]

As I understand it, "feck" was invented in 1995 by Arthur Mathews and Graham Linehan in order to give Father Jack a speaking part that would not fall foul of the censors. It has become a convenient and distinctive part of everyday CELTISH English, even if it hasn't been completely accepted in CELTISH Gaelic. It is rarely heard north of the Border.

Interesting aside: I learned from a retired police officer that only two words ("the F word" and "the C word") are deemed inherently offensive in UK jurisprudence: anything else may be considered a fair, if harsh, expression of opinion. Which makes some recent cases very interesting. It is entirely normal to call an opposing footballer a bastard, or even an effing bastard, or to "sledge" a batsman with allegations of his wife's sexual proclivities, all of which is intentionally insulting but none of which is true. But if you call him a bl*ck (or wh*te, as appropriate) bastard, which is at least partially undeniable, the full majesty of the law and the gutter press will descend upon you.

[fascinating]

Alan, i think the "N" word is also deemed well out of order in any circumstance.

I consider such swearing to be almost inherently offensive, such words are usually said with the actual intent of giving offense. Well, I could be wrong, but I regard broadcasting those words into millions of homes as demonstrating serious lack of quality. Almost as disgusting as posting letters through my door with dirt on them.

[alancalverd]

O tempora! O mores!

Ever since Kenneth Tynan said the F word on Her Majesty's British Broadcasting Corporation's televisual broadcasting thingy in the 1960's, the world has gone to Hades in a handbasket.

One of the most popular and critically acclaimed TV series of recent years was The Wire. I would have loved a job as a scriptwriter on that show. Money for old rope!

The erudite repartee consisted almost entirely of w**te policemen saying "Sh*t" after missing their target or being assigned to a new task, and b**ck drug dealers saying "F*ck" before shooting one another.

But nobody ever said "N*****", because that would be rude.

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Indeed it would alan!

[alancalverd]

Has anyone seen the new version of The Dam Busters, I wonder?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2002027/Dambusters-dog-renamed-Digger-remake-iconic-film.html

But what's this new word "celtish" about? There are several Gaelic languages, of which Irish almost certainly has the most regular speakers (it being a required subject for entry into Irish universities), and it is quite different from Scots Gaelic, Northern Irish, or modern Welsh.

AFAIK "feck" has not appeared in Welsh or Scots language or dialect, and appears to be current only in the English dialect of the Irish Republic, so even if "celtish" means anything, it is inappropriate here.

[marchesarosa]

Celtish replaced "Irish" which someone deemed "abusive" and "racist". Pro boards agreed with them and threatened to pull the board from under our very feet unless action was taken. It's just the usual suspects, I expect, getting off on causing bit of inconvenience to the board they lurve to hate.



National and racial stereotypes are inherently "racist" even win they are not. Didn't you know that, Mr Calverd? You do now.

[alancalverd]

Since when has "Irish" been a term of abuse? Not in my experience. Friends and colleagues who have a choice, choose to have it printed on their passports, and the possession of such a document is widely considered an asset among journalists and voluntary aid workers.

The fact that a significant group of anglophones has adopted an amusing neologism has nothing to do with stereoptypes or racism - it's a fact of modern Irish dialect, and an honour to the memory of Dermot Morgan.

"Feck" is definitely not "celtish" (even if such a word exists) - it has not been adopted in any other celtic dialect or gaelic, and is entirely the daughter of Irish English.

I thought this was a scientific chatroom. How dare "someone" vomit ingorance and prejudice over a linguistic fact? If I were Irish, I'd tell them to feck off. But I'm not, so *******s.