BLACK, BLACK MARK FOR THE BBC

[sollersuk]

This morning, in the context of the result of the Referencum - in the context of relations between the UK and its constituent countries - within the space of 20 minutes the term "to welsh" was used TWICE.

In particular, Andrew Marr ought to know better.

THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.

This entry was originally posted at http://sollers.dreamwidth.org/

Comments

[steepholm]

Ouch!

[jordan179]

So, was Andrew punished for this, or did he get away Scot Free?

[heleninwales]

It's not an acceptable term at the best of times, but In the context of devolution, it was completely unforgivable!

[sollersuk]

Unfortunately "scot free" doesn't even relate to Scotland - the "payment" meaning is cognate with the Old English "sceatta" and the Gothic term and is older even than the word that originally meant "raider", which dilutes the wittiness

[jordan179]

I didn't know that! I always thought it had to do with the pre-18th century history of border raiding!

[sollersuk]

There's even a French cognate "ecot" (should be acute accent on the "e" but can't do accents on iPad).

[sartorias]

Ick. I haven't heard that term for years. Decades. Yow!

[jordan179]

Meanwhile, we Americans watch with bemusement, because Wales isn't part of the USA.

[sollersuk]

For clarification, it's the only nasty term relating to any part of the UK. And for those who fortunately have never come across it before, it means to renege, to back out of a commitment one has entered into, to break one's word and is an extremely offensive stereotype

[jordan179]

In America, we know the phrase "to welsh" (meaning cheat) and we know the national term "Welsh" (for the descendants of those Britons who dwell in Wales). But then what do you call what we call the Welsh?

[sunnyskywalker]

*facepalm* I fully expect an American politician to pipe up in support with something like, "But it's just like how we say 'Indian givers' and that's fine, right? RIGHT?"