So, can someone please tell me how to refer to those sheep out in the paddock ?
You know, the ones that have very dark fleeces ? The Damaras ? There are white ones, light brown, dark brown... and then there's those others !

I can't help thinking that educators often just underestimate children's capabilities. It's part of the richness of language that many words have a number of different meanings or shades of meaning, and children are quite able to appreciate this.

I heard someone on the radio recently claiming that children today would almost certainly misunderstand a reference to a wicked character in a fairy story. Frankly, I don't think this is true; and if it is, then there's all the more reason to acquaint them with the basic meaning of the word.

If gay is really understood as an insult, then changing the words of nursery rhymes is just a way of ensuring that kids never learn any other sense of the word.

As for describing very dark sheep, tezza, maybe the fashion trade could help. They can usually come up with dozens of words for colours.

Here's an actual specific example of banning Christmas, and only the tip of the iceberg as Birmingham Council were the most known example among many.

"Bosses at the Eden Project tourist attraction have banned the word Christmas because they're worried it will offend followers of other faiths. Management have renamed Christmas “Time of Gifts” and a gift shop at the site has been re-named the Great Gift Grotto. Staff have been told to stop visitors saying Christmas. Eden Project spokesman Ben Harding said, “We are having a seasonal celebration so there is no need to mention the word Christmas because it’s a celebration for everybody.”

more examples here

Black coffee seems to have had a hard time as well, with some councils calling it 'coffee without milk', but further research tells me black is making a comeback, probably as it's the term preferred by black people so could hardly offend them as a result of its use.

I don't get the PC surrounding black coffee and sheep...

Black is, first and foremost, a colour. The sheep are black. That is the colour of their wool. The coffee is also black.

Getting overly PC, once again, is just reaffirming negative connotations.

David, where do you find these gems?

This is an officially Christian country. Anyone who doesn't like it, doesn't need to immigrate, or visit, or be offended, and definitely not try to change the way the country operates. Most people accept things as they are - it seems to be just the PC brigade who can't.

What other country would abandon its official religion to keep non-adherents "happy" without even asking if it would make them happy? Stop muezzins deafening everyone with the call to prayer through loudspeakers. Make Israeli shops open on a Saturday. Tell the Pope not to wear a crucifix. Force Hindus and Buddhists to eat beef, so as to save carnivores embarrassment when they do.


"Black is, first and foremost, a colour."
The PC lobby seem to have forgotten that. Remind them, someone? Make them listen - anyone?

OK then, I am happy to tell you that of my 20 Damara ewes, 7 gave birth to black lambs !

You mean dry erase boards, right?

Absolutely!

It really is ridiculous, though. Blackboards ARE black; whiteboards ARE white. It boggles my mind that people can infer from this a racial/ethnic parallel that is somehow offensive.

I'm given to understand that blackboards are on the decline due to a number of people being allergic to chalk. Therefore pale-skinned human beings are racially superior.

Absurd.

And what about the green blackboards used in Belgium? In pre-war time these were perfect black blackboards, but I've only seen green ones. What should we call these?

alienboards?

Let's resume some other PC words.

If you're invited for a chic party, you would have to wear "dark tie".

A bookkeeper can have everything "dark grey on light grey" (or is that age discriminating? Lol)

You might have seen once an episode of the "achromatic and achromatic minstrel show".

Bill and Hillary Clinton were mentioned in the "Clearwater scandal".

Superstitious people don't want to see a "Bombay cat" on Friday the Thirteenth. (Yes, Bombay cats are a breed that only comes in black). This one might of course be disrespectful for inhabitants of the second most populous country worldwide...

And the TVs (now totally out of date) would be monochrome. By the way, Barnet, my neighbouring borough, have just printed a small booklet sent to all employees why they have banned mother in law jokes. Who needs comedians when the rulers create it themselves?

I live near Blacktown, a suburb of Sydney. Should I move? We lost power the other night- is that still a blackout? Isn't there a character in 'Harry Potter named Sirius Black? I remember a band from the 70s called Black Sabbath, and a song called 'Black Dog'. Anyone for a casino game- let's play Blackjack.

The whole thing is all rather absurd, and the sooner that we can talk without possibly unintentionally offending someone, the better.

. What next? A ban on lawyer jokes? Or Heaven forbid if you tell a Chuck Norris joke- he may have to have counselling.

And just for the record, our new bull is a RED Angus, as opposed to a BLACK Angus.
He doesn't have a name yet - suggestions welcomed. The other bull is also a Red Angus, called Lenny, and I have no idea why. He came to us with the name.

And on the subject of mothers in law ... what is the penalty for bigamy ?
Two mothers in law !

Here's the whole story Barnet Council I forgot to add earlier, it's a 12 page cultural awareness leaflet so who knows what other standard cultural icons have been shot down and emasculated besides this. And what is the most surprising is I just realised it's a Tory right wing council, so the bug appears to have spread to the other side as well now as neighbouring Haringey and Camden get the general blame for inventing such oppression in the 70s, and working for both soon after can also confirm few reports were exaggerated.

It has to be Squiggy, or perhaps Hayes !


My mate said that if his wife died, he would marry her sister. It would save breaking in a new mother in law.

Just noticed - Eden project banning Christmas because of religious associations - Isn't Eden religious.