There has been some bemusement amongst my colleagues about a local decision (just overturned on appeal) wherein a judge, without input from either party, contended and ultimately found that referencing a person called Peter using the words “pumpkin eater” was a homophobic slur. In his judgment, he says:
There was some consternation at the Bar table when I expressed that the term “pumpkin eater” was a homophobic slur. Counsel, who may have had a somewhat sheltered existence, did not understand that this term could be used in this manner.
At the hearing, I did not wish to explain what the term means because it is quite disgusting and I believed that the use of this term was common enough knowledge. I have absolutely no doubt that it was meant as a homophobic slur to Mr Cullen.
For an amusing read, check out a detailed judicial consideration of whether “pumpkin eater” was a horrible slur or a reference to a nursery rhyme (see paras 42 and following). Googling the term seems to turn up precisely nothing to support His Honour’s experience, other than references to this case itself.
But my FQ is - has anyone ever heard of this usage of “pumpkin eater”? 'Cos I sure haven’t.
When a person commits an act of anal cunnilingus upon another, the stimulation of the muscles of the receiver of this act, will sometimes lead to an accidental release of faecal material.
A “pumpkin eater” is a person who, when committing an act of anal cunnilingus upon another, will not cease that act even if there is an involuntary discharge of faecal material by the receiver of the act.
Also, I’ve led a sheltered existence, and have never heard this before.
I’m deeply skeptical that that’s a homophobic slur in this context, and the judge’s reasoning seems flawed–but good God those guys were a pack of assholes. I can’t even tell what they were up to. For folks who haven’t read the complaint, they were legit site inspectors visiting a construction site run by the company they worked for, but they refused to show their permits to the people onsite, instead mocking them and wandering around the site without permission until, a couple hours later when some government inspectors showed up and they started acting like normal human beings. At least, that’s what I think happened.
Huh. I thought I’d checked Urban Dictionary. Maybe I didn’t read down far enough. Anyway, we have established that most of us know fewer disgusting epithets than Justice Vasta.
I don’t really trust that Urbandictionary definition, as it has 35 upvotes and 65 downvotes. That ratio makes it quite suspect that this is any sort of usual slang. From using UD, I completely disregard anything with a ratio that has more upvotes than downvotes [edit:] downvotes than upvotes. That makes it, as the kids say, quite sus. In fact, if it’s much less than a 2:1 ratio, I tread with caution in trusting it.