The curse of the 'golliwog' strikes again.

[LordChaverly 10]

Not much of scholar then, a simple google search brought up 260,000 images alone with 'No Irish Need Apply'.

 

As to the No Blacks, No Irish, No Dogs phrase, Lord Taylor of Warwick felt enough resonance in the phrase to use it for the title of his book: Lord Taylor of Warwick

 

It's amazing the lengths to which some people will go to rewrite history.

 

Well, in the scholarship stakes, Professor Jensen certainly has no competition from you. A basic requirement of scholarship in any discipline is to actually read a piece of published research before commenting on it. Moreover, Jensen certainly didn't confine himself to lazy googling before developing his theory. His conclusion was that he found no evidence of the 'No Irish need Apply' signs which have become part of the collective folk memory in the US and which are frequently referred (either by those who claim to have seen them, or, as in so many urban myths, through the re-told experience of a 'friend of a friend').

 

As for Lord Taylor, just because he used the phrase referred to earlier as a book title is hardly proof that he actually saw it produced on a sign (indeed, the phrase is so commonly reproduced these days that one would think that the whole of London was festooned with such signs in the 1950s). I don't doubt that the phrase has resonance, but that does not make its extensive usage an established fact. It is Taylor who is contributing to the re-writing of history here, not simply the re-telling of it.

Edited February 3, 2009 by LordChaverly

[LordChaverly 10]

did you even read the guys post? he said he couldnt find evidence of one of these signs in a public place.

 

or do you just not understand ?

 

Exactly, Ricq.

[donkey 10]

Who was she calling a golliwog and why? Where they stuck to the front of an old jam jar? Did they have cloth limbs? Now let me see . Why would anyone call someone else a golliwog? Surely no reason that could possibly offensive.

[LordChaverly 10]

Who was she calling a golliwog and why? Where they stuck to the front of an old jam jar? Did they have cloth limbs? Now let me see . Why would anyone call someone else a golliwog? Surely no reason that could possibly offensive.

 

I think she was using it affectionately, as apparently the person she was referring to reminded her of her favourite cuddly toy. If only Baroness Thatcher had bought her a Paddington bear instead, all would be right with the world.

[max 13]

The loony left? Some group of politically correct silly people who are so worked up about not upsetting certain people they say "you can't say this that or the other" on various subjects!

 

With due respect Max we know you're not daft.

 

I think you'll find, Rich, that reference to the pc brigade is quite often in your beloved Daily Mail which we all know you despise so it's surprising that you often use the phrase yourself. I'd suggest you desist else people will believe you read it.

[boyfriday 21]

everyone knows a golly is a doll or a label on a jar,about time people stopped reading things into statements that are often twisted to cause controversy

 

..as far as I remember I only started having a problem with it when it's innocent use was twisted into something that could be used offensively against me, 40 odd years ago.

[boyfriday 21]

Anyone remember Derek Laud....the black toff guy who wrote speeches for Margaret Thatcher (amongst others)....who was a housemate on Big Brother a few years ago.

 

Derek, during one of the tasks, told his fellow housemates not to upset the "Golly" (meaning himself).

 

Thankfully Our Derek's views aren't representative of the views of the other ******* of this nation

[pennycrayon 10]

If only Baroness Thatcher had bought her a Paddington bear instead, all would be right with the world

 

she did have a fav toy wasn`t he called reagan lol

[pennycrayon 10]

thankfully our derek's views aren't representative of the views of the other ******* of this nation

 

I heard the w word used in school and the teacher said actually it means western oriental gentleman ,made me giggle then still does now

[LordChaverly 10]

I heard the w word used in school and the teacher said actually it means western oriental gentleman ,made me giggle then still does now

 

Probably the most convincing explanation is that it was first used by British servicemen in Egypt to refer to Egyptians who were employed by the British authorities and so were referred to as 'workers on government service'. This makes sense because I think it was first used in relation to Egyptians and then more generally to Arabs by British soldiers (even though Egyptians are not strictly speaking 'Arabs').

[pennycrayon 10]

Well I was shocked that something I had as a child was used in such a way as to undermine my black friends,I wasn`t brought up in a racist manner at all so I would never occurred to me the use of that word as something else

[Alastair 12]

I don't know about blacks or Irish but in 1960, when fishing at March in Cambridgeshire, I saw a pub with a sign outside that read "GYPSIES WILL NOT BE SERVED HERE".

 

The entire town of Stow-on-the-Wold shuts up shop twice a year for three days because of the Gypsy Horse Fair held there. Every pub and all but two shops close.