Do you object to the term "bird"?

AmazingMan · 12-11-2009 07:09PM #1

Just trying to test how pc the Irish lady might generally be. The majority I find are a ladiback fun-loving type and have no problem with terms like "bird".

Where do you draw your politically correct line?

Do you object to being called "love" or "darling" by strangers or do you find it quaint and affectionate?

Any other terms that get on your goat or do you think people who object/worry about this kind of stuff are generally militant feminists?

Nevyn · 12-11-2009 07:13PM

I don't like being refered to as a bird, a woman is only a bird when she take up with a worm imho.

As for people using terms of endearment it depends on context, if it's part of how a person talks fair enough, if it's beeing used to denigrate then I have no tolerance for it.

Which has nothing to do wiht being ultra pc its just to do with respect.

Oh and your attitude is funny, really you seem to be asking to find out but have already drawn your conclusions and are just looking for posts to prove you right.

Demonique · 12-11-2009 07:13PM

No problem with the word 'bird'

As for the word 'love' as long as it's not part of a sentence containing the words 'cheer up, it might never happen' (mind your own frakking business, you stupid tit! And for your information, I'm not sad, I just don't go around grinning like a chimpanzee on happy pills all the time!)

Dudess · 12-11-2009 07:16PM

Nope. Or "chick". Or being called "love". The latter can often be very friendly and warm.

AmazingMan · 12-11-2009 07:17PM

Thaedydal wrote: »

I don't like being refered to as a bird, a woman is only a bird when she take up with a worm imho.

As for people using terms of endearment it depends on context, if it's part of how a person talks fair enough, if it's beeing used to denigrate then I have no tolerance for it.

Which has nothing to do wiht being ultra pc its just to do with respect.

Oh and your attitude is funny, really you seem to be asking to find out but have already drawn your conclusions and are just looking for posts to prove you right.

well I don't see how any proof can be gained either way, just curious why some can let this stuff go and others can't!

beks101 · 12-11-2009 07:39PM

Thaedydal wrote: »

As for people using terms of endearment it depends on context, if it's part of how a person talks fair enough, if it's beeing used to denigrate then I have no tolerance for it.

This is how I feel too.

I think it's usually pretty obvious when it's used in a patronising way, but when it's part of someone's day-to-day vocabulary, I wouldn't bat an eyelid.

Actually, I usually find it quite endearing, although often wonder how it comes about that someone could address a stranger as 'love', or 'hun' or the most recent one I heard - 'doll'. Those type of terms are reserved for very close family, friends and boyfriends for me.

Any key? · 12-11-2009 07:40PM

not at all
hate the word mot though.....bizarre

furiousox · 12-11-2009 07:47PM

Calling a woman a 'bird' is equivalent to calling a man a 'bloke' imo and l don't see a problem using either term.

Dudess · 12-11-2009 07:47PM

beks101 wrote: »

although often wonder how it comes about that someone could address a stranger as 'love', or 'hun' or the most recent one I heard - 'doll'.

I think it's only being friendly though - it's easy to tell when there's sleazy intent.

Any key? wrote: »

not at all
hate the word mot though.....bizarre

Never heard of it until I was enlightened by a discussion on same in After Hours a while back. :pac:
Then I finally got to hear it recently - from the turkey's beak (Dustin). Thought it sounded hilarious.

Any key? · 12-11-2009 07:52PM

Dudess wrote: »

Never heard of it until I was enlightened by a discussion on same in After Hours a while back. :pac:
Then I finally got hear it recently - from the turkey's beak (Dustin). Thought it sounded hilarious.

Ah Dustin.
I think Its a real Dub thing.Some lad called me it for the first time when I was about 18 and I thought It was an insult. Where do they come up with these things???

LadyJ · 12-11-2009 07:58PM

Actually, I heard somewhere that it's "maith" not "mot" and it's short for "maith an cailín". Makes a reasonable amount of sense.

4zn76tysfajdxp · 12-11-2009 08:01PM

I was only those kinds of words ("bird" and "chick") ironically. They're silly things to sincerely call women imo.

Cupcake_Crisis · 12-11-2009 08:13PM

I hate being called a bird or a mot!! I also hate using the word fella for boyfriend!!

LadyMayBelle · 12-11-2009 08:17PM

I used to work with a guy who used to tell me about his housemate's girlfriend who he didn't like; he would refer to her as 'yer man's bird'. I hated it so much!

When he called me a 'more refined bird' I told him to take his bird and shove it! It sounds awful!

Chinafoot · 12-11-2009 08:27PM

"Love" doesn't bother me in the slightest. Its a real Dub term and to me its really warm and friendly.

"Bird" is just stupid and I automatically assume the user has a below average IQ.

mahamageehad · 12-11-2009 08:30PM

Bird is a silly scumbag boy word!!

I don't mind love or pet and i use them all the time!!!

furiousox · 12-11-2009 08:45PM

OK!!!!!!

stovelid · 12-11-2009 09:17PM

I don't say chick or bird I'm guilty of saying Mot, as in talking about {insert_name}'s mot. Never to a woman's face obviously!

No problem saying stuff love or sweetheart either. Would even say that to female friends in certain circumstances like greetings (alright love) or whatever. Again: not to colleagues or women I don't know though.

Novella · 12-11-2009 10:27PM

Personally, I don't like the word "bird" being used to describe a woman or a girlfriend. It's not really that I find it disrespectful, I just don't like it.

Crumble Froo · 12-11-2009 11:53PM

personally, (especially since it's been two years since i lived in ireland), bird sounds kinda weird to me. i think it's something that would have to obviously be just part of a person's colloquialism, for me to feel quite comfortable with it - though it'd have to be blatantly intended as offensive for me to call someone up on it...

but chick is a term i tend to use for most ... chicks. i duno. girl sorts sounds too young now, woman sounds too grown up, lady is too uppity and female sounds too distancing. so i tend to use the word chick. i duno.

wudangclan · 13-11-2009 12:00AM

Any key? wrote: »

not at all
hate the word mot though.....bizarre

I always thought it was 'moth', as in 'moth to a flame'....

Any key? · 13-11-2009 12:20AM

wudangclan wrote: »

I always thought it was 'moth', as in 'moth to a flame'....

I'm just not versed enough in the word

I do think Bird is used in particular parts of the country. I don't mind it at all well used to it.

Dudess · 13-11-2009 01:12AM

Chinafoot wrote: »

"Bird" is just stupid and I automatically assume the user has a below average IQ.

Ah yeah, when I say I don't mind it, I mean when it's used in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

Abi · 13-11-2009 02:07AM

Dudess wrote: »

Ah yeah, when I say I don't mind it, I mean when it's used in a tongue-in-cheek manner.

I agree. Tongue-in-cheek is fine.

Dudess · 13-11-2009 02:13AM

Although if it were said not tongue-in-cheek, I wouldn't be offended, I'd just think it sounded silly.

Latchy · 13-11-2009 02:23AM

And 'me burd ' is just an extension on ' me mot' .

Tongue in cheek is fine with me but would never refer to any womon ,known or unknown with this vulgarity ...sniff term of reference

Red Hand · 13-11-2009 02:31AM

Would any lady here go "Tweet tweet!" if they were referred to as an avian?:pac:

skywards · 13-11-2009 02:42AM

beks101 wrote: »

I think it's usually pretty obvious when it's used in a patronising way, but when it's part of someone's day-to-day vocabulary, I wouldn't bat an eyelid.

Agree. If its part of one's daily vocabulary, I really couldn't care less.

baalthor · 13-11-2009 03:31AM

This reminds me of a guy I knew years ago. I didn't really know him that well but he would entertain his friends with stories of what he and "the bird" had done at the weekend.

I assumed this was his lady friend even if she did sound a little rough.

However when he ended one story with "and then the bird got the pitchfork and stuck it in the dog and speared the dog to the door" that I thought: WTF??

So it turned out that "the bird" was a presumably intellectually challenged gentleman that this guy hung out with at the weekend, a bit like the Bird O'Donnell in "The Field" I suppose.

Yeah, so I tend not to refer to women as birds ...

shellyboo · 13-11-2009 10:46AM

AmazingMan wrote: »

The majority I find are a ladiback fun-loving type and have no problem with terms like "bird".

So those who DO have a problem with it aren't laid back or fun loving? Lovely generalisation there.

AmazingMan wrote: »

Any other terms that get on your goat or do you think people who object/worry about this kind of stuff are generally militant feminists?

:rolleyes:

Ignoring the ridiculously skewed tone of your post and actually answering the question, yes I do have a problem with being called a "bird", "chick", "love", "darling", "sweetheart"... unless you're a very close friend or relative.

I wouldn't walk up to a strange man and start calling him "hun" or "babe" or "pet", so I expect the same in return. Terms of affection should be reserved for those you feel affection for. I find it bad manners when a stranger says them to me.

If a boyfriend took to calling me his "bird", I'd be having words as well. Love Thaed's quote and couldn't agree more - " a woman is only a bird when she takes up with a worm".

Fink Goddie · 13-11-2009 11:25AM

AmazingMan wrote: »

Just trying to test how pc the Irish lady might generally be. The majority I find are a ladiback fun-loving type and have no problem with terms like "bird".

Where do you draw your politically correct line?

Do you object to being called "love" or "darling" by strangers or do you find it quaint and affectionate?

Any other terms that get on your goat or do you think people who object/worry about this kind of stuff are generally militant feminists?

Yep dont mind the term bird at all, its only a jokey term.
Love or darling wouldnt bother me either, dont know why it would, i find older men use those two terms.

OP I wouldnt say people who object to it are militant feminists, some girls are just moaney about stuff like that, any excuse to have an aul moan

Do you object to the term "bird"?

Comments