AVR-Chat

Hi Don,
I am sorry to tell you but many Australians do react to the continual
use of "Down Under" by inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere.

Funnily enough, if an Aussie says it, there is no offence felt but
just watch the faces of Aussies when a "Yank" says it. (Common
reaction is "not another self opiniated Yank")

Whereas the Aussie is not really offended (we are too good natured for
that), it in effect downgrades the respect an Aussie has for the
utterer of the words.

It unfortunately infers a level of superiority when said by a
northerner. There is also a similar problem with racial and religious
terminology.

In these days of political correctness, it would be better if it were
not used. Use "Over There" instead as we would when refering to USA.

After all, when I am happy, being a hetrosexual, I can not safely
refer to myself as "gay" any more. 

If the world maps had by chance originally been drawn with South at
the top I would be surprised if the incumbents of the North would
still call themselves "Down Under".
Ted

--- In AVR-Chat@yahoogroups.com, Don Ingram <don@...> wrote:
>
> A generic term which causes no offence at all. Poster was attempting
satirical 
> humour...
> 
> lcdpublishing wrote:
> > Uh-oh,  "Down Under" is a put down?  I never realized that at all.  I 
> > always thought it referred to as being on the southern half of the 
> > planet we all live on.
> > 
> > If it is a put down, could someone clarify this and explain what it 
> > actually means?  I communicate with many folks all over the planet
and 
> > I certainly don't want to use certain phrases that I believed to be 
> > harmless when in fact they are nasty.
> > 
> > Chris
> > 
> > 
> > 
> >>>> It's just that we in Australia are sensitive to being put down 
> > (Eg.
> >>>> references to being "down under") and naturally have the desire 
> > to set
> >>>> things straight.
> > 
> >
>