LL-L "Lexicon" 2007.07.03 (06) [E]

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L O W L A N D S - L  -  03 July 2007 - Volume 06

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From: Sandy Fleming <sandy at scotstext.org>
Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2007.07.03 (03) [E]

> From: Paul Finlow-Bates <wolf_thunder51 at yahoo.co.uk>
> Subject: LL-L "Lexicon" 2007.07.02 (04) [E/LS]

> I think she was being a little precious, or just anti-English.  In
> much of coastal England, and Cornwall I suspect, it is also the name
> of the common sea-bird, the cormorant .  We were even talking about
> shaggy dog stories on this very site, just a month or so back.
>
> I've long believed that anybody can be offended if they try hard
> enough.

But then again, David doesn't tell us how he actually used the word. We
say "shag-pile carpet" in the UK but you can imagine that if you come
from the other side of the pond you might talk about "a nice shag"
without giving enough context, and that might give her pause for
thought.

I think I myself would explain to an American to be a bit careful with
the word if I heard them using it innocently. But hasn't Mike Myers
increased American awareness of the British usage these days?

> From: R. F. Hahn <sassisch at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Lexicon
>
> I'm all with you there, Paul, whatever that's worth. I tend to wonder
> about people like that, though I totally respect people's dislike of
> coarse language.

To me, this depends very much on how the language is used, rather than
the actual words used. I'm sure I could use "latin" just as offensively
as I could use "anglo-saxon". And then again, people will let you away
with anything if you make them laugh with it.

To me, coarse language used innocently seems rather good humour. In
British Sign Language, the signs for "cheat" and "shit" involve exactly
the same movement, though with different handshapes. By a wonderful
coincidence, the two words also lipread exactly the same. And I have a
friend who's a very dedicated Christian who keeps using the wrong
handshape and every time I laugh out of context she realises she's done
it again.

A long time ago I saw on someone's timesheet in work that they'd spent
two hours "humping for Martha". Of course I knew he meant moving the
office furniture, but when I confronted him with, "Did you really spend
two hours on this?" he said with a perfectly straight face, "Yes,
without a break," and I knew I was in the presence of a master
humourist.

(Names changed to protect the innocent).

Sandy Fleming
http//scotstext.org/

•

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