Any Australians around?

Chaos_Monkey

Hi

We're living in Aus at the moment, and can attest to their more relaxed attitudes to swearing!

I'd be inclined to think it's 'BS', but without the S. I was taken aback when having an interview here and having the word 'w@nky' used...not what I was expecting! :rotfl: I think the PP who said about the Aussie teacher was lucky to 'just' get '!!!!'!!

Oh, and it's quite common here not to have 'Radio Edits' on the radio - the presenters just give a warning for bad language in the next song. But that tends to just be for F, almost anything else would probably just get played.

gingin_2

I'm sure they used to say it in Neighbours - at the same time as they were calling all the boys a spunk ( holds breath to see if it gets past the filter )

belfastgirl23

Is it not possible to explain to your DD the context of the word and say that it's not really polite to use it? Dunno if its just me but talking to the teacher about it seems a bit OTT. I know at 8 I knew swear words and knew not to use them. And I had definitely heard way worse words than this

Gloomendoom

'Bull' on its own is not impolite or even vulgar. It's in common use throughout the English speaking world. The word is from the Middle English bull (“falsehood”), of unknown origin. Possibly related to Old French boul, boule, fraud, deceit, trickery.

Those of you that assume it is merely a shortened form of "bullsh!t" have dirty minds.

e.g. Indian election poster...



Yes, I know the grammar is dodgy!

Canadian burger chain...

tyllwyd

Chaos_Monkey wrote: »

... Oh, and it's quite common here not to have 'Radio Edits' on the radio - the presenters just give a warning for bad language in the next song. But that tends to just be for F, almost anything else would probably just get played.

When we were in the Netherlands this summer, we were listening to the radio and they played a song called the Roof is on Fire, with the chorus "We don't need no water let the motherf***** burn" - no warning, no bleeps, nothing! It made quite an impression on my nine year old DD!

Savvy_Sue

No help at all, but the common name for sellotape in Australia is 'Durex'. And I used to have a friend whose name was easily abbreviated to 'Kinky'. When Kinky was working in a bookshop, one of his Aussie colleagues called across the store, in plain hearing of customers, "Hey Kinky, sling us the Durex."

A brief lesson in UK linguistics followed ... :rotfl:

Dumbe

I don't think the word b* would be appropriate to children even in Australia .. Or at least not in the areas I have been to..

As to swearing In the workplace. I think much like the uk it would depend on where you worked.

The large blue chip sydney organizations ihave worked in.. Using b* or bloody idiot would land you in formal warning country and if not sacking at the very least no prospect ever of promotion.

Smaller private businesses are more relaxed generally.

That said I havn't heard any greater amount of offensive language in Aus then the uk.

But more rural areas may be different.

I would draw the teachers attention to it ..

jackomdj

Thanks for all your responses.

I am sure she has heard things in the playground, and she understands some words are swear words which we don't use.

I spoke to the teacher who was really apologetic, think he is going to tippex it out and replace it with a word that he thinks is ok. I get on well with him and we joked about it, so I did not go in all cross or anything.

fluffnutter

jackomdj wrote: »

I agree that it is used here, but would not expect it in a childrens book. It said "that bull I told you"

Hopefully she won't say anything more about it, but you know what they are like for picking things up that you don't want them to.

So tell her you don't want her to say it. You're in charge. Your kids come up against all sorts of unsavoury concepts and language every single day. It's up to you to manage and discuss that. You can't just block her ears and eyes. If 'bull' in a book shocks you, then you'd pass out after spending 30 seconds in the average school playground.

fluffnutter

jackomdj wrote: »

I spoke to the teacher who was really apologetic, think he is going to tippex it out and replace it with a word that he thinks is ok.

What a crazy solution. You can't go around tippexing books. If he thinks it's that bad, then remove the book, don't deface it! What next? This sort of moralistic censorship is really worrying. Reminds me of the woman in the US who wants copies of Anne Frank's diary amended to remove the references to sex and periods, i.e. the kind of thing an adolescent girl thinks about.

First it's getting rid of 'swear words' then it's editing some of the most important books we have so that everyone can live in a nice, sanitised world.