Apparently 'pikey' means 'cheap'

Zippie84

Apparently the word 'pikey' means 'cheap'... well, according to the BBC.,

Basically, traveller groups complained that the use of the word pikey was racist, but BBC Trust ruled that its use related to the contemporary meaning of the word as 'cheap' rather than specifically related to travellers.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/jeremy-clarkson-cleared-bbc-trust-5349445

Jeremy Clarkson has been cleared over his use of the word 'pikey' on Top Gear by the BBC Trust.

The presenter - who is currently suspended from the BBC2 show following allegations he punched a producer - put up a placard with the words Pikey's Peak on the motoring series in February last year.

Viewers complained that the sign was "grossly offensive and racist" to the "gypsy traveller community", whose children are subjected to the word as a term of abuse in schools.

But the Trust's Editorial Standards Committee (ESC) concluded that the word had been used to mean "cheap", rather than as a term of racist or ethnic abuse.

The ESC said that that the word "had evolved into common parlance among a number of people to mean 'chavvy' or 'cheap' and, depending on the context, viewers would not necessarily associate it with the gypsy and traveller communities".

But complainants said that it had been "disingenuous of the BBC to argue that there is no intended racist reference when using the word" because in its previous uses of the term, Top Gear "had made clear that 'pikey' refers to gypsies and travellers".

whether it's offensive to travellers - I'm not a traveller, so not quite over to me to say.

But as for the use of the word - I don't watch Top Gear, but on hearing the word 'pikey' I wouldn't really have thought of it as meaning anything other than related to travellers.

So, interesting to hear it ruled that other viewers would

'not necessarily associate it with the gypsy and traveller communities'

Maybe I'm the odd one out and just not up with to speed with the contemporary use of words :P

petrolcan

Zippie84 wrote: »

Apparently the word 'pikey' means 'cheap'... well, according to the BBC.,

Maybe I'm the odd one out and just not up with to speed with the contemporary use of words :P

Language evolves.

Zippie84

petrolcan wrote: »

Language evolves.

Really? I did not know that at all.... :rolleyes:

Duggy747

Gorgeous George: Oh, you bastard! I fúckin' hate pikeys!

Translation: Oh, you silly sausage. I thoroughly dislike those of a cheap disposition.

Menas

Its not a word we use over here, I don't think. I reckon the first time I understood it was when that movie Snatch was released.

Banjo String

This thread'll go well.

Zippie84

Trigger Happy wrote: »

Its not a word we use over here, I don't think. I reckon the first time I understood it was when that movie Snatch was released.

I think that I first became aware of it through Shameless somewhere mid 2000s... but did search boards for 'pikey' before posting this to see if it'd already been shared.... and found quite a few references to it... think all I saw were in relation to travellers.

Dravokivich

I only first heard of it from "Snatch." Any context I've heard for "pikey"has consistently been based on how it was presented in that movie.

One eyed Jack

Zippie84 wrote: »

I think that I first became aware of it through Shameless somewhere mid 2000s... but did search boards for 'pikey' before posting this to see if it'd already been shared.... and found quite a few references to it... think all I saw were in relation to travellers.

Aye, only ever heard it used in relation to travellers, or a person that looks like a traveller (I remember one chap on "Take Me Out" a few years back, a dating show, first time I heard it :pac:).

Doesn't surprise me that Clarkson used it though and knew of the various meanings, he's obviously got a reputation for that kind of stuff, just more storm in a teacup stuff really IMO.

I just don't know too many travellers would take offence to it really, some people would, some people wouldn't, it's not a word I'd use myself tbh, never heard of it in the context of something being cheap or tacky, but I guess it makes sense in a derogatory way.

Lapin

petrolcan wrote: »

Language evolves.

Absolutely. (Which apparently means yes indeed now).

Once upon a time a wife was always a woman and a husband was a man.

Even the meaning of the word marriage has changed now.


As for 'pikey', I always thought it meant a dosser traveller type person who dabbled in a bit of buying and selling. Usually dodgy.

donegaLroad

I have been referred to as 'pikey' on a different internet forum where my username was 'Irish-guy'. It was an online games forum and I was called pikey several times by different UK based players.

Lapin

^^^^ Fuckin Pikey

Intifada

I wonder would they excuse the word "jew" being used to describe somebody who is tight or untrustworthy

Lapin wrote: »

Once upon a time a wife was always a woman and a husband was a man.

Are you saying this is no longer the case?

Lapin

Intifada wrote: »

I wonder would they excuse the word "jew" being used to describe somebody who is tight or untrustworthy


Are you saying this is no longer the case?

Yes. The other day I heard a bloke in a gay marriage refer to his partner as his wife.

sKeith

At a guess, I'd say the bloke meant that his partner is taking on the role of the steriotypical 'wife' in the partnership. I doubt he was trying to change the meaning of the word wife.

Intifada

So he's talking about how languages evolves and the meaning of words change, giving an example of a word that hasn't evolved or changed?

sheesh

It's all a bit irish really

suicide_circus

Ryanair: Europe's #1 pikey fares airline!

Tombi!

It could mean something else. Like how the word Jew was used above as an example. Still shouldn't be saying it on future though since its still offensive. No need to throw the book at him over a slip up.

gandalf

LOL if someone said "pikey" I would automatically assume it was concerning Travelers. This stinks of the BBC don't want to fire Clarkson and are sweeping it under the carpet

Next we'll hear he was giving that Producer an "aggressive hug"

Tombi!

gandalf wrote: »

Next we'll hear he was giving that Producer an "aggressive hug"

Bear hugs are a thing. By real bears. With bone breaking results.

endacl

petrolcan wrote: »

Language evolves.

Clarkson doesn't!

:pac:

endacl

Intifada wrote: »

So he's talking about how languages evolves and the meaning of words change, giving an example of a word that hasn't evolved or changed?

Twerk.

BMJD

Clarkson's getting a sh1tload of publicity lately, he must have a new book out or something.

dxhound2005

BMJD wrote: »

Clarkson's getting a sh1tload of publicity lately, he must have a new book out or something.

The complaint was about a Top Gear episode which aired over a year ago. Anyone interested in reading the full BBC Trust adjudication, rather than relying on media reports, can wade through pages 19 to 27 here.

http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/appeals/esc_bulletins/2014/dec.pdf

Dictionaries are a great source for the definition of words.

http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/pikey

pikey (ˈpaɪkɪ )


Definitions


noun
(British, slang, derogatory)
1.a gypsy or vagrant
2.a member of the underclass

Son Of A Vidic

So 'Pikey' means 'cheap'? Pretty interesting and so it's probably now safe to assume, that 'Clarkson' means 'bollocks'.

Conall Cernach

I saw that episode and at the time I took it to mean someone similar to a "chav".

Intifada

Lapin wrote: »

Yes. The other day I heard a bloke in a gay marriage refer to his partner as his wife.

That's just an example of somebody using words incorrectly. If I call a dog a cat, it's still a dog and I'm just a bit dim.

PeteFalk78

Lapin wrote: »

Yes. The other day I heard a bloke in a gay marriage refer to his partner as his wife.

Ah for crying out loud :rolleyes:

Sleepy

Who cares if it's offensive to the travelling community? Many aspects of their lifestyle are offensive to the rest of us (marrying girls to their cousins when they're not even old enough to have a drink at the reception, their poor record at ensuring their children attend school, poor tax compliance, poor record of respect for communal or other's property, their heavy dependence on social welfare while having an abysmal record of tax compliance etc.).

The right to not be offended doesn't exist.

There are laws regarding hate speak but this wouldn't come within an asses roar of that.

If Charlie Hebdo are entitled to take the piss out of Muslims, Top Gear are entitled to take the piss out of the travelling community imho.

end of the road

Sleepy wrote: »

Who cares if it's offensive to the travelling community?

many do. you know, because the word might be offensive to some. which in a free democratic country like britain, one is entitled to have an issue with a word. you seem to care enough to post though.

Sleepy wrote: »

Many aspects of their lifestyle are offensive to the rest of us

so? if your suggesting we should be offensive to them back because of that, then you condone what you claim to be offended by.

Sleepy wrote: »

poor tax compliance, poor record of respect for communal or other's property, their heavy dependence on social welfare while having an abysmal record of tax compliance etc.).

all things not unique to the traveling community. but you don't really care about that. i'd bet you would probably not pay a cent if you thought you could get away with it. those who rant about travelers not paying tax would be the first not to pay themselves if they could get away with it

Sleepy wrote: »

The right to not be offended doesn't exist.

technically it does. one is entitled to be offended by something. whether they should be offended is a different story.

Sleepy wrote: »

If Charlie Hebdo are entitled to take the piss out of Muslims, Top Gear are entitled to take the piss out of the travelling community imho.

oh? of course you do. well, i suppose if it keeps the low rent happy. frankly, gutter trash like Charlie Hebdo would be no loss if it shut down