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2012-08-31 Home Front: Culture Wars

State Department: ''Hold down the fort,'' other common phrases could be offensive

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Posted by Skidmark 2012-08-31 02:58|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ] Top

#1 Thanks for posting this. I have been reviewing Romanian humor(good luck with that). Under communism you couldn't say anything directly. Reading their jokes you need the joke translated after the English translation.

Posted by Dale 2012-08-31 06:48|| 2012-08-31 06:48|| Front Page Top

#2 And "rule of thumb," he wrote, can according to women's activists refer "to an antiquated law, whereby the width of a husband's thumb was the legal size of a switch or rod allowed to beat his wife."

That's of course just nonsense of woman's activists.

I'll have a Mohrenkopf now (trailing wife should know what this is...)

Posted by European Conservative 2012-08-31 09:10|| 2012-08-31 09:10|| Front Page Top

#3 I'll have a Mohrenkopf now (trailing wife should know what this is...)

A delicious treat we always got at the fairs and fests -- for the trailing daughters as well. Over here they couldn't be sold because they are completely politically incorrect.

Posted by trailing wife 2012-08-31 09:36|| 2012-08-31 09:36|| Front Page Top

#4 I have an old colleague who tells a funny story about his Commanding officer at Panzer Kaserne outlawing this delightful treat due to the PC implications. When he PCS'd, trays of negerkuss were served at his hail and farewell. :-)

Men of the ranks don't get mad, they get even!

Posted by Besoeker 2012-08-31 09:50|| 2012-08-31 09:50|| Front Page Top

#5 PC can drive you mad. Currently it's almost impossible to find out what the updated "correct" word is for a black person in Germany.

Also tw you might have seen the desperate try in Germany to include the feminine gender in words that comprise both genders.

Words are just words. What matters is how you use them.

Posted by European Conservative 2012-08-31 10:12|| 2012-08-31 10:12|| Front Page Top

#6 "Hold down the fort" could be offensive?????

Say what?!! I'm feeling really secure - knowing that the folks at State are watching out over our fair country :-)

Posted by Raider 2012-08-31 10:38|| 2012-08-31 10:38|| Front Page Top

#7 Doesn't State have more important things to do? On second thought, maybe this is the best use of there time.

Posted by JohnQC 2012-08-31 11:07|| 2012-08-31 11:07|| Front Page Top

#8 The other rule of thumb being that the average thumb was 1 inch so you approximately measure (rule) with your thumb.

Just like a yard or measure is the distance from your nose to extend hand when looping off cloth.

I nominate him for Moron in Chief.

Posted by Water Modem 2012-08-31 11:58|| 2012-08-31 11:58|| Front Page Top

#9 Another use for "rule of thumb" was in brewing beer - the brewer could tell by using his thumb at various stages of the process whether or not the wort was the correct temperature.

Posted by no mo uro 2012-08-31 12:44|| 2012-08-31 12:44|| Front Page Top

#10 I've always heard it to be an approximate measurement by Medieval tradesmen. If a builder used the 'rule of thumb' (in measuring something), then the resulting construction might be close, but not exact, thereby creating a less than optimal final result. Okay for a small structure or piece of rough furniture, but not good for something larger.

The Cathedrals were NOT built by 'rule of thumb' measurements as individual labor agreements between the Church and the guilds specifically forbade them. Dire (and swift) consequences befell those who attempted to use something other than the established measurement templates for the project.

Posted by Mullah Richard 2012-08-31 14:12|| 2012-08-31 14:12|| Front Page Top

#11 Well, one good thing about this discussion is that I.'learned two two German words (for the same thing).

This also reminds me of the (white) DC employee who was fired for using the word "niggardly"

Posted by Rambler in Virginia 2012-08-31 14:25|| 2012-08-31 14:25|| Front Page Top

#12 Here's another name for your To-do list, Mitt.

Posted by regular joe 2012-08-31 15:46|| 2012-08-31 15:46|| Front Page Top

#13 OMG! Mohrenkopfs look so tasty! I need to try one.

Posted by Large Darling of the Antelope3345 2012-08-31 16:44|| 2012-08-31 16:44|| Front Page Top

#14 I'd call that an Obama treat. Well that's what the way dark complected people would call him in the old days(Oreo was their word).

Posted by Dale 2012-08-31 17:14|| 2012-08-31 17:14|| Front Page Top

#15 The State Dept the people who don't know what Jihad really is! Hold The Fort and screw the commie nazi islamic garbage taking over the country!

Posted by Knuckles Bumble4938 2012-08-31 17:22|| 2012-08-31 17:22|| Front Page Top

#16 "Hold down the Fort!"
-Jean de la Valette

Posted by swksvolFF 2012-08-31 17:53|| 2012-08-31 17:53|| Front Page Top

#17 PC can drive you mad. Currently it's almost impossible to find out what the updated "correct" word is for a black person in Germany.

Not only there. My favorite PC insanity was a reference I read regarding "African-American Africans" where the author was struggling not to say, simply, "black Africans." Couldn't find it on Google -- they must have tossed in in the Memory Hole.

Posted by Shinter Javirong9154 2012-08-31 17:57|| 2012-08-31 17:57|| Front Page Top

#18 In America when they tried to label me as Caucasian, I said no... Alpine Bavarian

Posted by European Conservative 2012-08-31 18:29|| 2012-08-31 18:29|| Front Page Top

#19 Schwangaunian would suite me in about a month. :-)

Posted by Besoeker 2012-08-31 19:15|| 2012-08-31 19:15|| Front Page Top

#20 "In America when they tried to label me as Caucasian, I said no... Alpine Bavarian"

You go, EC. :-D

Posted by Barbara 2012-08-31 19:48|| 2012-08-31 19:48|| Front Page Top

23:59 JosephMendiola
23:39 JosephMendiola
23:13 Jan
22:15 trailing wife
21:37 SteveS
21:21 Anguper Hupomosing9418
20:39 Barbara
20:02 Dale
19:52 Barbara
19:49 JosephMendiola
19:48 Barbara
19:45 Mike Kozlowski
19:40 JosephMendiola
19:36 JosephMendiola
19:33 JosephMendiola
19:29 Besoeker
19:23 Besoeker
19:22 Dale
19:19 Mike Kozlowski
19:18 hotspur666
19:15 Besoeker
19:12 Mike Kozlowski
18:29 European Conservative
18:12 warthogswife