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.

Only the winging ones that haven't had enough of the pom
bred out of them yet ;-)

( and yes that was indeed an attempt at satirical humour... )

Ted Smith wrote:

> 
> 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")
> 

Fishin' in the green zone again eh?

> 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.
>>>
> 
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>  
> Yahoo! Groups Links
> 
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> 


-- 
Cheers

Don Ingram


Leading Edge Design

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