Worst insult

[Hondo]

Muttonhead

"Muttonhead," which was my grandfather's word for anyone who annoyed him.

Grandfather probably knew the 3 stooges, another is "ignoramus" Oh a wise guy huh? You muttonhead...lol

 

[Haversack]

Regarding Food as Insult: Although they are heavily frowned on today, ethnic insults made extensive use of food-names. Usually, the name of a food-stuff or dish associated with a particular ethnic group or sub-culture was applied to members of that particular ethnic group or subculture. Sometimes a form of the noun "eater" was appended to the food name. This form of insult is found not only in English but is also common in many other languages. It is one way of singling out and identifying "The Other". This is similar to what is being discussed in other threads about reactions to appearances different from the norm. While these type of insults are taboo today, they were very common in the Golden Era.

Haversack.

 

[Paisley]

Garlic Eaters, Unite!

There was a restaurant in Denver with a large sign out front: "If you don't like garlic, go home!"

 

[newspapercowboy]

Pop said

My Pop, born in 1920, liked, "ya, bum, ya!"

 

[jamespowers]

My great uncle Jack once used a term that I had never heard before for an effeminate man--Chauncey. In the context "He always reminded me of a Chauncey." He had to explain it obviously. I have no idea where it came from. He was born in 1905. [huh]

Regards,

J

 

[Haversack]

I've never heard that association with "Chauncey" Mind, it is somewhat similar to an Anglo-Indian term for a certain part of the female anatomy.

My main association with "Chauncey" is that it was the name of one of the seven US Navy destroyers which ran aground in the Point Honda Disaster in the 1920s. It has become something of a lesson about the folly of blindly following orders. The ships were travelling in line formation. As the first ship ran aground, the unmistakable sound of it could be heard on the ships following. Orders, however, could not be disobeyed and one-by-one, the ships piled up on the coast. The father of my dad's best friend, (who grew up near Point Honda) once told me that Chauncey was an unlucky name for a navy ship as the first two ships of that name came to unhappy ends.

Haversack.

 

[jamespowers]

I've never heard that association with "Chauncey" Mind, it is somewhat similar to an Anglo-Indian term for a certain part of the female anatomy.

My main association with "Chauncey" is that it was the name of one of the seven US Navy destroyers which ran aground in the Point Honda Disaster in the 1920s. It has become something of a lesson about the folly of blindly following orders. The ships were travelling in line formation. As the first ship ran aground, the unmistakable sound of it could be heard on the ships following. Orders, however, could not be disobeyed and one-by-one, the ships piled up on the coast. The father of my dad's best friend, (who grew up near Point Honda) once told me that Chauncey was an unlucky name for a navy ship as the first two ships of that name came to unhappy ends.

Haversack.

That makes sense and the timeline is correct. It makes some of the meaning more clear. :cheers1:

Regards,

J

 

[Haversack]

I looked around a little bit and here is a link to an aerial photo of the Point Hond Disaster.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/0526105.jpg

Haversack.

 

[jamespowers]

I looked around a little bit and here is a link to an aerial photo of the Point Hond Disaster.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/0526105.jpg

Haversack.

Darn it won't let me see it.

Regards,

J

 

[Mojave Jack]

The Navy and their ship names

Yeah, talk about an unlucky name, the ship I was on while I was in the Marine Corps was...the USS Ponce. We always knew the, shall we say, negative social connotations associated with the name, and we got no end of ribbing from the guys on the other ships in our float for it, too.

Thanks, US Navy!

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Point Honda:

Was this also known as "Devil's Jaw"? I read something about that in one of those sea history magazines many years ago.

 

[Mojave Jack]

Point Honda:

Was this also known as "Devil's Jaw"? I read something about that in one of those sea history magazines many years ago.

Nice pic, Tony. Those are all four-pipers, also called four-stackers, the first American destroyers purpose-built to hunt subs. They were great ships and served all the way through WWII, both in the American and the British navies. They came into service too late for WWI, but they were excellent sub hunters.

The one that's profile is visible there is the Woodbury, DD-309.

 

[Samsa]

For further anthropology of the word ponce please see Withnail & I immediately.

You'll like it.


In my neck of the woods the worst thing a guy could be called was a scab.

I was just about to make a Withnail & I comment, but you beat me to it! That's one of my favorite movies. And the scene in the bar when Marwood is called "ponce" has to be one of my favorite scenes in the movie.

 

[BigSleep]

For further anthropology of the word ponce please see Withnail & I immediately.

You'll like it.


In my neck of the woods the worst thing a guy could be called was a scab.

Yeah that was a common one in Detroit where I grew up. A scab was a guy who crossed a strike picket line. It could be a dangerous thing to do.

 

[Michaelson]

Nice pic, Tony. Those are all four-pipers, also called four-stackers, the first American destroyers purpose-built to hunt subs. They were great ships and served all the way through WWII, both in the American and the British navies. They came into service too late for WWI, but they were excellent sub hunters.

The one that's profile is visible there is the Woodbury, DD-309.

My Dad served on one during the War on sub patrol between NYC and Havana, Cuba.

One story he told was the fact one of the assigned Captains on his ship got blind drunk and ran the ship at full speed into the end of their dock in Havana, cutting it in half for over half it's length, and knocking every building over built along it's edge.

They relieved the Captain of duty, but later that evening caught him even DRUNKER (if that was possible) yelling 'the Germans had landed', and was preparing to open fire from a beach gun emplacement on the incoming U.S. fleet!

Needless to say, the guy completely disappeared from the roster, and was quietly 'retired' from the service.lol

Regards! Michaelson

 

[Spatterdash]

Insults?

Gold Brick and Jackenape come to mind.
Cheese-eatin' Twit is a personal fav.

 

[jamespowers]

Insults?

Gold Brick and Jackenape come to mind.
Cheese-eatin' Twit is a personal fav.

Gold Brick. That is another one Uncle Jack used---for my Uncle Ed. lol

Regards,

J

 

[Tony in Tarzana]

Nice pic, Tony. Those are all four-pipers, also called four-stackers,

When we sent a bunch of 'em to England as part of "lend-lease" they called them "Woodbines," which was a brand of cigarette. The long, thin smokestacks resembled ciggies to them, apparently.

I remember reading about (and I built the model kit) the HMS Campbelltown, ex- USS Buchanan, and the raid on the drydocks at St. Naziere in France.

 

[Wild Root]

I don't know the worst one but, the one that gets me ready to take a life is the ever so over used "Zoot Suit Riot" phrase so many young punks here use when they see some one dressed better then they!:rage:

I've come close to pounding some one because of it... I HATES THAT SONG! I'm a gentleman, not a cheap street thug!

=WR=

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Insults?

Gold Brick and Jackenape come to mind.
Cheese-eatin' Twit is a personal fav.

Gold brick doesn't phase me,... Jackenape doesn't raise my ire one iota.

But if any man dared to call me a Cheese-eatin' Twit!
Grrrrr,....Grrrrrr,......lol lol lol lol lol lol lol