Oops! You Twit!

[oggbashan]

A children's author or her editors made a mistake.

A twit became a twat and offended ASDA (UK's branch of Walmart)

The Times - today

Has Her Twatness seen this?

Og

 

[scheherazade_79]

A children's author or her editors made a mistake.

A twit became a twat and offended ASDA (UK's branch of Walmart)

The Times - today

Has Her Twatness seen this?

Og

I called a pupil a "gimp" once, because I thought it meant something different

It happens... and I'm damn glad it does, because the world would be a far more boring place if it didn't

 

[Stella_Omega]

John Simpson thinks the word has lost its original meaning? What collegiate rock has he been living under???


I think the only cogent response was from Random House, saying "That's how kids talk."

 

[Vermilion]

Poor old Jacqueline. I don't think it's her fault for being mistaken so much as the editor who did not pick it up. When it comes down to it it is the publisher, surely, who should be held responsible if something like this slips through the net. The author is, generally, just responsible for creating the worldand the people - it's the publishers and editors who need to ensure that it is suitable for the audience they market it at.

I do, also, think that there is something in the North/South divide - the suthor genuinely did not seem to realise that there was a baser meaning to the word.

I also think the parents are being ridiculous - there's a saying "to the pure all is pure" which my mum went by when I was younger. he assumed that stuff I didn't know was rude would go over my head (except explicit stuff like ex on telly, obviously) and if I understood it then it was too late for her to ban reading materials that contained it. I was allowed free reign of all the books in the house and many of them surprised me with the rude content when I read them again years later - all the rude stuff really *had* gone right over my head. I think this word would have been accepted by most children as meaning 'twit' and once again it is the adults' dirty minds and puritan attitudes towards the supposed innocence of childhood that is at fault here.

</rant>
x
V

 

[Vermilion]

I called a pupil a "gimp" once, because I thought it meant something different

It happens... and I'm damn glad it does, because the world would be a far more boring place if it didn't

Gimp also has a more innocent meaning - that's the joy of English, especially in England (or the UK) where there are still so many dialectal and linguistic divides despite the country being pocket-handkerchief-sized compared to many others.

And Stella, to some people, in some parts of England, the word genuinely isn't associated with female genitalia.

x
V

 

[scheherazade_79]

And Stella, to some people, in some parts of England, the word genuinely isn't associated with female genitalia.

That's true. It's mostly flung around as a fairly benign insult - when someone does something silly.

 

[scheherazade_79]

I remember a line in Roald Dahl's Matilda.

"You can't make a living sitting on your fanny reading books!"

It was meant in the American sense (I think), but our teacher still refused to read that particular line out loud

 

[Stella_Omega]

Gimp also has a more innocent meaning - that's the joy of English, especially in England (or the UK) where there are still so many dialectal and linguistic divides despite the country being pocket-handkerchief-sized compared to many others.

And Stella, to some people, in some parts of England, the word genuinely isn't associated with female genitalia.

x
V

yeah, but the editor of the nation's official dictionary should be aware...

I loved all the accents that I heard during my 7 month stay in London (back in the late 70's)

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I remember a line in Roald Dahl's Matilda.

"You can't make a living sitting on your fanny reading books!"

It was meant in the American sense (I think), but our teacher still refused to read that particular line out loud

So... fanny can mean something other than "butt"?

 

[Boxlicker101]

Gimp also has a more innocent meaning - that's the joy of English, especially in England (or the UK) where there are still so many dialectal and linguistic divides despite the country being pocket-handkerchief-sized compared to many others.

And Stella, to some people, in some parts of England, the word genuinely isn't associated with female genitalia.

x
V

I have always thought of "gimp" as being a crude reference to a physically handicapped person. I have never heard of it used in any kind of reference to genitalia of any kind.

To Svenskaflicka: "Fanny" is also an old fashioned female name.

 

[Vermilion]

I have always thought of "gimp" as being a crude reference to a physically handicapped person. I have never heard of it used in any kind of reference to genitalia of any kind.

To Svenskaflicka: "Fanny" is also an old fashioned female name.

A gimp i also someone involved in S&M - I would assume in the submissive role.

And Svenska - Fanny in the Uk generally *does* refer to the female genitalia... in a kind of small girl/playground way.

x
V

 

[TheeGoatPig]

I have always thought of "gimp" as being a crude reference to a physically handicapped person.

I know someone with near crippling arthritis that calls himself a gimp all of the time.

 

[freshface]

And Svenska - Fanny in the Uk generally *does* refer to the female genitalia... in a kind of small girl/playground way.

x
V

Americans often learn this the hard way, when we mention fanny packs.

 

[scheherazade_79]

And Svenska - Fanny in the Uk generally *does* refer to the female genitalia... in a kind of small girl/playground way.

It still induces a sharp intake of breath when used in polite conversation, though.

And when "fanny packs" were introduced to the UK, they were called "bum bags"

 

[where]

It still induces a sharp intake of breath when used in polite conversation, though.

And when "fanny packs" were introduced to the UK, they were called "bum bags"

I fall about when I hear yanks talking about their fannies. Childish I know.

I've only ever heard of twat being female genitalia, though someone tried to convince it was a baby fish or something

 

[freshface]

I fall about when I hear yanks talking about their fannies. Childish I know.

I've only ever heard of twat being female genitalia, though someone tried to convince it was a baby fish or something

Of course, I still remember the first time someone asked me for a rubber. My first thought was, "I don't know you well enough for that." And a bum for us is the homeless person with the tin cup on the street corner, so bum bag has somewhat different connotations.

 

[Rumple Foreskin]

A children's author or her editors made a mistake.

A twit became a twat and offended ASDA (UK's branch of Walmart)

The Times - today

Has Her Twatness seen this?

Og

Have there been any confirmed sightings of, Her Twatness, since she went off for that weekend with her new squeeze?

Rumple Foreskin

 

[Vermilion]

I fall about when I hear yanks talking about their fannies. Childish I know.

I've only ever heard of twat being female genitalia, though someone tried to convince it was a baby fish or something

pregnant fish - twat or twot depending on what dictionary