Saturday, May 23, 2009



Australia: Sometimes "wogs" are OK

There is a video here in which a young woman who was a bystander to a shooting uses the term "wog" to refer to what were probably a couple of Lebanese. "Wog" is a common Australian term for whites who are not of British or Northern European ancestry and is generally considered derogatory.

But in this case the speaker seems not to have been condemned, but praised instead. I am not sure of why but I suspect that it was recognized that she was simply talking in the way a lot of normal Anglo-Australians do talk among themselves and a lot of normal Anglo-Australians were glad to hear it in public. I myself use certain wicked words in private conversation too. I think it is quite obnoxious that we have to have different standards for public and private speech, though.

I learn something everyday. From the girl's imitation of what the participants said, I thought initially that the dialogue sounded Maori but where the expression "fully sick boys" came from I had no idea. It is certainly not normal Australian slang. But one of the commenters said it is most likely Lebanese. And it is certainly more likely that Lebanese would have guns than Maoris would. Despite Australia's gun bans, handgun ownership and use seems to be common among Lebanese Muslims in Sydney. That is part of the reason why the Sydney police have a special "Middle East Crime Task Force".

Another report of the story here, noting that the video concerned has been hugely popular. A Leftist blogger has a big dummy-spit about the popularity of the lady here

I suspect that "dummy spit" might be solely Australian slang: If you have ever seen a baby spit out its dummy (pacifier) and start howling at the top of its lungs, you will get the idea of what is meant. It means a bad-tempered tantrum (roughly).

There is a picture of one of the "wogs" here.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I suspect that "dummy spit" might be solely Australian slang:
Glad you clarified that. I was picturing cannibals roasting her over the fire on a large spit.

Stan B said...

15 Seconds of fame is what we will all get - the world doesn't have time to give us 15 minutes anymore....

Anonymous said...

This is the result of giving in to political correctness. It is affecting not only how we live, but even how we speak and think. Of course, it relies on weak-minded people to spread it.

Anonymous said...

Ms Werbeloff has now admitted she made it all up but she's definitely enjoying her 15 minutes of fame in the meantime.
Personally I thought it hilarious.