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The irony of banning a UK ad because a word is offensive in the US, while letting other ads for the same place which name includes a word offensive in the UK (b

The irony of banning a UK ad because a word is offensive in the US, while letting other ads for the same place which name includes a word offensive in the UK (but not the US), is delicious. The internet is American, apparently.

Nursie 7y ago
"Fag" is colloquial British slang for cigarette too. In very common use when I was a smoker, but that's a decade back now.
- inflatableDodo 7y ago
  Am still a smoker, people are still asking for twosies on fags.
  - stinkyball 7y ago
    "Can I bum a fag?" still being used too!
    - inflatableDodo 7y ago
      True. People even manage to ask if they can have a wee suck on my fag when I'm done 'cos they are absolutely gagging, without even giggling once.
- indy 7y ago
  Top tip: If your British and flying to the US don't say "I could murder a fag" as soon as you step off the airplane. ("I could murder a fag" === "I really want to smoke a cigarette")
  - jsilence 7y ago
    You're
- tombrossman 7y ago
  American living in Britain here, and I have this page bookmarked (and must refer to it frequently): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_British_terms_not_widely_used_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_British_terms_not_...
inflatableDodo 7y ago
> includes a word offensive in the UK In the UK, 'fanny' is pretty much the least offensive term for female genitals available, other than vagina, however vagina is considered a bit clinical. A friend of mine uses the term 'foo-foo' instead, which I find hysterically funny.
- DanBC 7y ago
  I don't understand the downvotes here. There's a long list of British slang words to describe female genitals, and fanny is about the softest.
- hprotagonist 7y ago
  the image of an american tourist in london discussing the odd return of fanny packs from the 80s/90s just came to mind as a result.
- PeterStuer 7y ago
  Fanny is even a normal first name here, as is Dick by the way.
- carlmr 7y ago
  >A friend of mine uses the term 'foo-foo' instead, which I find hysterically funny. Are they French by any chance? The French have the word foufoune. (pronounced foo-foon)
  - inflatableDodo 7y ago
    I didn't know that, thanks. That is probably where she has got it from. She's English, however her partner is French but grew up in the UK.
thecleaner 7y ago
I guess Uk should have built a competing search engine then. Of course Google is American(ish).
chmod775 7y ago
> The internet is American, apparently. Whatever is posted online, you can find someone who is offended by it. Americans need to stop being afraid of words. I am actually worried this might seep into my culture at some point. It's fine to hold politicians and such to higher standards, expecting them to choose their words carefully. That's why it's called political correctness. But going around trying to police people's speech in everyday colloquial language, such as Google is doing here, is a road that will lead to disaster in many ways. Steve Hughes did a pretty famous 'rant' on the subject: https://youtu.be/fHMoDt3nSHs?t=202 https://youtu.be/fHMoDt3nSHs?t=202
- theandrewbailey 7y ago
  > Americans need to stop being afraid of words. I am actually worried this might seep into my culture at some point. I'm not sure which culture is yours, but the British are way ahead on being afraid of words. Posting rap lyrics or teaching a pug tricks has got people court dates. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-43816921 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-43816921 https://www.newsweek.com/youtuber-count-dankula-avoids-jail-following-hate-crime-conviction-teaching-896831 https://www.newsweek.com/youtuber-count-dankula-avoids-jail-...
  - the_seraphim 7y ago
    the nazi salute one is pretty cut and dry... its not really funny and it is offensive according to law. the interesting case is the rap lyrics, because those are published across the internet, media, TV, cd sleeves with lyrics in etc. Why aren't they in the prosecutions line of sight? I may complain about a rappers use of offensive language to my local police station to see if i can get kanye in court
- GaryNumanVevo 7y ago
  Words have meaning, in specifics, historical meaning. Calling someone a "dolt" doesn't have near the impact as calling someone "f" comes with it the decades of violence associated with the word.
amaccuish 7y ago
I'm confused. I'm from the UK, gay, and never heard of the food and know "faggot" only as a pejorative.

Nursie 7y ago

"Fag" is colloquial British slang for cigarette too. In very common use when I was a smoker, but that's a decade back now.

inflatableDodo 7y ago
Am still a smoker, people are still asking for twosies on fags.
- stinkyball 7y ago
  "Can I bum a fag?" still being used too!
  - inflatableDodo 7y ago
    True. People even manage to ask if they can have a wee suck on my fag when I'm done 'cos they are absolutely gagging, without even giggling once.
indy 7y ago
Top tip: If your British and flying to the US don't say "I could murder a fag" as soon as you step off the airplane. ("I could murder a fag" === "I really want to smoke a cigarette")
- jsilence 7y ago
  You're
tombrossman 7y ago
American living in Britain here, and I have this page bookmarked (and must refer to it frequently): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_British_terms_not_widely_used_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_British_terms_not_...

inflatableDodo 7y ago

> includes a word offensive in the UK In the UK, 'fanny' is pretty much the least offensive term for female genitals available, other than vagina, however vagina is considered a bit clinical. A friend of mine uses the term 'foo-foo' instead, which I find hysterically funny.

DanBC 7y ago
I don't understand the downvotes here. There's a long list of British slang words to describe female genitals, and fanny is about the softest.
hprotagonist 7y ago
the image of an american tourist in london discussing the odd return of fanny packs from the 80s/90s just came to mind as a result.
PeterStuer 7y ago
Fanny is even a normal first name here, as is Dick by the way.
carlmr 7y ago
>A friend of mine uses the term 'foo-foo' instead, which I find hysterically funny. Are they French by any chance? The French have the word foufoune. (pronounced foo-foon)
- inflatableDodo 7y ago
  I didn't know that, thanks. That is probably where she has got it from. She's English, however her partner is French but grew up in the UK.

thecleaner 7y ago

I guess Uk should have built a competing search engine then. Of course Google is American(ish).

chmod775 7y ago

> The internet is American, apparently. Whatever is posted online, you can find someone who is offended by it. Americans need to stop being afraid of words. I am actually worried this might seep into my culture at some point. It's fine to hold politicians and such to higher standards, expecting them to choose their words carefully. That's why it's called political correctness. But going around trying to police people's speech in everyday colloquial language, such as Google is doing here, is a road that will lead to disaster in many ways. Steve Hughes did a pretty famous 'rant' on the subject: https://youtu.be/fHMoDt3nSHs?t=202 https://youtu.be/fHMoDt3nSHs?t=202

theandrewbailey 7y ago
> Americans need to stop being afraid of words. I am actually worried this might seep into my culture at some point. I'm not sure which culture is yours, but the British are way ahead on being afraid of words. Posting rap lyrics or teaching a pug tricks has got people court dates. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-43816921 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-43816921 https://www.newsweek.com/youtuber-count-dankula-avoids-jail-following-hate-crime-conviction-teaching-896831 https://www.newsweek.com/youtuber-count-dankula-avoids-jail-...
- the_seraphim 7y ago
  the nazi salute one is pretty cut and dry... its not really funny and it is offensive according to law. the interesting case is the rap lyrics, because those are published across the internet, media, TV, cd sleeves with lyrics in etc. Why aren't they in the prosecutions line of sight? I may complain about a rappers use of offensive language to my local police station to see if i can get kanye in court
GaryNumanVevo 7y ago
Words have meaning, in specifics, historical meaning. Calling someone a "dolt" doesn't have near the impact as calling someone "f" comes with it the decades of violence associated with the word.

amaccuish 7y ago

I'm confused. I'm from the UK, gay, and never heard of the food and know "faggot" only as a pejorative.