Think about these two words: terraced and terrorist. They sound very similar don't they? And that's how it appeared to a ten year old boy in Lancashire when he was asked to write an autobiographical essay at school. He wrote that he lived in a terrorist house - the sort of mistake I saw thousands of times in my illustrious teaching career. In fact, he lives in a terraced house.
Normally such everyday errors do not make the national news but the Lancastrian boy in question belongs to the Muslim faith. He was duly reported to the authorities and later interviewed at home by the police. Under the 2015 Counter Terrorism and Security Act, they investigated the family's laptop and took quite a while to convince themselves that there was nothing to be alarmed about. It had all been a silly mix up.
For news report go here.
Meanwhile in London, a parliamentary committee has whitewashed away a 560,000 name petition that called for Donald Trump to be barred from entering Britain. I signed this petition myself. Amongst other reasons for signing it, I noted that several Islamic rabble rousers have already been barred from entering Britain. Yet in that parliamentary committee room they dragged out the "free speech" defence, saying that in a democracy barring folk is not the answer. So Trump has effectively got away with his inflammatory ignorance and his unfounded depiction of London as a city with Muslim no-go areas.
I find it amusing that the word "trump" is frequently used in British homes as a polite alternative to "fart". Watching television, a parent might say to a child, "Did you just trump?" or that same parent might apologise for his or her own flatulence - "Pardon me, I've just trumped." And when I see images of that boorish golden-haired egotist, flaunting his ignorance and personal ambition all I can think is -"Even if you are elected, you'll still be named after a resounding and probably very smelly fart!"
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| Eagle You old fart! Trump I'm scared! |
I shall now use the word "trump" in place of "fart"....especially when the flatulence is especially smelly.
ReplyDeleteThanks YP!
Of course I am well aware that sophisticated ladies like yourself do not trump but I guess that a roughneck like Gregg trumps all the time. Is he in a trumping orchestra?
DeleteYou know, Mr. Pudding. I am not even going to discuss this ... this ...I guess he could be called a person... not in this forum. Disgusting!!
ReplyDeleteThis forum is not and never will be anything but wonderful! It is that man, Trump, who is disgusting!
DeleteYour remarks lead me to suspect that you are not fond of Donald Mama Thyme but I could be wrong.
DeleteI told two people at the office about the terrorist/terraced story. One of them said that the police visit was entirely justified, and that teachers etc. had a duty to report any suspicious statements or behaviour from their students. The other said that the over-reaction was ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteAs for Trump - I didn't know the term was an euphemism for fart. So, when Steve mentioned that, as a little boy, he loved playing "Top Trumps" with his Dad, he really referred to a farting contest...?
I never played "Top Trumps" Meike as I did not grow up in South Yorkshire. The word "trump" can also be used in relation to certain card games. Perhaps that's what Steve was referring to. I cannot imagine that he and his father sat on the sofa after Sunday dinner waiting for hearty trumps to surface so that they could be compared but you never know - Barnsley folk can be quite eccentric.
DeleteLife gets dafter but schools have always been a bit silly. My son went to a C of E school and they were studying the Old Testament. I forget what God created on Tuesday but he mentioned he had done well as Tuesday is bloody bin day and someone had to get the bin to the end of the track and my mum says it's dad's turn and he said just get your arse in gear I had been pissing about at Manchester airport looking where some cretin had left my hire car till two in the morning. We had a visit from the vicar as my offspring thought it was bloodybinday. Apparently it was taking the virgin Mary's name in vain. Car hire company employees are gods children and should not be abused. I told him to Foxtrot Oscar. Then my wife wandered in and gave me a slap for swearing at the vicar. Told her she should have offered tea and slapped me later. A miracle social services weren't consulted. Guess they would have been but the headmistress liked me as I taught empirical trigonometry to the kids now and again. it was all done with chalky string on the gym floor and they had to do their best not to step on the chalk lines or it buggered up my tangents and radians. Chaos it was but we all had fun and even those that were a bit thick could help by flicking the chalk line.
ReplyDeleteDonald Fart is a nutter but Republicans in America love nutters and the more ignorant they are the better. Recent history proves this. Fortunately the USA is a bankrupt power now or soon will be. They have printed money for years, used their natural assets and have little in the way of manufacturing. They can only try and colonise now. The Dollar is not worth the paper it's printed on and neither is the pound as these idiots we have done the same.
This, though true is in need of an edit by a master of language....Feel free. It's all true.
DeleteYour story is like a half-remembered dream Adrian. Lots of disparate elements. Did you live in a little terrorist house at the time?
DeleteWho would you say is/was the thickest out of Raygun, Dubya and Trump? Though Trump is horrible I still think that Dubya was thicker.
That is really cool that trump is a synonym for fart! I'm still laughing at the silly fart(Trump)
ReplyDeleteOf course "Red" is a synonym for communist or socialist. Are you a Red under the bed?
DeleteI guess all angles have been covered...so for once in my life...and this shall please you no end, I'm sure, Yorkie...I have nothing further to say. :)
ReplyDeleteInvariably, I appreciate your comments Lee so I am somewhat disappointed.
DeleteI missed the spelling mistake story which would have been quite funny if it hadn't been so scary for the boy involved. Just shows that you can't be too careful. I would redact the word 'terrorist' from your blog if I was you before you get hauled in by the security services.
ReplyDeleteI won't redact it but I might take it it out!
DeleteI love seeing the Republican party in a panic about Trump. They're scared to death he may get the nomination. He IS a scary character but I'm not sure I want to see him barred from the UK -- I think it's important for everyone to hear what he has to say so the world knows what it might be in for!
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