# A child said What Is The \*\*\*\*\*? Fetching it to me with full hands. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 16, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685 "2004-01-16T00:30:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/1 "2004-01-16T00:30:14Z")
[How could I answer the child?](http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1123221,00.html) > [@](#): > > He cannot mention the green stuff which is a feature of gardens everywhere. If he does, he could face up to five years in custody. A very peculiar order. It doesn’t seem to really limit his ability to harass people-- after all, “snitch,” “informer,” “rat,” “tattler,” “fink,” and “stoolie” are all perfectly servicable words. If he can adapt to substituting “lawn” or “green” for the Forbidden Word in order to stay out of lockup, he should be able to stretch his vocabulary in other ways, no? I imagine that the order has other, (less ridiculous,) provisions to limit his behaviour in that area. So why the broad ban against uttering the most common word for narrow herbs? What was the judge smoking? (Careful!) ---
**Author:** ![Capcha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Capcha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capcha)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/2 "2004-01-16T00:42:23Z")
I don’t really get it. If he has been such a terror to his community, and have damaged and stolen things, why not already put him in ‘detention’? Secondly, why bann the word _grass_? Why not the cussing ones? I’m lost here. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/3 "2004-01-16T00:53:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Secondly, why bann the word [redacted]? Watch it, missy! I’m putting you on notice. One more stunt like that and your ass is… erm, gonna be in a sling. Yeah. ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/4 "2004-01-16T00:54:59Z")
Well he is also banned from saying ‘cripple’ as well, and no report I can find gives what it claims is a complete list of his restricted words. My guess is sensationalist reporting not mentioning that he would be similarly in trouble for any swear words as well. Still dissalowing the use of the word grass is stupid, surely they could dissalow him from calling anyone a grass instead? ---
**Author:** ![Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ac8455/32.png) [@Bippy\_the\_Beardless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bippy_the_Beardless)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/5 "2004-01-16T00:58:17Z")
Yes, the full list of words he must not use is here [http://www.manchester.gov.uk/news/2004/jan/offensive.htm](http://www.manchester.gov.uk/news/2004/jan/offensive.htm) Including ‘Paki’ which in UK is as offensive is the n word in US. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/6 "2004-01-16T01:08:22Z")
Let’s see if I’ve got this straight. This youngster has been terrorizing his neighbors for years, often using abusive language. The court has responded to this by saying, essentially, “knock of with the bad language”. :rolleyes: I guess the point is, if you are going to be a British thug, by God you are going to be a polite well spoken British thug! ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/7 "2004-01-16T01:08:27Z")
Thanks for the link, **Bippy**. In Canada, “Paki” is only considered acceptable by racist louts, too. Is the hateful connotation a Commonwealth-wide thing? Blanket ban on “slag,” as well? I guess that career at the smelter he dreamt of is right out then, eh? Seriously, though-- what a little dick. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/8 "2004-01-16T01:11:00Z")
**Ponder** , check out **BtB** ’s link: > [@](#): > > Tutin is also banned from […] engaging in conduct likely to cause another person fear for their safety or property. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/9 "2004-01-16T01:14:26Z")
I’ll have to confess a bit of ingnorance here. Is grass a common bigoted slur? I’ve never heard it as one, and I really have no idea what is going on there. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/10 "2004-01-16T01:17:44Z")
Well, I guess with the extra proviso (that’s what I get for not reading the link) it makes sense … :smack: Darn, and this was good rant material, too! ---
**Author:** ![Largo62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@Largo62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Largo62)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/11 "2004-01-16T02:58:59Z")
Well, I suppose if the little twit (I’m an American…can I say “twit”?) ever gets a little culture and goes for American poetry, he’ll have to steer clear of Walt Whitman. You know, _Leaves of Herbage of which the blades or leaves and stalks are eaten by cattle, sheep, horses, etc._. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/12 "2004-01-16T03:02:15Z")
> [@Ponder Stibbons](#): > > Let’s see if I’ve got this straight. This youngster has been terrorizing his neighbors for years, often using abusive language. The court has responded to this by saying, essentially, “knock of with the bad language”. You ever seen those “world’s worst driver” specials from the UK? They’ll have helicopter and police-dashboard video footage of some complete wackjob plowing his Mercedes the wrong way up a rush-hour freeway, destroying property and knocking over pedestrians, before diving from his inevitably wrecked and burning car and leading the bobbies on a two-mile sprint through back yards and shopping malls and brawling with them when they catch up to him. And then the announcer concludes in his calm, plummy voice, “He was taken into custody, fined fifty quid, and had his license suspended for ninety days.” I mean, WTF? Somebody pulls that in, say, Louisiana, he’ll be lucky if he still has bones when the cops are done with him. ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/13 "2004-01-16T03:14:15Z")
Could somebody please explain this thread title to me? That is all. ~mixie ---
**Author:** ![BigNik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/73ab20/32.png) [@BigNik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigNik)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/14 "2004-01-16T03:14:24Z")
> [@Larry Mudd](#): > > Thanks for the link, **Bippy**. > In Canada, “Paki” is only considered acceptable by racist louts, too. Is the hateful connotation a Commonwealth-wide thing? Not in Australia, to the best of my knowledge. Their cricket team is almost always known as “the Pakis” in the same way that the team from the Carribbean is known as “the Windies”. Now that I think of it, though, this is actually the first tour where I haven’t heard the Indians described as “the currymunchers” in the cricket commentary, so times may be changing. “Zimbobs” appears to be OK, though. ---
**Author:** ![cuauhtemoc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecb155/32.png) [@cuauhtemoc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cuauhtemoc)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/15 "2004-01-16T03:26:59Z")
> [@](#): > > This order is intended to prohibit his terrible behaviour and to protect defenceless people, especially women, against his foul-mouthed attacks. Yes, especially the delicate womenfolk, lest they get the vapours and faint dead away. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/16 "2004-01-16T04:01:53Z")
Pardon my ignorance of words from around the globe, but what the heck is “a grass” or a “slag?” I’ve never before heard those as insults, and I can’t find them in the Wiki database of ethnic slurs (and I was pretty surprised to find that there even _is_ one). I have no clue why they’re supposed to be insulting. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/17 "2004-01-16T04:31:56Z")
There’s a Wiki database of ethnic slurs? :eek: That must be a fun job. “How was work today, dear?” “Nasty. I went from ‘currymuncher’ to ‘fuckwit’ and I’m not even out of the F’s yet! I need a drink.” ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/18 "2004-01-16T04:38:38Z")
Sorry for the obscurity, **Mixie**. It’s an allusion to the [_Song of Myself_ from Walt Whitman’s _Leaves of Grass_](http://www.bartleby.com/142/14.html), which **DesertGeezer** mentioned earlier: > [@](#): > > A child said, What is the grass? fetching it to me with full hands; > How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is, any more than he. > > I guess it must be the flag of my disposition, out of hopeful green stuff woven. “Currymunchers”? Are you serious, **BigNik**? **BraheSilver** , you can read “snitch” for “grass.” (Both noun and verb forms.) “Slag” is usually used where you might expect “slut.” ---
**Author:** ![BigNik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/73ab20/32.png) [@BigNik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigNik)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/19 "2004-01-16T04:50:21Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > There’s a Wiki database of ethnic slurs? :eek: Just [had a look](http://en2.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_slurs) myself - jeez, they aren’t exactly comprehensive, are they? No mention of jaarpies, seppos, noogs, suxty-suxers, ten-pound tourists or even blackfellas or whitefellas. And they got “coconut” wrong in its Australian usage. And yeah, **Larry** , the Indians have been the currymunchers since at least the late '70s. On recent tours they’ve been bringing a cheer squad over that’s been nicknamed the Biryani Army. ---
**Author:** ![BraheSilver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@BraheSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BraheSilver)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2004, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685/20 "2004-01-16T05:01:22Z")
> [@](#): > > you can read “snitch” for “grass.” (Both noun and verb forms.) Okay, thanks. Follow-up question: am I supposed to be insulted by that? I mean, that’s the kind of thing you’d hear from the midget gangster in Bugs Bunny cartoons. “Mugsy, go take out da snitch.” It doesn’t exactly inspire moral outrage in my ears. > [@](#): > > Just had a look myself - jeez, they aren’t exactly comprehensive, are they? That’s the beauty of Wiki - you can add information to the communal database. Of course, that’s if you want to be updating international databases of ethnic slurs. 😛 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-child-said-what-is-the-fetching-it-to-me-with-full-hands/224685.md?page=2)