Ghetto - more hijacked American

[Thadeus]

I didn't want to hijack another thread to talk about a hijacked word... GHETTO.

I always thought about ghetto word as typical american word. ... It does strangely feels out of place as soon as it's not a reference to an american idea, you are 100% correct.

I am relatively young [30s] and American and I have always, always associated the word "ghetto" with Jews in Warsaw, Poland. I mean I watched "Good Times" when I was a kid and heard "JJ" refer to the ghetto as an African- American concept as well, but it was always Jewish to me... Maybe it was the German nuns in Catholic elementary school that planted that seed.

Reference:

[GHETTO] The word historically referred specifically to the Venetian Ghetto in Venice, where Jews were required to live; it may derive from the Italian getto, which means both casting, and "to throw out" (from the Italian verb gettare), both references to the iron foundry which lay adjacent to the site selected for the Ghetto Nuovo. It was later applied to neighborhoods in other cities where Jews were required to live. The corresponding German term was Judengasse; in Moroccan Arabic ghettos were called mellah. The term now commonly labels any poverty-stricken urban area.

 

[sha76]

Cheers Dollie.

I have to say I find the whole freedom fries thing completely mad! I remember moves in the UK to try & persuade people to boycott French produce on a couple of occassions, which seems to have more purpose, I can't really see they'd take any notice of freedom fries!





"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[Dollie]

Is the U.S. unique in calling long strips of fried goodness "french fries"?

 

[sleipnir214]

Is the U.S. unique in calling long strips of fried goodness "french fries"?

Hey, sometimes I call long strips of fried goodness "bacon".


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[gbaughma]

<ROFL> This is just getting sillier and sillier.

I certainly didn't mean any slight with a political comment... I'm not racist, I have everyone equally! <Just kidding.... I'm really not racist>

Let's see.... Ummm.... French Fries, I believe, in the UK are called "Chips". Or, as I like to call them "Starch dipped in cholesterol sprinkled with sodium" (potatoes cut in skinny strips, deep-fried, then sprinkled with salt)

French Toast is bread soaked in egg/milk/cinnamon then fried (not deep fried, but on a griddle) then served with butter and maple syrup. For *really* good french toast, get some "Tom and Jerry" batter (not the cat and mouse, get your minds out of the gutter... oh wait... C&C ALERT! <rofl>)... anyway, thin down the T&J batter with some milk and use THAT to soak your bread in. Mmmm-mmmm good!

French Kissing is called "Snogging" In the UK.

And the ticklers... well.... ask your parents. <LOL>



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[SilentAiche]

Nice to know that somewhere in this big world, I caused someone to smile today.

I agree completely, although I've not always succeeded.


It really does feel good, doesn't it?

Tim




[blue]______________________________________________________________
I love logging onto Tek-Tips. It's always so exciting to see what the hell I
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[tsdragon]

The idea of modifying language for politcal reasons like they tried to do with "french <blank>" isn't recent. The same thing was done with all things German during WWII (and probably WWI even). They didn't stop at expressions like "German Shepherd" though. Any German-sounding word was changed to something English-sounding. It was a stupid attempt to arouse patriotism (verging on jingoism) then, and it's just as stupid now. IMHO

Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.

 

[sha76]

I have to disagree on French Fries being the same as chips. French Fries are the thin & crispy ones (as served in fast food places, for example), chips are much chunkier, still fairly crispy if you get them in the pub, somewhat softer & greasier from the chippy (they tast so much better than they sound!).

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[KenCunningham]

Agreed, sha, but you need salt and vinegar and batter-bits to complete the chip-shop experience IMHO.

 

[sha76]

Well of course you do, wouldn't be right without! That would be another big difference between French fries & chips I guess, I'd never put vinegar on French fries (though there are those that do).

"Your rock is eroding wrong." -Dogbert

 

[mjldba]

too all, sorry if I offended anyone with the "tuba" comment, it was not my intention. Guess I got caught-up in the "freedom fries .... freedom tickler" post.

 

[gbaughma]

I was watching Carlos Mencia (sp?) the other night. I think everyone has a turn at being "it".

It's funny, because some of the funniest jokes are ethnic jokes. I don't get offended when someone tells a German joke. But I know some people that do.

Interesting that Isaac Hayes quit South Park. After South Park has picked on every religion out there, Hayes got offended (and quit the show) when they took at stab at *his* religion (Scientology).

I mean, you *could* try substituting "martian" for the ethnicity of your choice, but it just doesn't work. "Going to war without a martian is like going hunting without a tuba." "Why does the martian navy have glass-bottomed boats? So they can see the previous martian navy". Without a topical frame of reference, it's just not funny.

Carlos made some interesting points in his "Not for the easily offended" concert. The first thing he said is that people would find 90% of his jokes funny... and then there was that 10% time, where people were going to say "F**** YOU CARLOS!" He essentially said that we needed to loosen up, and be able to laugh at ourselves as much as we laugh at others. There's great wisdom in that.



Just my 2¢

"In order to start solving a problem, one must first identify its owner." --Me
--Greg

 

[tsdragon]

Greg: I totally agree. There are several categories of jokes (not ethnic, but similarly directed) that I usually find quite funny, even though they are ostensibly directed at me.

Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard.