Has anyone else seen the uncut episode of the Simpsons when Homer runs for sanitation commissioner. Its been repeated loads of time but I recently saw a post watershed showing of it on Sky and it contains two uses of the word W*nkers.

Firstly there is the scene with U2 when Bono starts talking to the crowd about waste. Two of the other band members decide to go to Moes. Adam Clayton says "Can I come too". The other look at each other say no and walk away. As they walk away Clayton mutters "W*nkers".

Then in the very last scene on a plane Adam is showing off his new Springfield spoon to add to his collection. Bono asks to see it then tosses it behind him. It hits Mr Burns on the head. Burn stands up, looks at U2 amd says "W*nkers".

I just wonder if the scenes are uncut in the US and whether they understand what the word means. Hilarious!!

No, it is not in general use in the US - they use other terms. However, Americans with a familiarity with British popular culture may have come across it and will know what it refers to.

There was an episode of Miami Vice with Phil Collins where he used the word to Crockett and Tubbs and got the response 'Hnuh?' So I'm guessing that 20 years on our cousins across the pond still don't know what it means.

It's right what they say about the US and Britain, 2 nations seperated by a common language.

I once watched the 'Full Monty' with a group of my American mates. They were bemused by various British terms used in the movie. Among the questions I remember answering were: 'what are b*ll*cks?'; and 'what are kecks'?

The word 's**g' is becoming more widely known, but is in fact used in the US to refer to car parking, particularly at airports.

The Austin Powers movie 'The Spy Who S*****d Me' could be freely advertised in the US, despite its formal prudery, because most Americans probably didn't understand what s******g means.

I first saw the film 'The Full Monty' not long after it had been released, in a little cinema near Eastham in Cape Cod. The cinema was really rather full, but with a full notable exceptions (primarily confined to the visual humour), hardly a laugh was heard. While my friend and I were chuckling away merrily in the back row, quite a few of the other members of the audience walked out. Maybe it should have been given subtitles for the American viewers.

There is an American sitcom called 'Married with children' and the bloke Al Bundy's wife's maiden name is Peggy W**ker.

Oi, don't slag Al Bundy off - he's a role model to all of us :)

The older ones among us may remember Captain Pugwash in the seventies; one of the crew was called Master Bates.
Never forget my younger brother talking about Master Bates and me and my dad looking at each other in amazement!

:hihi:

I don't remember Captain Pugwash but me and my other half were on about it the other day and he was telling me that all the pirates in it were rude names. Master Bates, Seamen Stains and Roger the Cabin Boy. WTF and that was for the kiddies they would never get away with anything like that nowadays

There is an American sitcom called 'Married with children' and the bloke Al Bundy's wife's maiden name is Peggy W**ker.

I'm not 100% sure about Peggy's maiden name, but she certainly came from W**ker County :hihi:

StarSparkle

I've seen the un-cut version - 'w*nker' isn't really known as a swear word over there.

I once ran in to a fast food outlet in British Columbia, Canada called Mc****s, where the manager asked me why it was that Brits always wanted to photograph their signage. :)

Joe

I don't remember Captain Pugwash but me and my other half were on about it the other day and he was telling me that all the pirates in it were rude names. Master Bates, Seamen Stains and Roger the Cabin Boy. WTF and that was for the kiddies they would never get away with anything like that nowadays

The names on "Captain Pugwash" were slightly apocryphal I think. I'm pretty sure it was Tom the Cabin Boy, although I would almost swear I remember there being a character called Seaman Staines.

And there was DEFINITELY a bloke in the "Onedin Line" called Master Bates! That I do remember! :hihi:

Honestly, the BBC.....

StarSparkle

I don't remember Captain Pugwash but me and my other half were on about it the other day and he was telling me that all the pirates in it were rude names. Master Bates, Seamen Stains and Roger the Cabin Boy. WTF and that was for the kiddies they would never get away with anything like that nowadays

The names on "Captain Pugwash" were slightly apocryphal I think. I'm pretty sure it was Tom the Cabin Boy, although I would almost swear I remember there being a character called Seaman Staines.

And there was DEFINITELY a bloke in the "Onedin Line" called Master Bates! That I do remember!

Honestly, the BBC.....

StarSparkle

Another urban legend :rolleyes:

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/pugwash.htm

And to set the Onedin Line story straight (from Wikepedia)....

In The Onedin Line, a very popular BBC television programme in the 1970s, the ship's mate was called "Mister Baines". In some people's minds this could become merged with "Master Mate" to become "Master Bates". It has also been suggested that the pronunciation of "Master Mate" was slurred at times, and some people could mishear it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Pugwash#Pugwashisms

Sorry to spoil the fun :heyhey:

And to set the Onedin Line story straight (from Wikepedia)....



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captain_Pugwash#Pugwashisms

Sorry to spoil the fun :heyhey:

Nah, I'm not convinced.

I think its embarrassed BBC executives trying to cover up their faux-pas in the 70s. I would swear blind about the "Onedin Line" - er, no, perhaps I should rephrase that.....:hihi:

It's like Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" being played regularly on Radio 1 when it was first released, because the BBC executives had no idea what Lou was talking about..... :D

StarSparkle

they don't know what the word means.....whilst i was over their for fun i used to say "have a w4nky day" to people....made me laugh so much

And 'Pugwash' has its own dodgy meaning in Australia, apparently.

Has anyone else seen the uncut episode of the Simpsons when Homer runs for sanitation commissioner. Its been repeated loads of time but I recently saw a post watershed showing of it on Sky and it contains two uses of the word W*nkers.

Firstly there is the scene with U2 when Bono starts talking to the crowd about waste. Two of the other band members decide to go to Moes. Adam Clayton says "Can I come too". The other look at each other say no and walk away. As they walk away Clayton mutters "W*nkers".

Then in the very last scene on a plane Adam is showing off his new Springfield spoon to add to his collection. Bono asks to see it then tosses it behind him. It hits Mr Burns on the head. Burn stands up, looks at U2 amd says "W*nkers".

I just wonder if the scenes are uncut in the US and whether they understand what the word means. Hilarious!!
Yes I have it on video, Bonio pronounces it Winkers with his Irish lilt.

I had to stop my lad from watching it a couple of years ago cos he started saying winkers with an Irish lilt too :hihi:

No, it is not in general use in the US - they use other terms. However, Americans with a familiarity with British popular culture may have come across it and will know what it refers to.

Quite true Lord C. Some english shows are quite popular in America. I myself never missed an episode of Absolutely Fabulous.

I've seen the un-cut version - 'w*nker' isn't really known as a swear word over there.
Joe

Right again Joe. It's really not a naughty word here. More along the lines of saying "crap".

Funniest of all are words that may mean something harmless in one culture, but something else altogether in another.

In the eighties, a newly arrived english co-worker stepped out to buy some cigarettes. He returned without his smokes and looking glum. When asked what happened, he said that when he'd asked for the cigarettes, the man had told him to get of the store!

Of course, no one believed him. What! No one gets thrown out of a store for THAT? What did you really do?!

Turns out he'd asked for fags. Which, please, please, I don't mean to offend anyone who's gay, means, well, it's a derogatory term in the US for a gay man. Very offensive and very rude. The poor guy was really upset, he wanted to go back and explain!

:) Sierra

on another simpsons note has anyone noticed how in quite a few episodes Homer has said B*st*rd ?

and i remember one where grandpa simpson says something about being old and being filled with P*ss and vinegar...
its the one with the cat burglar - Homer the Vigilante.

on another simpsons note has anyone noticed how in quite a few episodes Homer has said B*st*rd ?

and i remember one where grandpa simpson says something about being old and being filled with P*ss and vinegar...
its the one with the cat burglar - Homer the Vigilante.

Yes there is the episode when Homer falls for Mindy his co-worker. They get sent to a conference and whilst sat at a display promoting nuclear energy a passer by shouts "way to destroy the planet, b*st**ds".

Not that I watch it religiously at all...doh!

Not only is there a beer available over there called W*nker but there's even a low alcohol version called W*nker Light ... ... ... fact.

on another simpsons note has anyone noticed how in quite a few episodes Homer has said B*st*rd ?

There's an episode of the Halloween special (shown on C4 last week) when Homer sells his soul for a doughnut. Just before he does he opens a hollowed-out book where he keeps an emergency doughnut. When he opens the book there's just an IOU signed by Homer and he says "Bas**rd! He's always one step ahead of me".

There was also the episode where Homer sneaks out of the plant to go to Duff Gardens and Barney is waiting for him with a mattress tied to the roof of the car. Barney makes a reference to Princess Diana and a pile of rags which was cut out since her death and was only shown again unedited a few weeks ago.

And quite a few of the newer episodes of Simpsons (definetly the last two series) have had both Homer and Marge use the word p*ss occasionally.

Turns out he'd asked for fags. Which, please, please, I don't mean to offend anyone who's gay, means, well, it's a derogatory term in the US for a gay man. Very offensive and very rude. The poor guy was really upset, he wanted to go back and explain!

:) Sierra

Could this be the reason so many Americans believe English men to be effete?Its a rumour started by the store owners of America after being asked for cigarettes by Brits?:hihi:

Monty Burns just said B*tch!!!!

it's a derogatory term in the US for a gay man. Very offensive and very rude.

The funny thing is though, that we tend to know the American terms, because we see so many US programmes and films. But it doesn't necessarily mean we adopt them.

Fag is just not really that bad a word over here, doesn't have the same impact as I suspect it has over there. And it basically just means cigarettes!

I first saw the film 'The Full Monty' not long after it had been released, in a little cinema near Eastham in Cape Cod. The cinema was really rather full, but with a full notable exceptions (primarily confined to the visual humour), hardly a laugh was heard. While my friend and I were chuckling away merrily in the back row, quite a few of the other members of the audience walked out. Maybe it should have been given subtitles for the American viewers.


My friend's sister saw the full monty in Austrailia, and she said they gave everyone a menu with translations on it so they could understand the sheffield dialect.

Not only is there a beer available over there called W*nker but there's even a low alcohol version called W*nker Light ... ... ... fact.

There is a town in south america somewhere called W**ker, and the local football team W****r United makes a mint selling their replica shirts to Brits who visit the area. My mate bought one when he visited.

The spinal tap movie is legendary among rock fans in the english speaking world, and the character who is supposed to represent Jon Bon Jovi, is continually called W****** by the english accented Tap Members. This surely has rubbed off on enough Americans so that they know that it is an abusive word. After all many people can recite large parts of that movie verbatim, and I am sure American rock fans will be able to do that too.