# Is "Antipodes" a culturally insensitive term?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [February 24, 2001, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718 "2001-02-24T10:37:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@G.Nome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.Nome)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/1 "2001-02-24T10:37:10Z")
Antipodes screams “other”. It means diametrically “opposite” and antipodeans are those who live “on the other side”. But it’s all so relative isn’t it? The southern hemisphere could just as easily be conceived of as the top of the world - there is no up or down in space. Differently hemisphered doesn’t seem to work. There must be something better.
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### Author:  [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/2 "2001-02-24T10:56:17Z")
Literally, Antipodes means “those whose feet are headed in the other direction”. I personally think there is nothing derogative in it, for this term exactly describes what’s going on. It doesn’t contain some inferiority/superiority relation between the different sides of the globe either, and since WE are the Antipodes of our Antipodes, this does not say who’s on the “top of the world” and who on the bottom. But this all is merely my personal impression.
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### Author:  [@G.Nome](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/G.Nome)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/3 "2001-02-24T11:04:19Z")
I think you have drawn a correct distinction between hemispheres and poles. But if you’re talking about the Southern Hemisphere you’re also talking about “down under”. Maybe it’s your turn to be on the bottom.
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### Author:  [@Chas.E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chas.E)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/4 "2001-02-24T11:13:02Z")
The only Australian I know personally, hates the word.
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### Author:  [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/5 "2001-02-24T11:17:02Z")
I dunno if our Aussie cousins get upset over this sort of thing, mate, but we here in Nu Zild don’t care what you call us – long as it isn’t “Australians”.
Now, THAT would be so culturally insensitive, we’d chuck you in the hotpools, mate. A bit of the ol’ puha and pakeha.
(Anyone want to know what **that** means, just ask.
[sub]BTW: My 200th post! Yippee! Just a little newbie joy, here …[sub]
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### Author:  [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/6 "2001-02-24T12:03:37Z")
Maybe this “struggle” can peacefully be solved if one considers the definition of “down”. Down is defined as “the direction into which I am drawn by the gravity of Earth”, i.e. the line between me and the centre of our beautiful planet. . This is also and everywhere on the globe the direction in which there are the appropriate Antipodes, and thus both Northern and Southern Hemispherians can equally talk of their Antipodes as being “down under”.
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### Author:  [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/7 "2001-02-24T12:29:55Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Ice Wolf \*
> \*\*I dunno if our Aussie cousins get upset over this sort of thing, mate, but we here in Nu Zild don’t care what you call us – long as it isn’t “Australians”.
>
> Now, THAT would be so culturally insensitive, we’d chuck you in the hotpools, mate. A bit of the ol’ puha and pakeha.
> (Anyone want to know what **that** means, just ask.
>
> \*\*
Mate. Maaaaaate! Ice Wolf doesn’t seem to have forgiven us Aussies for a certain cricket incident a couple of decades ago. 🙂
Anyway, we probably agree on one thing - it’s kinda nice knowing we’re pointing our arses at the English.
Antipodes? No worries mate.
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### Author:  [@DVous\_Means](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DVous_Means)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/8 "2001-02-24T12:48:24Z")
Hey Ice Wolf! Stay cool, Mate - what’s a little underarm problem between friends?
If you agree not to give us Australians heaps of shit, I’ll agree not to load the rest of this thread with Kiwi jokes - particularly those about sheep…
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### Author:  [@Schnitte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnitte)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/9 "2001-02-24T14:08:06Z")
Why the hell should “Australia” be insensitive? It’s the land in the south, isn’t it?
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### Author:  [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/10 "2001-02-24T14:15:02Z")
Yeah, underarm bowling………….
Anyway, just picking myself up off the floor. A couple of words there I never, ever expected to see in conjunction: “culturally” and “Antipodes”, insensitive” and Antipodes”……the world is changing faster than feels comfortable.
Re the OP: I do wonder if ‘Antipodes’ is another example of ‘Victorian’ vocabulary that may (or may not) have seemed appropriate and accurate at the time but over time has become an anachronism. Change it if you want – at least then it might be clearly seen as a derogatory term 😉
Kiwi’s are kiwi’s come what may and the other lot are, well, it depends if you’re in the pub (‘Round Dodgers’) or playing sports (various).
Thought I’d share an old chestnut:
English cricket team arriving in Sydney for a tour………
Aussie Customs Officer - G’Day Sir, Do you have anything to declare”
Captain of the England team – “No”
Aussie Customs Officer – “Do you have a criminal record, at all?”
Captain of the England team – “No. Do you still needed on to get in ?”
Cheers !
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### Author:  [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/11 "2001-02-24T19:38:34Z")
For what its worth, I suspect that over half the posters from North America or Europe would not have known what _antipodes_ meant if this thread hadn’t started.
In fact, the only places I have encountered the word have been in books authored by Australians.
If you find it demeaning, **G. Nome** , get your fellow austro-habitants to stop using the word.
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### Author:  [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/12 "2001-02-24T20:17:58Z")
Underarm bowling? Cripes, mate, that was way back in history! I’m talking 'bout your damn possums, mate! The gum trees! Those soap operas! Dame Edna Everidge!
Anyway, I don’t think anyone’s likely to haul anyone else up before the Human Rights courts just because of an anachronism still used these days as a bit of a synonym now and then.
I prefer Antipodes to Oceania. Latter makes me wonder if I’m not out floating in the middle of the Pacific, or something …
Oh, BTW, **London\_Calling** : :D:D
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/13 "2001-02-24T20:39:00Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by TheLoadedDog
> Mate. Maaaaaate! Ice Wolf doesn’t seem to have forgiven us Aussies for a certain cricket incident a couple of decades ago. 🙂 \*\*
Slight hijack… So what happened at umm… “cricket” that is to this day perceived as an unforgiven, festering injustice by the ancestral home of the wetas and shoe polish birds.
BTW is NZ part of SEATO?
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### Author:  [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/14 "2001-02-24T20:48:36Z")
> [@](#):
>
> _Posted by astro_
> BTW is NZ part of SEATO?
Not any more. It disbanded in 1977. Doing a history essay, **astro**?
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### Author:  [@messiah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/messiah)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/15 "2001-02-24T20:52:31Z")
When living in Australia, I noticed a lot of Aussies referring to themselves as antipodeans, so I don’t think there’s any offence in the term. Casually the term applies mainly to Australia & NZ, similar to the term Australasia, Oceania covers a lot larger area.
PS. There are Islands just south of NZ called The Antipodes [http://www.bartleby.com/65/an/Antipode.html](http://www.bartleby.com/65/an/Antipode.html)
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### Author:  [@Jodi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jodi)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/16 "2001-02-24T20:54:30Z")
> [@](#):
>
> A bit of the ol’ puha and pakeha.
> (Anyone want to know what that means, just ask.)
Hey, ICE WOLF, what’s that mean?
(P.S. to TOM – I had to look “antipodes” up in the dictionary when I saw this thread.)
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### Author:  [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/17 "2001-02-24T21:05:14Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by London\_Calling \*
> Anyway, just picking myself up off the floor. A couple of words there I never, ever expected to see in conjunction: “culturally” and “Antipodes”, insensitive” and Antipodes”……the world is changing faster than feels comfortable.
Naaah, this is just G Nome, mistress of the startling strange observation. It’s dangerous to try to wrap your mind around it.
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/18 "2001-02-24T21:25:09Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Ice Wolf \*
> \*\*
>
> > [@](#):
> >
> > _Posted by astro_
> > BTW is NZ part of SEATO?
>
> Not any more. It disbanded in 1977. Doing a history essay, **astro**? \*\*
Well… _blush_… evidently not if I was unaware that SEATO was dead lo these many years. I am curious so I did find this link for the New Zealand military
[http://www.seanet.com/~gtate/milaus.htm](http://www.seanet.com/~gtate/milaus.htm)
which has a picture the amazing New Zealand “mole tank”
and it’s digging claws. This page links to the NZ government page [http://www.govt.nz/aboutnz/profile.php3](http://www.govt.nz/aboutnz/profile.php3).
“Aotearoa: Land of the Long White Cloud - New Zealand is located in the southern hemisphere. It spans 1600 km from north to south and is approximately 2250km east of Australia. It is made up of the North Island, the South Island, Stewart Island and various small islands surrounding.”
Nothing on military alliances…back to google
The CIA fact book tells me
Military branches: New Zealand Army, Royal New Zealand Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $883 million (FY97/98)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.1% (FY97/98
back to google
Ah! Here it is" … [Brittanica.com](http://Brittanica.com) ANZUS Pact
“In the mid-1980s New Zealand instituted an antinuclear policy, one of whose provisions was the banning of nuclear-armed vessels from its ports, including those of the U.S. Navy. In response, the United States formally suspended its treaty obligations to New Zealand in 1986 and reduced the two countries’ military ties. The three nations remained formal parties to the treaty, but in practical terms ANZUS was inoperative from then on”.
So that’s dead. Oh well I’ll keep searching.
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### Author:  [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/19 "2001-02-24T21:43:19Z")
Here we go…
[http://www.defence.govt.nz/scripts/ministry/](http://www.defence.govt.nz/scripts/ministry/)
“New Zealand will work collaboratively with like-minded partners. In this context, there is no strategic partnership closer than that with Australia. New Zealand will continue to meet its obligations as a member of the Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA).”
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### Author:  [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)
#### Post date: [February 24, 2001, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-antipodes-a-culturally-insensitive-term/55718/20 "2001-02-24T23:09:06Z")
Hey! Cool! Kiwiana on the SDMB! Wow, I’m thrilled!
> [@](#):
>
> - From Jodi\*
> Hey, ICE WOLF, what’s that mean? (puha and pakeha)
I’m glad you asked this, **Jodi**. Comes from a comic song of last century – about Maoris serving up “pakeha” (us post-1840 immigrants) with “puha” (the sow thistle, an introduced form of daisy or dandelion) for taste. Cooked in the hotpools of Rotorua, IIRC.
Personally, I’m more into hangi myself (that’s cooking food in the ground. Extremely yum).
And **astro** – I’m sorry you blushed. Just haven’t heard of SEATO since Vietnam war studies. Yeah, we are still involved militarily with other countries, just not the States. But we still like you guys.
Oh, BTW – The Antipodes Islands were named thus ‘cause they’re smack opposite Great Britain. And the South Pole’s opposite th’ North Pole, and …
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