Monday, June 01, 2009

Cornish Lib Dems send out leaflet using four-letter word

From the BBC website:

Liberal Democrats have apologised after a campaign leaflet was sent out which uses a swear word to describe a Cornish nationalist candidate.

The paperwork was distributed on behalf of Anna Pascoe, Lib Dem candidate for Cornwall Council elections on 4 June.

It calls Mebyon Kernow candidate Stuart Cullimore a "greasy-haired twat".

It appears that around 40 copies of the leaflet were distributed. It was described by the Lib Dem agent as "some kind of prank that's back-fired".

More on the derivation and history of the word "twat" on Wikipedia.

Featured on Liberal Democrat Voice

8 comments:

CTerry said...

The Liberal Democrats: The Party of Honesty.

John H said...

Twat is an extremely soft insult up north. It is only Southerners who have given it the definition in Wikipedia. As one of my colleagues explained "its what you called your mother when she packed you the wrong sandwhiches".

Then of course you use the word in front of some prissy southern ladies. Oh dear,they do get worked up.

Anyone got a good anagram for Mebyon kernow? Me bony wonker is an anagram but is not quite there.

Dave S said...

"Anyone got a good anagram for Mebyon kernow?"

Here's a selection from the Wordsmith anagram finder:

Boney Workmen
Boner Em Wonky
Knob Enemy Row
Bony Knee Worm
Bro Knew Money
Or Boy Knew Men

Heheh!

Matthew Huntbach said...

Southerners? Does anyone really use the word "twat" to mean female genitalia? I've lived all my life in the south and never heard it used to mean that, here it's a soft word, variant of "twit", just like you say it is up north, John.

So far as I am aware the only time "twat" is used to mean "female genitalia" is when people want to make a "ha-ha, did you know what they word really means?" point, which is rather silly.

Perhaps historically the word was used with that meaning, but unless someone can tell me where it still is used in that way, I'd say it just doesn't mean that any more - it's a light insult word, nothing more. It's not like other words which derive their insulting power when used as general insults from the fact that they are still also in active use to mean genitalia or some bodily function.

john H said...

http://www.easypeasy.com/anagrams gives:

1 ) Workmen Ebony
2 ) Bowmen Key Nor
3 ) Broken Men Yow
4 ) Broken Mew Yon
5 ) Broken Mow Yen
6 ) Embryo Ken Now
7 ) Embryo Ken Own
8 ) Embryo Ken Won
9 ) Monkey New Orb
10 ) Monkey New Rob
11 ) Monkey Nor Web
12 ) Monkey Now Reb
13 ) Monkey Own Reb
14 ) Monkey Reb Won
15 ) Renown Key Mob
16 ) Berne Monk Yow
17 ) Broom Knew Yen
18 ) Broom Wynn Eke
19 ) Brown Meek Yon
20 ) Brown Monk Eye
21 ) Brown Omen Key
22 ) Brown Yoke Men
23 ) Ebony Kern Mow
24 ) Ebony Work Men
25 ) Ebony Worm Ken
26 ) Ember Know Yon
27 ) Enemy Born Wok
28 ) Enemy Knob Row
29 ) Enemy Know Orb
30 ) Enemy Know Rob
31 ) Enemy Work Bon
32 ) Enemy Work Nob
33 ) Known Mere Boy
34 ) Known More Bey
35 ) Known More Bye
36 ) Money Brow Ken
37 ) Money Kern Bow
38 ) Money Knew Orb
39 ) Money Knew Rob
40 ) Money Know Reb
41 ) Moron Knew Bey
42 ) Moron Knew Bye
43 ) Nooky Brew Men
44 ) Weber Monk Yon
45 ) Women Born Key
46 ) Women Kern Boy
47 ) Women Knob Rye
48 ) Wormy Bone Ken
49 ) Wormy Keen Bon
50 ) Wormy Keen Nob
51 ) Wormy Knee Bon
52 ) Wormy Knee Nob
53 ) Wormy Knob Nee
54 ) Bony Keen Worm
55 ) Bony Knee Worm
56 ) Bony Knew More
57 ) Bony Know Mere
58 ) Bony Meek Worn
59 ) Bony Monk Were
60 ) Bony Morn Week
61 ) Bony Norm Week
62 ) Book Mere Wynn
63 ) Boom Reek Wynn
64 ) Boor Meek Wynn
65 ) Knew Morn Obey
66 ) Knew Norm Obey

Behind this software there must be some great "Political correctness". ie it offers "Workmen Ebony" but not the other way round.

Amazingly it hasn't produced:

"Me bonk yer now"

Anonymous said...

As a child in the mid-1970s, I remember being rebuked by my Midlands-dwelling parents for using twat as interchangable with twit (of Arthur Mullard as I recall). As, now, a London-dweller of long-standing I'd say that when used in the capital it invariably has the nastier meaning, often viciously so.

Frank Little said...

The word also appears (the poet's mistake) in "Pippa Passes" by Robert Browning - incidentally, a fervent Liberal.

dreamingspire said...

The word was used in my local pub a couple of days ago, between a beer-drinker near retiring age and his friend, with the meaning "fool". But I have heard it used as a slang word for the female genital area in general, albeit a good few years ago, presumably because other words (medical or not) tend to point to specific features of the genitals and thus in general conversation become too rude or worse.