LL-L "Labels" 2002.10.27 (03) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 27.OCT.2002 (03) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: George M Gibault <gmg at direct.ca>
Subject: LL-L "Labels" 2002.10.26 (01) [E]

Hi again,

Thanks for the follow up on my political labels rant. A couple of others I
had forgotten:
in Canada a New Democratic Party (socialist/social democrat) member or
supporter may be referred to as an NDPer by friend and foe alike - but only
the right wing activist will refer to one of them as an "N-dipper" - or
more usual lately - simply as a "dipper." Our former right wing Social
Credit supporter got shortened to "Socred" - but here there was an
intriguing phonetic distinction. Two distinct pronunciations were heard:
Soh-kred and Saw-kred. Soh-kred was a neutral term but Saw-kred seemed to
be used almost exclusively by NDPers in describing their hated enemies.
(One mayor of Seattle once told a Victoria audience "In Washington State we
just don't have the kind of stick-in-the-eye politics you have here in
B.C." The audience laughed - both because we knew he was right - and
because it was so surprising for an American to make such an insightful
comment about anything Canadian).

In Canada we get far more US tv than Canadian and a lot of our political
activists follow US politics and take sides - at least as a cheering
section. Thus Canada may be the only country on earth where someone can say
"I'm a Republican." (meaning I like the US party of that name) and also say
"I'm a monarchist." (meaning I'm in favour of Canada retaining the
institution of the monarchy) Since both are relatively conservative
opinions there actually are quite a lot of people who would fit both
categories. Of course we also have a surprising number of Scottish
descendants who would say "I'm a Jacobite" meaning I support the Stuart
claim to the throne. (advanced on the battlefield of Culloden in 1746.) The
current monarchs, the House of Windsor are, of course, the twice renamed
House of Hanover.
Which leads to the obvious linguistic question - Jacobites supported King
James against King George. James - Latin "Jacobus" from Hebrew Jakob
yielding Jacobite - but how did Jakob become James in English (and Seumas
in Gaelic) rather than say, "Jack?" or Jake or Jacob? Even French Jacques
sounds closer to the original. Why "James" ? anyone?

noble is who nobly does         George M. Gibault (Plantagent loyalist)

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From: George M Gibault <gmg at direct.ca>
Subject: labels

Hi all!

One last bit on labels. (I promise) An Ontario friend of mine notes that it
is possible in that province to find a P.C. (Progressive Conservative) who
is quite p.c. (politically correct). He assures me that such a person is
also almost certain to own a p.c. (personal computer.) A socialist friend I
was discussing labels with reminded me that many social democrats in Canada
support the retention of the monarchy as well - and have been described -
even in print - in an affectionate play on "Red Tory" as "tory reds." This
is the only way you can call any kind of social democrat or socialist "red"
in Canada without appearing to intend an insult.

Liberal factions in Canada tend to be labeled in association with a leader
or prominent political figure. Canadian Liberals are not so likely to say
they are right left or centre (A few say "centrist Liberal") as they are to
identify with a faction leader - currently Chretien (more left) Liberals
vs. Martin (more centre or right wing) Liberals. Some might say "I'm a
Chretien man" or "I'm for Martin." but while often labelled by the press as
Chretienites or Maritinites - "ite doesn't seem to be popular
self-description. Oddly enough, personal faction labeling can be
abbreviated to the nth degree - as in "Are you Chretien or Martin?" with
the leader's name becoming an adjective! Thus someone could say "I'm
Martin" or "I'm Martin all the way."

Now that Chretien is retiring and other candidates will seek to lead his
faction, one can hear such amazing semantic locutions as "I'm Chretien -
but I haven't decided yet whether to be Manley or Rock."
There is no multiple personality disorder implied by this sentence, so long
as one understands the current political context. Still, this must be as
baffling to outsiders as the fact that in English we chop a tree down
before chopping it up!

One other retrieval from US politics - James Carville, while running "new
democrat"
Bill Clinton's campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination referred
to the more leftward opposing faction as the "Liblabs" (short for
Liberal&Labour - a polite way of saying "left wing" - considered an insult
by most Americans). I don't know if this was his invention or a
pre-existing label - but it suggests the labrador retreiver to me (commonly
called a "lab") - perhaps continuing the yellow dog, blue dog tradition of
canine labeling of US Democrats.

Popular cultural phenomena can also be picked up in different places and
used for political labeling without any direct association. Red Tory youth
in Ontario are known as the "Killer Bees" - also, I understand, the name of
liberal Democrats in the Texas legislature - their Tory Democrat opponents
being successors to the other great factional label - now almost extinct -
the so-called "Dixiecrats."

Finally, no-one likes to be a "sheep" in politics - since this implies a
mindless follower - yet the loyal supporters of any party seem to be happy
to assert their partisanship by saying they are "dyed in the wool"
whatevers!

Proving perhaps that language is almost as funny as politics!

Best wishes George

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