This story about the dire consequences of the British 'stiff upper lip' - or rather a British
combination of embarrassment, fatalism and not wanting to make a fuss -
is probably, like most such stories, nonsense (the counter-example of
Denmark would seem to suggest as much). But of course it has attracted
much media coverage, and was discussed at some length on the radio this
morning. (In the course of this discussion I was interested, if hardly
surprised, to learn that, of all those self-testing bowel cancer kits
sent out to everyone as they turn 60, barely half come back.) One of
those taking part in the 'stiff upper lip' discussion, and supporting
the case, was A Doctor (I didn't catch his name), whose ringing
conclusion was that we must overcome the taboo that surrounds matters of
'blood and bottoms and poo'... 'Poo' eh? Now there's a man not afraid
to break taboos and call a spade a spade.
Alas, this nursery euphemism, until recently the preserve of toddlers
and young children, is now universal, to the point where it's rare to
hear the stuff called anything else. Even in otherwise grown-up science
programmes, even in the magisterial wildlife films of David Attenborough
and co, 'poo' is always the word. 'Wee', I suspect, is fast catching
up, with who knows what other infantile terms to follow. I suspect our
plainer-speaking friends across the Atlantic must be mystified by it
all...
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The medics used to be direct to the point of abruptness, late seventies and a sojourn in Newcastle's RVI, an excellent teaching hospital. In those pre cellphone days a phone on a trolley served 3 wards, I went in search and found it in the 'men's surgical' next to a bed surrounded by the great white coated ones. The gaffer, or the consultant as the trade calls them was saying in a loud voice to the man in the bed "well, say what you like, it’ll have to come off, if not you're dead." I admire the subtle approach, works every time. Which is more than could be said for the phone.
ReplyDeleteSame hospital two days earlier, waking up from the anaesthetic, the Geordie nurse said "feel like shit huh?" we had proper nurses back then.
Not so Nige. Here is the USofA a good part of my job, working in environmental testing and analysis, deals with sewage or as it is universally ephemistically refered to by those who produce it... poop.
ReplyDeleteAs for my business, which word was itself another term much used I remember by my gran, then as someone once said 'It may be shit to you but its my bread and butter'