One hardly knows what one can and cannot say these days.
The latest no-no is the word 'uppity'. Someone recently used the word in connection with Meghan Markle; and was seriously lambasted in the press and on TV. An apology was demanded.
It seems that the word is RACIST; whereas personally I'd always innocently used it in relation to those who seem self-important or arrogant.
Orwell's Oceania Newspeak is no longer fiction. The Language Police are out there, and we'd all better watch our tongues.
I expect your US readers will tell you all about it later and we should of course know better.
ReplyDeleteI know all about it, but it has nothing to do with the UK. It's like importing 'Black Friday'; are we now expected to import all their vocabulary meanings as well?
DeleteThat's why I said no doubt your US readers will be the ones for this. Nothing to do with us and the word continues the same as ever.
DeleteI do hope so. All a lot of nonsense.
DeleteIn America, the term used by rednecks for a belligerent black person was 'uppity n*****'. It has nothing to do with the word 'uppity' as used here.
DeleteMy comment said thus in different words did it not?
DeleteI thought that someone needed to spell it out.
DeleteI didn't explain that, because I imagined everyone knew it already.
DeleteWell I, for one, had absolutely no idea. If I want to say "Don't be uppity" then I shall.
DeleteOK, Boomer.
DeleteAnd although I hate to correctTom Stephenson, the Cotswold expert on American redneck patois, the word"uppity" these days is used alone; everyone knows that that the 'n*****" is implied. EVERYONE.
But, sure, keep insisting that the victim here is the ignorant old white guy who suffered no professional repercussions except for having to undergo a learning experience. Now that there is an American woman of color in the royal family, it's not too much to ask that reporters and opinion-makers learn a little sensitivity. So now, he and you know that you can't call anyone oe of color "uppity".
But, sure, if you demand your right to use a word that you now know is loaded with racism, even if it's American racism, go right ahead.
And that is why everyone hates Boomers.
I'm afraid you are WRONG Vivian. Not everyone knew about the following 'N' word. We do now, and some may avoid using 'Uppity' in future; but not all of us.
DeleteBy the way, what synonym would you suggest?
DeleteI remember when a certain blogger from France suggested Meghan and Harry might name their baby Kunte Kinte.
DeleteYes, certain bloggers in France have a sense of humour!
DeleteDoes it have that meaning world wide or just in the US?
ReplyDeleteThink I'll have to ask Mr G a few questions- just out of curiosity:)
It's only in the USA. In the UK it simply means arrogant.
DeleteI wouldn't even have gone as far as arrogant.
DeleteBut, having read Vivian Smith's comment below, not to a person of colour or an American - particularly one bigger than me.
DeleteSorry, Cro, "....bigger than I."
DeletePerhaps 'Above one's station' would be nearer the mark.
DeleteI can't believe how much we are in agreement of late. How can uppity be racist? A black person can be uppity, just as a white person can be.
ReplyDeleteTry telling the PC brigade that! They want to control us all. Personally I shall continue to use the word as it was designed.
DeleteOh really? You want to keep using the word as it was designed to do...what? Keep the lower orders in their place? To shame those whose who don't know their manners when they are amongst their betters? PraY tell, those times when you feel entitled to tell others that they are being "uppity". I long to understand the proper English usage of the word.
DeleteYes, please, tell us when we are being uppity. I'm sure you own the word because you are so "classy".
Well done Vivian; you have now managed to bring 'class' into the subject. How on earth did you manage that? You are not helping your obvious lack of understanding.
DeleteI'm increasingly cautious of expressing any sort of opinion in public, it's almost guaranteed to upset some lunatic fringe minority.
ReplyDeleteFortunately I have a very enlightened local pub where political correctness must be left at the door when entering.
There's a protest group for even the silliest of ideas these days. Best to ignore them.
DeleteSee above comment for the reason why the word 'uppity' has nothing to do with the colonel's beloved PC Brigade.
ReplyDeleteNoted.
DeleteOh you've noted something? And will it change your attitude to the something? Somehow I doubt it. You are far too keen to dig yourself even deeper into the entrenchment that age and a failing sense of judgement are warping your outlook on society and colouring the basic desire for fair play which comes naturally to the young.
DeleteAren't you getting a tad uppity Tom?
DeleteNo, I'm getting a tad tetchy.
DeleteI am a white American woman and I can explain.
ReplyDeleteYes, the word was uttered in the UK but it was in reference to an American woman of color. That makes ALL the difference. "Uppity" is a word that has a lot of history in the US and, yes, it is racist, and yes, it is wounding to a person of color and I would NEVER use it, but if you want to insist on your right to be insensitive, OK, Boomer.
Vivian, I rarely get involved in things like this and, with 'persons of colour' in the family would probably be more circumspect than some. However, if one has absolutely no idea that a word has such connotations (a situation I can no longer claim, of course), then using a word is neither insensitive or inappropriate. There would be no mens rea.
DeleteI am a white Englishman living in France, and frankly if I wish to call someone 'uppity' (whether they be white, black, or yellow) I shall do so. I think the rumpus about this usage was because the man involved had no idea that certain foreigners had a problem with it. Whether he uses it again remains to be seen.
Delete'Foreigners'?! You are really giving yourself away now. Give up while you still retain 20% of your dignity.
DeleteDon't tell me that you think of Americans as 'Honorary Brits'. Whatever next!
DeleteI think you are forgetting that you are a 'foreigner' pontificating on British moral issues from far away in an adopted country.
DeleteI'm not a foreigner in cyberspace.
DeleteOscar Wilde said we Americans and the English were 'two nations divided by a common language.' Well, in the case of 'uppity' it is unfortunately the use of language in the form of 'code words.' Here in the USA, 'uppity' is indeed a racist and horrible throwback word to the slavery days and after - when suppression was just below the surface, and hatred was sometimes above. Sorry to say, but since Ms. M is a lady of both color and American blood, this must surely have touched nerves. I'm also sorry that our good English brothers and sisters have had to experience stepping into a steaming pile of American history I wish we could obliterate. We're doing'Thanksgiving Day' tomorrow. It is a wonderful feast day I hope can be enjoyed in the UK too. That would be a better export of American things than our language darts.
ReplyDeleteTim, I think it was our lovely Queen herself who said "There are only two types of English; English and incorrect English". We are seeing an example somewhere in the middle.
DeleteAs an older, way older, woman living in the US I didn't know the word uppity had that history. I haven't heard that word used in forever or for me never. Happy to know someone from the UK knows the meaning but then according to Colin Kaepernick the first American flag made by Betsy Ross is racist. So what do I know ?
ReplyDeleteFor Ms. Markle the first word that comes to mind is Hypocrite.
I don't follow the "celebrity" news but I haven't ever heard her use the "person of color" card for herself till she moved to the UK.
parsnip
I'm not sure where she considers herself on the question of colour. It certainly is no longer a subject of discussion in the UK; she has now simply become another member of the 'firm'. In fact I was slightly surprised to hear that this farce was all to do with her colour rather than her attitude.
DeleteWell you learn something new every day. My dictionary says uppity means snobbish, arrogant, or presumptuous. I thought it meant tetchy or irritable. What is a boomer, by the way?
ReplyDeleteBoomer? No idea! Yes, my mental dictionary says much the same.
DeleteAs a middle aged person living in the South of the USA I can tell you that I only recently learned that the word "uppity" is racist....but now that I do know it, I will be careful not to use it in the future. It's no sin to be ignorant of something, but it IS wrong to knowingly use it just to be provocative once you know better.
ReplyDeleteI couldn't care less about Megan Markle. She seems shallow, vain, grasping, and somewhat fake to me. All things that have nothing to do with her race. I can understand why so many people in England dislike her and are disappointed in Harry's choice. I imagine that the less attention she receives, the better.
She hasn't made too many friends; that's for sure. She's partly responsible for the Harry/William split, and those who work for her seem to quit quite regularly.
DeleteTHANK YOU EVERYONE, THAT WAS MORE FUN THAN I'D IMAGINED!
ReplyDelete