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Use of B.I.F.F.O. in the Media

RATM

Since Cowen has ascended to the dizzy heights Ive noticed some print media often refer to him as Biffo. Miriam Lord ( as much as I like her wit ) seems to be one of the main protagonists.

I know its only a bit of craic but isn't it a bit crass and gutter to be referring to the leader of a country in this way? Id say most ppl took the (B)lair references after the WMD fallout as a fair jab but surely the constant use of the term Biffo in national newspapers is both disrespectful and uncalled for.

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DublinWriter

It's a bit GUBU alright.

Agent Smith

according to france24 its means
Big Ugly Fella from offaly

flogen

agent smith wrote: »

according to france24 its means
Big Ugly Fella from offaly

Wouldn't that be BUFFO?

Agent Smith

Whoops, Big Ignorent fella from offaly

DMC

RATM wrote: »

Id say most ppl took the (B)lair references after the WMD fallout as a fair jab but surely the constant use of the term Biffo in national newspapers is both disrespectful and uncalled for.

You're not from Offaly yerself? Just curious if you have a vested interest in the term

Victor Lewis Smith christened the former British PM Tony B. Liar in the Evening Standard, and never let up.

The Phoenix had Squire Hockey, Luscious Liz, etc.

Nicknames can be part of the game, tbh.

If Biffo, ahem *cough* the Taoiseach or his press secretary were to tap on the editor's shoulder, I'm sure it would cool off with an edict sent to all the hacks.

He has thick skin, so I wouldn't have thought it worries him.

monument

I've always enjoyed Pat Leahy's use of 'the Bert'.

flogen

DMC wrote: »

You're not from Offaly yerself? Just curious if you have a vested interest in the term

Victor Lewis Smith christened the former British PM Tony B. Liar in the Evening Standard, and never let up.

The Phoenix had Squire Hockey, Luscious Liz, etc.

Nicknames can be part of the game, tbh.

If Biffo, ahem *cough* the Taoiseach or his press secretary were to tap on the editor's shoulder, I'm sure it would cool off with an edict sent to all the hacks.

He has thick skin, so I wouldn't have thought it worries him.

True, although in fairness Big Ignorant Fúcker From Offaly is a bit harsher than most nicknames given to politicians; they usually have an affectionate edge to them.

That said, I don't think people are actually calling him a B.I.F.F.O., and usually just type it as Biffo. To some degree it's become a bit of a pseudo-acronym and no longer means what it used to mean... perhaps to some degree it has an edge of affection to it now even if it wasn't supposed to in the first place.

Overdraft

I suggest you all lighten up.

GerardKeating

flogen wrote: »

Wouldn't that be BUFFO?

Not if you pronounce it with an offally accent.

DMC

flogen wrote: »

To some degree it's become a bit of a pseudo-acronym and no longer means what it used to mean... perhaps to some degree it has an edge of affection to it now even if it wasn't supposed to in the first place.

Spot on. People who don't know what B.I.F.F.O. stands for might think Biffo is a "circus/comic book character" type of nickname... (Biffo, hard as nails, likes a fight, can put one up etc.)

Also, the use of TLA's and ETLA's over the years has changed. For example I can remember a time that RTÉ or BBC would appear in the newspaper as R.T.E. or B.B.C. or E.S.B. I dunno what promoted the change, I suppose the on-screen identity of the channels never had full stops.

gordon_gekko

i see nothing wrong with it , i would use the same name to describe almost anyone ive ever met from the midlands and of course offaly too

jdivision

It's his nickname, been that for years. no big deal

constitutionus

jdivision wrote: »

It's his nickname, been that for years. no big deal

thats my feeling too.

i didnt even know it WAS an acronym till this year. i thought it referenced his style of leadership in his depts. i.e confrontational. sorta like a 60's batman reference.

still its fun explaining it to foreigners now i know

Gobán Saor

Personally, I prefer the term BUFFALO -

a Big Ugly Fella From Around Laois and Offaly

silvine

Why is he really called Biffo though?

Darby

There's posters up around Offaly which read ' Beautiful Intelligent Folk From Offaly'. I'm from Offaly and so sick of hearing the BIFFO slang. I get the funny side but it's so old.

monument

silvine wrote: »

Why is he really called Biffo though?

Because there is... err... a perception that his is indeed an ignorant fella, he is big, and he is from Offaly. So, that would be - as posted above - big ignorant fella from Offaly (ie BIFFO).

dresden8

It's about time the media in this country stopped treating them with deference and started doing the whole investigative, we'll chase these corrupt ****ers down thing that the media in other countries do.

silvine

Our politicians aren't corrupt. They just know a winning horse when they see one.

gordon_gekko

Gobán Saor wrote: »

Personally, I prefer the term BUFFALO -

a Big Ugly Fella From Around Laois and Offaly

me too , would be great if they could find a word to describe anyone from carlow or longford an westmeath aswell, anyone ive ever met from those places have been shall we say a little on the surly side, plus people from the midlands speak with a traveller accent too

Snickers Man

DMC wrote: »

Nicknames can be part of the game, tbh.

True. Look at British former Lib Dem leader Jeremy Ashdown. He was only ever known by his nickname.

In fact, a lot of people probably don't know WTF Jeremy Ashdown is.

brown-dog

I only heard that BIFFO name a few days ago - my friend from Offaly was calling her dad it and didnt get it. Very funny

h8red

gordon_gekko wrote: »

plus people from the midlands speak with a traveller accent too

You type like a traveller.

flogen

Jesus lads - this is a relatively light-hearted thread (albeit with a relatively serious core query); don't have me lock it just because you can't resist throwing mud at each other and getting into the whole "your county is crap", "oh yeah? Well so are you" thing.

dee8839

We affectionally refer to one friend in college as Biffo to the point where when someone talks about him by his actual name it takes a minute for the connection to be made!! Some people never even realised what Biffo actually denotes, since they thought it was bloomin hilarious when our "Biffo" became Taoiseach, thinking it was merely a funny nickname coincidence!!

:D

I'm proud of Brian Cowen, he's had a rough start as Taoiseach but he's at least trying to weather the storm, and I use Biffo as an affectionate term in reference to him too. Chillax!

bookiebasher

me too , would be great if they could find a word to describe anyone from carlow or longford an westmeath aswell, anyone ive ever met from those places have been shall we say a little on the surly side, plus people from the midlands speak with a traveller accent too

gordon_gekko is offline Report Post Reply With Quote

jesus and i got banned from politics for a month ..harmless compared to some of this crap

megafan

dee8839 wrote: »

We affectionally refer to one friend in college as Biffo to the point where when someone talks about him by his actual name it takes a minute for the connection to be made!! Some people never even realised what Biffo actually denotes, since they thought it was bloomin hilarious when our "Biffo" became Taoiseach, thinking it was merely a funny nickname coincidence!! :D

I'm proud of Brian Cowen, he's had a rough start as Taoiseach but he's at least trying to weather the storm, and I use Biffo as an affectionate term in reference to him too. Chillax!

Reading old post... How things change.. Wonder what the responses to BIFFO would read as now Feb 2011??? Don't think "AFFECTIONATE" would be used in comments??

MinnyMinor

monument wrote: »

Because there is... err... a perception that his is indeed an ignorant fella, he is big, and he is from Offaly. So, that would be - as posted above - big ignorant fella from Offaly (ie BIFFO).

fella? not how i heard it.........

Esel

gordon_gekko wrote: »

...people from the midlands speak with a traveller accent too

They are Caravan Utilising Nomadic TravellerS then.