What's wrong with 'pissing off the fairies'?

I don't really think the sign is appropriate, but it's brilliant that he's making the grotto.

It's only fair to confess that for the last thirty years I've kept a 'No Bloody Swearing' sign in my kitchen, which I flagrantly ignore - though I do try to be careful when young ears are around. Imho repetitive or excessive swearing, and lots of slang, de-value communication in general when heard by people too young to really understand full meanings.

Rather bizarrely I also think it's good for children to hear the occasional naughty word, so they know it isn't the end of the world. But most of them are inundated with it these days. Sad as I do think it will eventually limit expression. But it was very thoughtful of you to ask fellow GN'ers their opinion, and I hope all of you enjoy the grotto with or without sign!

I think I'm probably misspelling inundated ... where's that effing dictionary?

inundated - I think it's right rosie!

we used to have a Swear Box in the kitchen but DH failed to pay up; it was for icecreams on holiday so he had to buy the lot.

Missed the point Wildswan - no one is telling fairies to 'piss off'

I'm very concerned that many grans and granddads simply don't 'get' the different between telling someone to 'piss off' and saying that something is 'pissing you off'.

I wouldn't allow my GS to tell me or anyone or even the fairies to 'piss off' but saying that, for example, this lack of understanding the difference has 'pissed me off' means that it annoys me.

annfrance I'll take you up,on your lovely offer

haporhrosie

Or even just irritated you, as it has me, anya. You're in the midst, so to speak, though.

I've come to the conclusion that, since all the grans on gransnet must be intelligent enough to understand and appreciate the difference we've mentioned, then they must simply be digging their heels in because admitting the difference out loud on gransnet would piss them off to much.

Why would it piss them off so much to admit they understand the quite simple difference? No idea! Understanding that is beyond me.

too

As I've said before, even 8-10 year old cubs understood the difference between the hammer on toe fuck and telling someone to fuck off.

What a word/phrase means as used is what matters, not its disapproval rating when it is used in its rudest form.

Always.

Go, Judi Dench!

?

I can hardly take "pissed off" as a swear word. It seems to be in general use these days as annoyed upset etc . What a lot of shrinking violets we seem to have . There are many expressions now that have lost their power to shock. Maybe I am just innured to my tendency swear when I am stressed.
But as some others have said I am one of those who use rude words .

Just wondering Baggs, does that mean it would be ok for the sign to read "don't go fucking off the fairies"? Understand your point entirely but there's a place for everything isn't there. I think the Americans use "pissed" as in angry, fed up. Read the phrase in their novels and it always looks weird. When I was in the Mob, (Wrens) pissed was associated with drinking, getting pissed, on the piss etc. Consequently it is not a word I think suitable for my DGS's use but there again he is only 5. Don't possess pearls and can f and blind with the best by the way.

Don't go fucking off the fairies doesn't mean anything to me, alima. I've never come across "fucking off". If I saw such a sign, I'd just think "Eh? What does that even mean?"

So, you see, I'd still be concerned about the meaning rather than the words per se.

Just read this thread and op.

I wouldn't buy it for a 10 year old for sure. My eldest GS is now 17 so I guess he might find it amusing but he's probably grown out of it! Now not sure at what age the window of acceptability is

Pissed meaning drunk is standard here too, as is squiffy. Who talks to kids about being drunk?

I used to think squiffy just meant you weren't feeling well but Minibags and her PE teacher corrected me, with much hilarity, when I asked for permission for her to sit out PE one day cos she was feeling squiffy .

pissed as a fart - that was vulgar!!!

Well, if the many meanings of a word are not known thereby hangs the sting doesn't it? To be "fucked off" = to be annoyed. Ask any Service person. Could ask who talks to kids about being drunk?

BTW, in case anyone's wondering why I explained different uses of fuck to cubs, it was because some of them were telling each other to fuck off. I reprimanded them for being rude! They'd have got the same reprimand for telling other cubs to "Go away! No, you can't join in!" which, in my book, and based on the universality of scouting values, is equally rude!

The hammer on toe fuck isn't rude at all. It just means ouch.

Yes whitewave but I know exactly what you mean. Were you?

OK, alima, now you're talking about inhouse jargon. If services people use fucked off in the way you mention, no doubt it will enter the general vocab with that meaning in due course thereby reducing the power of anything fuck related even further. All to the good

Meanwhile people who want to be rude will find endless other ways to be so. Without even using so-called rude words in some cases.

Here's a thing (don't know who said it): "The definition of a lady is someone who is never rude, except on purpose". I've always loved that.

I did ask why one would talk to kids about being drunk.

alima no I never get like that as I have learned the hard way that I am always sick before then so I am always very abstemious. Just 3 absolute maximum. 1 glass each evening with supper.

Baggs, do you see now why a sign about pissing off the fairies would really jar with some people if it is for a child? My eldest GC is only 6 and so far does not have a mouth like a navvy. All that is in the future for us, not sure what the general consensus is on the age when swear words/slang will become unremarkable. Language changes so quickly. I once described Michael Owen as "spunky" meaning good. Won't make that mistake again!

Cardiff I totally understand where you are coming from and also totally agree it's pretty tame but by the same token I wouldn't expect a 10 year old to have the expression condoned by its parents what's wrong for a primary age child saying 'don't annoy my fairies' when they are together in their peer groups they might well say Fxxx off and stop pissing me off to their friend but would they say it in front of or to a parent or teacher, you d hope not, so at home you should use appropiate words or else you are just telling them it's ok Just because language has gone into the gutter with a lot of young people it doesn't mean you join them does it ?

I'm like that too whitewave, been there too many times in the past. Stick to black coffee and dandelion and burdock nowadays. Lightweight!

I don't get why anyone would want to mix the two: making a lovely Fairy grotto =i.e. Nice sweet childlike pretty magical etcetc & then add something completely opposite , better in my opinion to have a grotty grotesque grotto where pissing off the fairies, zombies, & Draucula would at least be all of the same ilk?

BlueBelle Fri 21-Jul-17 08:35:15

YES!... but I seemed to have pissed off the original poster by posting a point of view contrary to hers.

So I will formally apologise... and piss off. fairy cakes to all!

There is a tree in a nearby village with a fairy door in it. We believe in them in Norfolk.
We wouldn't like to upset them so we don't put up any signs. Much safer I think.