Do Irish people like to be called Paddies???

Cool American Guy   Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:27 pm GMT
Yeah, but can any one tell me what an asshole sounds like?
Kim   Thu May 03, 2007 5:47 pm GMT
Whew, this is a long thread. I'm a Canuck, we call ourselves Canucks, we have a hockey team named the Canucks - clearly not offensive to us, but I think if people are offended by a name they are called then that makes it offensive. I HAVE heard of all these names, mostly from Television, I don't think I've ever heard anyone here called or call someone else any listed here ... save for "Ragheads" and "Frogs" those are both pretty popular here, we have a lot of French Canadians we have a lot of politicians in Quebec/Ontario that are referred to as "Frogs" - big news right now because someone who was accused of calling a person this 2 years ago is now to coach team Canada (Hockey - of course) in the Olympics, and I'm guessing "Raghead" has grown in popularity since 911
Guest   Fri May 04, 2007 12:03 pm GMT
Gay or just English?
B-2Admirer   Fri May 04, 2007 3:04 pm GMT
Don't listen to the "Guest" coward who probably has a nickname on this forum but is afraid of using it. He's also afraid of telling what his native language is and what are those European languages he claims to know. To put it simply he's a pathetic ignorant coward. I suspect he might be one of those folks who are keen to blame the others for their own faults.

"Guest" Coward, look at your phrase "they are the more idiots of all." And you claim to speak English? LOL.

To say that English is a vulgar language just because of the handful of obscene words is plainly stupid. I'm from Belarus, so I speak Russian and I can tell you that it has more than a hundred of obscene words. In fact Russian has it's own sub-language of such words called "mat" where fairly common terms like "good", "bad", "care", etc. are replaced by the words derived from the ones similar to but much more obscene than English "cunt", "dick", "fuck", ... One Russian politician even said "We're not swearing mat we're talking it".

From the point of view of a linguist, English is a very good and logical language, much better than French or German, not to mention Slav languages (I am talking the language itself, not about spelling). For example, English words don't have such unneeded rubbish as "grammatical gender". English is not as good as Esperanto, though, but everyone knows they are not in the same class. English is also a very polite language (probably only Japanese is more polite). For instance, politeness is the only reason why the word "thou" is obsolete. When the custom of showing a respect by calling a single person as a number of people took its roots in England it was gradually considered more and more indecent do otherwise (remember "I thou thou" from a Shakespeare play). Can you name me another language where such a thing happened?

Sorry for offtopic but I'm just outraged by such an unprovoked assault on English.
B-2Admirer   Fri May 04, 2007 3:18 pm GMT
And since this topic is about pejorative names, well the one for Belarusians is "bulbashi", singular is "bulbash". This can be translated as "potater" or "potato eater". And if a foreigner called me so I would find it rather amusing than offensive. I do eat potatoes anyway. :-D
05HO   Sat May 05, 2007 9:14 am GMT
"From the point of view of a linguist, English is a very good and logical language, much better than French or German, not to mention Slav languages (I am talking the language itself, not about spelling). For example, English words don't have such unneeded rubbish as 'grammatical gender'. English is not as good as Esperanto, though, but everyone knows they are not in the same class."

There is certainly plenty of rubbish in this statement, which has no serious, objective basis in linguistics at all.
B-2Admirer   Sat May 05, 2007 11:21 am GMT
05HO, yes, indeed, I'm so sorry for making such a rubbish statement, of course, languages do need grammatical gender, because otherwise they are too easy to learn and who needs such a language? Every serious linguist knows that the harder a language to learn, the better it is.

Grammatical gender is such a great and needed thing, for example how would the Russians know that any table has a penis if it wasn't masculine? How would they know that any door has a vagina if it wasn't feminine? And how could they survive in this world without such knowledge? And the stupid people who speak only English don't know this, poor things... They don't know how what they're missing because of their language:-((
Franco   Sat May 05, 2007 12:28 pm GMT
Is "brit" offensive?
B-2Admirer   Sat May 05, 2007 2:00 pm GMT
Oops. Just searched this website for 05HO's posts and realized that this person (who has a bunch of other nicknames here) actually claims that English words do have grammatical gender! Well, 05HO (or whatever you decide to call yourself next time) I sincerely wish you best of luck in your fight with reality.
s.jack   Sat May 05, 2007 2:22 pm GMT
About thou, you and politeness of English language. In German language it is common to show a respect by calling a single person THEY, also in other languages influenced by German like Slovenian or Czech. So this would make German & co more polite languages then English.
greg   Sun May 06, 2007 12:00 am GMT
B-2Admirer : « For example, English words don't have such unneeded rubbish as "grammatical gender". ».

Ah.

<actress>, <adulteress>, <ancestress>, <authoress>, <avengeress>, <aviatress>, <baroness>, <countess>, <creatress>, <deaconess>, <dictatress>, <directress>, <divineress>, <doctoress>, <dowress>, <eagless>, <empress>, <enchantress>, <fornicatress>, <goddess>, <governess>, <heiress>, <hostess>, <huntress>, <imitatress>, <jointress>, <lioness>, <mayoress>, <patroness>, <poetess>, <prioress>, <prophetess>, <proprietress>, <Quakeress>, <rectoress>, <satrapess>, <seamstress>, <singeress>, <soldieress>, <songstress>, <sultaness>, <tailoress>, <victoress>, <victress>, <viscountess> & <warrioress>.

<arbitratrix>, <aviatrix>, <creatrix>, <curatrix>, <dictatrix>, <directrix>, <dominatrix>, <executrix>, <heretrix>, <imitatrix>, <janitrix>, <mediatrix>, <monitrix>, <oratrix>, <persecutrix>, <rectrix>, <relatrix> & <victrix>.

<airwoman>, <anchorwoman>, <bondswoman>, <bushwoman>, <businesswoman>, <chairwoman>, <churchwoman>, <countrywoman>, <craftswoman>, <Englishwoman>, <fisherwoman>, <Frenchwoman>, <gentlewoman>, <needlewoman>, <policewoman>, <saleswoman>, <stuntwoman> & <superwoman>.

Et — pitié ! — épargne-moi l'objection : « Oui mais tous ces substantifs se rapportent à des animés humains de sexe féminin ». Nous sommes d'accord. Il n'en reste pas moins que le genre de ces substantifs est grammaticalement féminin comme les marqueurs quasi-suffixaux <ess>, <ix> & <woman> en témoignent.
06AL   Sun May 06, 2007 9:47 am GMT
Judging by the direction "B-2Admirer" was heading, it's pointless to continue any discussion with him.
Eire   Sat May 12, 2007 2:44 pm GMT
Dont you just hate the English?! They are so full of shit, all they talk about is their country and anything that is British. The latest being Tony fuckin blair who called Britain the greatest nation in the world..Yawn! ! If you muppets are the greatest nation in the world why doesnt anyone like or respect ye!?

You are a pack of pompous arseholes who do nothing but glorify the queen. God would someone ever take a shotgun and kill the bitch..! Thats well overdue.

Yes guess what, im Irish and Im a republican who loves everyother country in Europe and abroad except you anglo saxon headrecking bollocks.

Its about time Britain stood up and made an apology for all the wrongdoings it has done, including enslaving the irish people for hundreds of years. Yes its history but how can the irish people move on if the British will not admit their wrong doings. Oh i should say the english because us Irish love the scottish

Its also time that you started respecting other people and other languages and not expecting everyone to bow down and speak english..

English is a bollocks, cold language unlike other languages such as french, italian and gaelic.

Erin go bragh ye feckers
Adam   Sat May 12, 2007 4:05 pm GMT
"<actress>, <adulteress>, <ancestress>, <authoress>, <avengeress>, <aviatress>, <baroness>, <countess>, <creatress>, <deaconess>, <dictatress>, <directress>, <divineress>, <doctoress>, <dowress>, <eagless>, <empress>, <enchantress>,"

That's not grammatical gender.

It's just natural gender.

English does not have grammatical gender.
Adam   Sat May 12, 2007 4:07 pm GMT
"Erin go bragh ye feckers "

Sod off, you annoying drunken Irishman. Or I'm afraid we'll have to annex your tiny, godforsaken land again.

To all those Yanks who celebrate St Patrick's day - THIS is your real Irishman.