Angel: Will you just shut up for once?! Illyria: What? Angel: My God, the speechifying. Has it ever occurred to you that now might not be the best time for when-we-were-muck stories?

'Time Bomb'


We're Literary 2: To Read Makes Our Speaking English Good  

There's more to life than watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer! No. Really, there is! Honestly! Here's a place for Buffistas to come and discuss what it is they're reading, their favorite authors and poets. "Geez. Crack a book sometime."


Nutty - Jan 04, 2005 9:22:34 am PST #6792 of 10002
"Mister Spock is on his fanny, sir. Reports heavy damage."

So. Which of the following are too salacious for casual use: "sucks", "bites", "who's your daddy?"

FWIW, I have been chronicling the Boston Globe's censors by how they quote their baseball players. (The writers are not adroit enough to avoid direct quotations that include unprintables, so they put in [bracketed euphemisms].)

"Bites" has not been an issue, but "I don't give a shit" became "I don't give a [care]" -- that latter construction being unique to the Northeast, to my knowledge.

Someone said in September that, "Contrary to popular opinion, the Yankees don't suck", which became "...the Yankees don't [inhale excessively]". That one made me laugh and laugh, because I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was meant by the euphemism.

Whereas, both the original Pedro Martinez "daddy" quote, and the annoying chanting, perforce got full quotation in the newspapers (having gone out over national airwaves, maybe there was no point in censorship by then).

The best part is when swear words are integral to understanding what is going on (like, who said what, when, in an argument that leads to ejections/suspensions), and the poor columnists/commentators are not allowed to describe exactly what is what. Peter Gammons once explained a fight between a batter and an umpire by referring to "a twelve-letter expletive" that I am sure caused his readers to dive for the American Dictionary of Slang. (The word in question was motherfucker.)


Betsy HP - Jan 04, 2005 9:23:02 am PST #6793 of 10002
If I only had a brain...

I associate "who's your daddy?" as a sexual boast, said during the moment -- "am I giving you a great time, or what?"

I have no idea if drag kings say "who's your daddy?".


Frankenbuddha - Jan 04, 2005 9:36:57 am PST #6794 of 10002
"We are the Goon Squad and we're coming to town...Beep! Beep!" - David Bowie, "Fashion"

Peter Gammons once explained a fight between a batter and an umpire by referring to "a twelve-letter expletive" that I am sure caused his readers to dive for the American Dictionary of Slang. (The word in question was motherfucker.)

Crash must have called him a "cocksucker".


Steph L. - Jan 04, 2005 9:43:37 am PST #6795 of 10002
I look more rad than Lutheranism

So. Which of the following are too salacious for casual use: "sucks", "bites", "who's your daddy?"

The author of the article thinks 1 and 3 are okay, but 2 is too much.

Interesting. I, personally, have no problem with "sucks" OR "bites," but I would have thought that those who DO find such things salacious would have objected to "sucks" before they would have objected to "bites."

My reasoning: all I can think of for "sucks" is blow job, and not in the good way; more in the "suck it, bitch!" way. For "bites," I think of (and mean it as, when *I* say it) "This is a bite in the ass!"


Fred Pete - Jan 04, 2005 10:00:52 am PST #6796 of 10002
Ann, that's a ferret.

"I don't give a [care]" -- that latter construction being unique to the Northeast, to my knowledge.

FWIW, I've also heard this phrase in the Midwest.

"Contrary to popular opinion, the Yankees don't suck", which became "...the Yankees don't [inhale excessively]". That one made me laugh and laugh, because I couldn't for the life of me figure out what was meant by the euphemism.

Comes across as a drug reference to me.


Matt the Bruins fan - Jan 04, 2005 10:15:56 am PST #6797 of 10002
"I remember when they eventually introduced that drug kingpin who murdered people and smuggled drugs inside snakes and I was like 'Finally. A normal person.'” —RahvinDragand

An acquaintance of mine once had to explain the connotations of "who's your daddy?" to a clueless straight gym buddy in order to make him stop using the phrase while spotting people on the weight bench.


victor infante - Jan 04, 2005 10:28:19 am PST #6798 of 10002
To understand what happened at the diner, we shall use Mr. Papaya! This is upsetting because he's the friendliest of fruits.

Oh! You know what's good? The Rattle Bag edited by Seamus Heany and Ted Hughes.

This is my favorite poetry anthology ever.


DavidS - Jan 04, 2005 12:25:52 pm PST #6799 of 10002
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."

An acquaintance of mine once had to explain the connotations of "who's your daddy?" to a clueless straight gym buddy in order to make him stop using the phrase while spotting people on the weight bench.

Heh. Once you've seen the leather bears all lined up at the Folsom Street Fair you understand this is not a term to be used lightly.


Betsy HP - Jan 04, 2005 2:03:55 pm PST #6800 of 10002
If I only had a brain...

So is "who's your daddy"? originally a gay phrase? That would make so much more sense.


Sophia Brooks - Jan 04, 2005 2:13:27 pm PST #6801 of 10002
Cats to become a rabbit should gather immediately now here

I was once very suprised when people were appalled (to the point of walking out of the theatre) at a teenager (17 year old) saying "It Bites. It Bites the bog one" in a monologue. I think my offensive-o-meter is broken, though. I once really creatively replaced all the "major" (fuck. piss. bitch, cunt) in a play and then got reamed by the administration for the "Oh My God!'s I replaced them with.