# Did Willie say "shite"? (Simpsons) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 24, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719 "2004-05-24T00:33:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hugh\_Jass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/4da419/32.png) [@Hugh\_Jass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hugh_Jass)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/1 "2004-05-24T00:33:01Z")
I did hear that correctly, no? All the new tractors are shite? Apparently British cuss words are acceptable on American networks. Good ep, I thought. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/2 "2004-05-24T00:38:44Z")
It sure sounded like it! ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cheapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8e7dd6/32.png) [@El\_Cheapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cheapo)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/3 "2004-05-24T00:41:03Z")
How did tonight’s show end? Weather warnings pre-empted the last 2 minutes of the show on my local Fox affiliate? Of course, spoiler boxes please for those on the west coast. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/4 "2004-05-24T00:50:13Z")
British cuss words aren’t even cuss words in America. If a TV show wants to make sure the audience knows a certain character is British, they just add a lot of “bloody” to his dialogue. “Bugger” is a term of affection for children here. “Shite” is different enough in sound to pass censors…most of whom probably have no idea what it means. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/5 "2004-05-24T00:51:16Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > “Bugger” is a term of affection for children here. Read that “towards children”. A typical sentiment is “Isn’t he a cute little bugger?” ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/6 "2004-05-24T01:25:08Z")
Which is why, a fan of the Patrick O’Brian novels, I really enjoy using terms like “bugger that for a lark” in the office and not get fired. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/7 "2004-05-24T01:27:29Z")
> [@pesch](#): > > Which is why, a fan of the Patrick O’Brian novels, I really enjoy using terms like “bugger that for a lark” in the office and not get fired. Heh. When I was in grade school (Catholic school), we had an order of nuns teaching who were imported from Scotland. As one of them told me one day (this was after I had graduated and was visiting the school), she had trouble with certain words when she went back to Scotland to visit family. Her sister had a fit when she called one of her nephews “a little bugger”. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/8 "2004-05-24T01:48:15Z")
Yes, he definitely did. I also thought tonight was fun. Some weird jokes and visuals in there, too. ---
**Author:** ![Zap\_Rowsdower](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3da27b/32.png) [@Zap\_Rowsdower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zap_Rowsdower)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/9 "2004-05-24T02:46:09Z")
I thought he said that. I agree, it was a good one tonight. I especially like the guy jumping off the cliff because Futurama was cancelled. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/10 "2004-05-24T04:01:44Z")
> [@](#): > > British cuss words aren’t even cuss words in America. They did the same thing a while back when U2 were on and they kept calling each other **wanker**. You can say that all day long in the US, no one has clue what it means. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/11 "2004-05-24T04:03:15Z")
I really liked the awed expressions which appeared on Burns and Smithers faces when they were talked about Rupert Murdoch. Not necessarily a classic episode, but a good one nonetheless. (Of course, we’ve yet to hear from the Comic Book Guy contingent.) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/12 "2004-05-24T06:44:09Z")
Did I detect a subtle Declaration of Independence reference in the title of Lisa’s paper, the Red Dress Press? Sure, it refers to her clothing, but “Red Dress” kind of looks like “Redress” – and practically the only place most people have encountered that weird old word is the “redress of grievances” mentioned in the Declaration. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/13 "2004-05-24T07:43:39Z")
And I must point out here that, despite Hippie-Itchy’s urgings to the contrary, wind power is **not** cheap. ---
**Author:** ![Muad\_Dib](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/35a633/32.png) [@Muad\_Dib](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muad_Dib)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/14 "2004-05-24T07:48:32Z")
He said shit? I thought it was shank. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/15 "2004-05-24T10:50:43Z")
> [@El Cheapo](#): > > How did tonight’s show end? Weather warnings pre-empted the last 2 minutes of the show on my local Fox affiliate? Of course, spoiler boxes please for those on the west coast. Under Burns’ relentless media assault, Lisa gives up and prints the “I Give Up” final edition. As she’s distributing it, she’s bonked in the head by another paper. It’s “The Homer Times” distributed by Homer, who’s been inspired by her courage. Then we see that dozens of other townspeople have been similarly inspired to start their own papers, including Lenny’s “The Lennysaver” (“Now the truth can be told!” and the truth is that “Carl’s great”) and one put out by Patty and Selma (which includes a quiz to see whether you’re a Patty or a Selma; IIRC the Sea Captain takes it and he’s a Selma). ---
**Author:** ![Jervoise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@Jervoise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jervoise)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 10:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/16 "2004-05-24T10:59:43Z")
> [@pesch](#): > > Which is why, a fan of the Patrick O’Brian novels, I really enjoy using terms like “bugger that for a lark” in the office and not get fired. “Bugger” won’t get you fired in the UK (or Australia).\* It may have been a taboo word in the past, but nowadays it’s terribly mild. Even if censors in Commonwealth nations had the same attitude towards swearing on television as they appear to do in the US, “bugger” still would be acceptable. - Buggery on the other hand, may. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/17 "2004-05-24T11:18:20Z")
> [@Snooooopy](#): > > …“Red Dress” kind of looks like “Redress” – and practically the only place most people have encountered that weird old word is the “redress of grievances” mentioned in the Declaration. It’s certainly not a weird old word this side of the pond 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 11:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/18 "2004-05-24T11:30:08Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > British cuss words aren’t even cuss words in America. Cool. Then the next Simpsons I want to hear Lenny call Carl a “wee cunt”. (Well, I’m more of an Irvine Welsh fan then Patrick O’Brien :D) But the real question is, if Willie can say Shite, can he say Arsehole? Stay tuned… ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/19 "2004-05-24T14:40:02Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > . . . dozens of other townspeople have been similarly inspired to start their own papers, including Lenny’s “The Lennysaver” (“Now the truth can be told!” and the truth is that “Carl’s great”) and one put out by Patty and Selma (which includes a quiz to see whether you’re a Patty or a Selma; IIRC the Sea Captain takes it and he’s a Selma). My favorite was the _Willie World News_. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2004, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719/20 "2004-05-24T14:45:42Z")
I liked it when Milhouse told Lisa he lied about the report he filed from Baghdad. . .he was actually in Basra. Or Principal Skinner (paraphrasing) “I like that Principal Skinrash. I had a principal just like him.” Pretty good episode. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-willie-say-shite-simpsons/246719.md?page=2)