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Posted on 11/15/2011 3:21:49 PM PST by presidio9
The BBC's Business Editor Robert Peston has dismissed homophobia claims against him as 'bonkers', after he used the term 'Queer Street'. Mr Peston used the term on his blog to describe the European financial crisis. He also posted a link to the blog on his Twitter account, where he has 95,000 followers. In praising the UK's handling of the situation, he wrote: 'The Debt Management Office, has taken a reassuringly long-term approach to managing the UK government's debts - and without its prudence, we might all be in Queer Street or Skid Row by now.' However, Mr Peston was criticised soon after as people accused him of homophobia over the use of the word 'queer', which has long been used as an insult against the gay community. One tweet from follower Peter Scott, said: 'Tsk tsk Mr P, not quite homophobic but a bit homo-frowny'. Two hours later Mr Peston was moved to comment on the row and dispatched another tweet. It read: 'Some of you seem to think my use of the phrase "Queer Street" is in some way homophobic. Bonkers.'
The tweet included a link to the Wikipedia page detailing the origin of the term Queer Street. While Peston was criticisied in some quarters, he has been robustly defended in
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
Oh, the hugh manatee! Don’t tell me he also used “niggardly” ... he’d have to be shot!
Being called a homophobe is the 21st century equivalent of being labeled a heretic in the Middle Ages.
You need to steer clear of queer.
It wouldn’t make any sense to describe the European financial crisis as “so gay”.
You can tell it was invented by some ignoramus. It either means man-fear or same-fear. It certainly doesn’t mean fear of homosexuals which would be homosexualiphobia or homosexualiphobic.
A phobia is an irrational fear and abnormal.
Boxing and football too - when hit, wobbly, dizzy, etc. and unsure of where one might be
Actually, the left is in danger of cheapening that word to the point where it has no effective meaning, the same way they have done with "racist" and "nazi." People on this website are begininng to do the same with "RINO."
Those limey’s have the strangest names for things. Whoops!!!
Ironically, Peston always comes across on the BBC as a bit camp himself.
What a fag!
“not quite homophobic but a bit homo-frowny’”
Homo-frowny?
Here in America, we prefer "redcoats."
If you've read any 19th c. English fiction, it's obvious that this expression has nothing to do with homosexuals. Conan Doyle, Kipling, Rider Haggard, Dickens, and I think Trollope all used "he'll find himself in Queer Street" to mean that somebody was getting himself into trouble.
Often financial, but not always. The constable in "The Adventure of the Second Stain" was in trouble because he let a woman into a crime scene (of course she was an associate of the spy who hid the stolen letter in the secret compartment under the carpet . . . . fortunately Sherlock Holmes was up to the game.)
Kipling also used the term "queer as Dick's hatband" in a short story, "The Dog Hervey". It often means physically ill, but can also mean a little bit crazy.
Queer just doesn't mean what it used to mean. Some of us haven't caught up yet.
Very accurate assessment. I can go back in memory to the 1930's. I remember the saying was quite common in that a person was "feeling queer". I would presume it came from the fact that a person coming over sick,had a strange white faced look. Often not immediately responding, while they grappled with an awful feeling.
It was also used off hand, such as "queer state of affairs". One day finally the politically correct censors will come a "right cropper". This is if there is any justice left.
I enjoy collecting interesting expressions. I read a lot of 19th c. British fiction and picked up the current slang, including some thieves' cant and tinkers' argot (mostly from George Borrow), but recently branched out and have had a wonderful time reading this little book:
Aussie slang is to say the least colorful, a great deal of it is of course English in origin.
I have done that ONCE (I usually get too far forward and roll off over one shoulder or the other) and hope never to do it again. You land on your back and it knocks every ounce of wind out of you, as one of Kipling's fox-hunting characters said.
At least my horse very kindly came back for me. He was a good sort.
Well, I have learned something! Often used the saying “coming a cropper”, did not know the origin.
Your two posts good for a well welcomed chuckle here. For in Great Lakes country, while still the mild weather hangs in, it (snow) is due to happen soon.
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