More PC muppetry

robmiller · 13 Jan 2007 at 18:44

VIRII said:
The observation that there are no martians......

...would not prove that there weren't Martians in the years 1819-1901

VIRII · 13 Jan 2007 at 18:45

robmiller said:
Who ever said anything about it coming from Golliwog? Certainly not me.

Well you did quote wiki which stated:

The origins of the term are unclear. Most dictionaries say "***" either possibly or likely derives from the generic term golliwog after the Golliwogg, a "grotesque" blackface minstrel doll-character from a children's book published in 1895. Various facetious explanations include the claim that it originated from acronyms for "Western/Westernized/Wily/Worthy Oriental/Orientated Gentleman" or variants thereof, or for "Workers of Government", "Wards of Government" or "Warden on Guard", used to refer to early immigrants into the United Kingdom. Such attempts to explain the word's origin are generally considered apocryphal and examples of backronyms.

VIRII · 13 Jan 2007 at 18:46

robmiller said:
...would not prove that there weren't Martians in the years 1819-1901

But the observation that there has been no life on Mars for x billion years should cover it.

robmiller · 13 Jan 2007 at 18:46

VIRII said:
Well you did quote wiki which stated:

The origins of the term are unclear. Most dictionaries say "***" either possibly or likely derives from the generic term golliwog after the Golliwogg, a "grotesque" blackface minstrel doll-character from a children's book published in 1895. Various facetious explanations include the claim that it originated from acronyms for "Western/Westernized/Wily/Worthy Oriental/Orientated Gentleman" or variants thereof, or for "Workers of Government", "Wards of Government" or "Warden on Guard", used to refer to early immigrants into the United Kingdom. Such attempts to explain the word's origin are generally considered apocryphal and examples of backronyms.

Yep, most dictionaries say it does. I'm not sure, personally.

VIRII · 13 Jan 2007 at 18:54

robmiller said:
Yep, most dictionaries say it does. I'm not sure, personally.

hehe so it is NOT a fact then

"andy" · 13 Jan 2007 at 18:55

lol my grandma always goes on about golly **** and how she used to go to the knitting shop and order ***** brown wool

story in the OP is just OH DEAR

robmiller · 13 Jan 2007 at 18:55

VIRII said:
hehe so it is NOT a fact then

I never said that it being a shortened form of golliwog was a fact. It's not as if it's some binary question where it's either an acronym or a shortening of golliwog.

I'm certain it's not an acronym: I'm not certain that it's a shortening of golliwog.

VIRII · 13 Jan 2007 at 18:58

robmiller said:
I never said that it being a shortened form of golliwog was a fact. It's not as if it's some binary question where it's either an acronym or a shortening of golliwog.

I'm certain it's not an acronym: I'm not certain that it's a shortening of golliwog.

But it is not a fact that it is not an acronym. You just don't think it is.

swanseajack · 13 Jan 2007 at 19:18

Don't know if you young uns remember, but the older ones should.

Remember the THE BLACK AND WHITE MINSTREL SHOW, that was taken off air as it was ment to be racist pffft.

robmiller · 13 Jan 2007 at 19:20

VIRII said:
But it is not a fact that it is not an acronym. You just don't think it is.

What are you certain of, and what is the benchmark that something must reach before you're certain of it?

There being absolutely no contemporary evidence to show that "***" is an acronym is enough for me to be certain it's not, I don't know about you.

RetiredGreyFox · 13 Jan 2007 at 19:58

robmiller said:
Okay, why does the poem have them die if not because they're black?

Because all nursery rhymes are picking on somebody.
Nursery Rhymes aren't racist because everybody gets it which is a bit like a Macc Lads concert or a Bernard Manning show.

From a young lad I always thought *** meant Western Oriental Gentleman or people with a mediterranean ethnicity.
Over the years people turned *** = black.

VIRII · 13 Jan 2007 at 21:56

robmiller said:
What are you certain of, and what is the benchmark that something must reach before you're certain of it?

There being absolutely no contemporary evidence to show that "***" is an acronym is enough for me to be certain it's not, I don't know about you.

No other possible origin has been given barring a shortening of "Gollywog" so there is no contemporary evidence to show that it is NOT an acronym.
Which you choose to believe is down to you. To put forward your assumption as fact is however incorrect.

Incidentally what is the origin of Gollywog?

Morba · 13 Jan 2007 at 22:54

Zip said:
I was waiting for Golly **** to get attacked by the PC crowed

not read past your comment, so sorry if its been replied to.

golly **** were attacked by the PC brigade a long time ago.

anyone remember *** box's? now that was racist!

gumbald · 13 Jan 2007 at 23:18

I'm proud of my Robertson's Golly collection, was gutted when they stopped them

VIRII · 13 Jan 2007 at 23:25

gumbald said:
I'm proud of my Robertson's Golly collection, was gutted when they stopped them

I say "Send em all back" (to Robertsons) :mad:

Spie · 13 Jan 2007 at 23:25

http://www.angelfire.com/wi/golly/

gumbald · 13 Jan 2007 at 23:31

Spie said:
http://www.angelfire.com/wi/golly/

Wow! Didn't realise there were so many. Wish I'd have been slightly older to collect them, would have paid more attention to which ones I was getting. And my collection consists of my dad's from the 60s and mine from the 90s, nothing in between

Anybody a lifetime collector?

VIRII · 13 Jan 2007 at 23:33

gumbald said:
Wow! Didn't realise there were so many. Wish I'd have been slightly older to collect them, would have paid more attention to which ones I was getting. And my collection consists of my dad's from the 60s and mine from the 90s, nothing in between

Anybody a lifetime collector?

Funny isn't it, people loved the gollywog, he was hardly a figure of ridicule.

RetiredGreyFox · 14 Jan 2007 at 00:48

I always think of that scene in EXTRAS with the gollywog - brilliant.

Tommy B · 14 Jan 2007 at 01:17

I've got to admit I did find the first post quite amusing. Had a Clarkson ring to it.

Perhaps the idiot just wants to get recognition or fame?

More PC muppetry

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