Septic Tank = Yank
 

I can see that Bobby wasn't meaning to be offensive with the 'septic tank' = yank comment but the Americans were totally correct in being offended by the usage. I'm an American who has lived in London and I genuinely like the British people but I do get frustrated at times when the British people make comments generalizing all Americans and saying some comments that are just excepted. Yet in another scenario, these same people making the comments would be at war if comments were made against the UK. There are obnoxious and loud people in all countries. End of.

This is a British forum so not everyone is going to see it from my point of view and may think it's an over reaction but I do think the British people (not intentionally) but do have a tendency to bash the Americans and say offensive remarks. The Americans never take it that way towards the British and use derogatory terms towards the British. I know people will say that certain U.S. Housemates are loud and obnoxious etc. but I am really tired of the British housemates (not just in this series but in previous series) making derogatory comments about or towards the Americans. How is that they have never called to the diary room or asked to not say these things but yet the PC brigade are quick to jump on all the other issues. It is a form of racism but I know that the British people will never be able to understand that. Double standards. Just venting my thoughts....

i always thought this was an Australian term, i've heard it from Aussies before. but yes, it's very offensive.

Cockney rhyming slang is meant to be fun, there is nothing offensive in it.

but a septic tank is full of human feces and sludge... how is that not offensive? there are plenty of other words that ryhme with yank....

To us there is nothing offensive in it because we're not American but I can see why Americans would be offended tbh. It's like going to Oz and then calling us Poms, it's annoying and rude.

you could call us Abbos....because we used abraham tanks to save your asses in WW2.// but australians might be offended by the term abbos....

I understand that cockney rhyming is not meant to be offensive and funny to the British people that actually know what that is be most Americans wouldn't know what that is. And the term septic tank and evening calling Americans yanks is actually quite offensive these days. It's not an acceptable term anymore.
Not trying to be uptight but I just think that it's 'ok' for the Brits to say things about Americans and stereotype us but yet if the roles were reversed and one of the Americans made a decoratory comment towards a Brit, all hell would break loose. It would be deemed racist and I bet the PC brigade of Big Brother would give that American a warning or some conversation would be had. Bobby wasn't called to the diary room and nothing was said to him.

there are too many sensitive people incapable of seeing humour for what it is.

umm you must not know many cockneys i think they absolutely intend for it to be offensive, it's basically words made up at a pub by drunk men.

I couldnt care less about being called a pom or a limey or whatever there is no need to take yourselves so seriously loosen up a bit ffs.

yeah but being called a septic tank is on a different level...you must admit. being referred to as a tank full of **** is pretty harsh.


Limey is an old term just because the British sailors were trying to avoid scurvy so they sucked on limes... that's not the same as being called a puddle of ****.

I would say Limey and Yank are fairly innocuous terms used by each side.

It's not really humour. Just douchey English language used by douchey people tbh.

Nope just double standards and actually ignorance where the British people can say whatever they want and bash the Americans and use decoratory terms such as septic tank and yank (which is actually a form of racism). Point is if the Americans said anything about the Brits that Americans thought was funny or an inside American slang, then the British housemates would be pretty angry and Big Brother would make a big deal out of it.

Just don't get personal about a culture/country/nationality that's all. Bash a housemate all you want. Just tired of the Americans being branded a specific way on Big Brother (and previous seasons have done this as well) when that's not actually the regular American everyday person. Americans may not like a specific British housemate but they don't bash the British culture and make offensive comments about the UK as a whole. That's all.

of course its humour, may not be everyone's cup of tea but it is humour none the less. It becomes so tiresome when everyone has to be deadly serious for fear of offending someone over the most trivial bits of fun.

Seriously, the fun is being sucked out of life, all in the name of being politically correct. Its so boring.

Meh, I don't find it particularly funny, each to their own I guess. I still find it annoying and used by douchebags most of the time.

i'm having a pretty hard day. and honestly it;s nice to see so many people standing up for us Americans in here. thanks guys. it's really sweet. thanks.

By the humour of it going over your head and taking it as a literal meaning you are just endorsing the sterotype. Cockney rhyming slang has very little to do with the words meaning and everything to do with fact it rhymes.
stairs are called apples and pears do you think they are called that because thats what they look like?

Im pretty sure they think people that are offended by it are douchebags too.

Good for the douchebags thinking that ;)

Each to your own. That's your opinion and that's fine but turn it around and you be told as a British person that you are a septic tank (no matter how humor or which way it should be taken) and see how you like it. That's all. To each their own.

Yes it's going over my head cos I'm not British and don't know anything about cockney rhyming just like there are things in American culture that British people don't understand that Americans may not intend to be offensive to British people but unfortunately it actually is. It's more being referred to as a septic tank that's the issue and yank.

The first lesson in life that everyone should learn is to be able to laugh at themselves. People really do take themselves and life way to seriously. I'm not a particular fan of Cockney rhyming slang myself, but it is and has always been humour.

Life really is so boring and pointless without a bit of laughter and fun.

Yeah it's really just a chance to be offensive and to disguise it as humour imo. That being said, life's too short to be genuinely offended by it.

your avatar is beautiful.

kim jongin :lovedup: