Tan ,Offensive?

lost in cork

Is calling a person who has moved from the uk "a tan" very ofensive ,or should they live with it

The Sidewards Man

Mrs Brown finds it offensive anyway.

Eugene Norman

lost in cork wrote: »

Is calling a person who has moved from the uk "a tan" very ofensive ,or should they live with it

Best to call people by their names.

Dr Turk Turkelton

I'd rather be a tan than from Cork. Just sayin'.

fleet_admiral

They call us Paddy or Mick so it works both ways

lost in cork

why?

Eugene Norman

fleet_admiral wrote: »

They call us Paddy or Mick so it works both ways

Not all of them do. The ones that do are nasty. You don't have to be nasty.

Custardpi

Disappointed. Thought this was going to be about whether having a suntan was offensive - could offend people who can't afford to go on holiday, could be seen as "appropriating" the identity of people from sunnier climes etc. Some good laughs at Tumblr inspired nonsense. Pity, ah well.

The Randy Riverbeast

Throw a pipe bomb through their letter box, then they'll see being called a tan is the least of their worries.

DareGod

When I read the title, I instantly assumed that this was going be about some new thing where people are offended by fake tan, because it's making yourself look like a Latino or South American, etc. Y'know, the way that people get offended by blackface.

And, when ye think about it......

I'd be fairly sure most of them won't know what you are talking about anyway!

Tigger

I had a guy working for me that plays soccer and he was pulled up for calling the ref a tan
I'm glad to say he no longer works here
He's a guard now lol

wil

Surely a ton of tan would be an orange.

Dyr

Tigger wrote: »

I had a guy working for me that plays soccer and he was pulled up for calling the ref a tan
I'm glad to say he no longer works here
He's a guard now lol

A free stater having a go at a tan?


OP, it's not very offensive, you should probably call them a tan bastard just to be sure.

osarusan

EIGHT HUNDRED YEARS

Contributor 2013

Fake is always so offensive;

- So you been on holiday?

No I just went to the salon yesterday......(awkward silence ensues)

.............

.................

.............................

you do this often?

?

Get a fake tan, then not tell someone you meet about it? They should list off destinations until you finally say "Nah, I went to the salon "

General query;......

Personally I hate the fact society has made women feel they need to colour their skin to be attractive.

Good luck,

Cont.

Ruu

Dale Winton is offensive.

dodderangler

I can't get my head around people that get offended by words

dd972

I think someone with a U.K accent but Irish name and family background would be quite rightly offended at being labelled a 'tan'.

Azalea

lost in cork wrote: »

Is calling a person who has moved from the uk "a tan" very ofensive ,or should they live with it

As said, they likely won't know what you're talking about, but if/when they do, yeah I wouldn't blame them for finding it pretty hostile - I mean, it is. Unless it's just joking of course.
Bit pointless and strange to call them after a group of people who came over here more than 100 years ago to intimidate. What if their parents are Irish?
Imagine one of us being called IRA members if we moved to England.

Disgruntled Badger

If he was from Pakistan Uzbekistan or Afghanistan yes.... That'd probably be rude.

I never heard anyone call British people 'tans'...? But if you think about it. It is akin to calling a German a Nazi? I'd laugh though.

Azalea

fleet_admiral wrote: »

They call us Paddy or Mick so it works both ways

Yeah all of them do.

Murray007

It is offensive, although I suspect the people who you are hanging around with and call you that haven't a clue how offensive it could be perceive d or even know the history of the term

I was talking with my twenty year old son over Xmas and he called a girl a bunny boiler I asked him did he knows what it referred to, and he hadn't a clue, the story of the film had been lost in time and it was now just a catch all for being a bit annoying.

The so called Black and Tans were temporary British constables stationed in Ireland to help combat Irish republicans circa 1920s. Some of them were petty criminals who were given the choice of Ireland or goal (jail). They were indiciplined and there were many allegations of human rights abuses if such a concept existed at the time. The name came from the colour of their uniforms. This is my secondary school history lesson understanding of the term.

Disgruntled Badger

Murray007 wrote:

I was taking with my twenty year old son over Xmas and he called a girl a bunny boiler I asked him did he knows what it referred to, and he hadn't a clue, the story of the film had been lost in time and it was now just a catch all for being a bit annoying.

That's hilarious.....makes you realise there are loads of expressions we use every day, and we couldn't tell you the origin....e.g a penny for your thoughts is from an 18th century novel

Junkyard Tom

Calling ordinary folk who've come here from across the water to live 'a tan' for no reason is just being a dick whether they find it offensive or not. Why would someone want to do that?

Fame and Demise

From my travels I found that most of them don't even know who the Black and Tans were. Having to explain an attempted insult takes away from the insult.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Most probably wouldn't get it, they'd assume you were referring to their suntan or something.

eeguy

If there under 40 I doubt they get the reference.

riffmongous

Ethnic insults are usually just used by assholes imo, and in most cases it's a bit puzzling in how it applies to you. But you shouldn't have to put up with it anyway although sadly it's probably easier to just ignore the idiots than get involved with them

.. and if it's from a Free Stater it's just plain hypocritical, they probably executed more people than the BnTs, tying men to a mine is barbaric

Murray007

riffmongous wrote: »

Ethnic insults are usually just used by assholes imo, and in most cases it's a bit puzzling in how it applies to you. But you shouldn't have to put up with it anyway although sadly it's probably easier to just ignore the idiots than get involved with them

.. and if it's from a Free Stater it's just plain hypocritical, they probably executed more people than the BnTs, tying men to a mine is barbaric

I don't really understand your last sentence, but generally two wrongs don't make a right

eeguy

Murray007 wrote: »

I don't really understand your last sentence, but generally two wrongs don't make a right

There's an argument that the famous cruelty of the black and tans is a a drop in the ocean compared to acts during the Civil War years.

No one likes to be on the side perceived as evil.

Murray007

eeguy wrote: »

There's an argument that the famous cruelty of the black and tans is a a drop in the ocean compared to acts during the Civil War years.

No one likes to be on the side perceived as evil.

Ah yes, but I don't think anyone was doing a count on this thread.

I am a free stater but I haven't , yet, tied anyone to a mine.

The OP is equally not responsible for the BnTs.

This thread is about modern day ignorance of the origin of phraseology, it not about the right and wrongs and balance of who was more evil in the past.

Murray007

riffmongous wrote: »

Ethnic insults are usually just used by assholes imo, and in most cases it's a bit puzzling in how it applies to you. But you shouldn't have to put up with it anyway although sadly it's probably easier to just ignore the idiots than get involved with them

.. and if it's from a Free Stater it's just plain hypocritical, they probably executed more people than the BnTs, tying men to a mine is barbaric

You are right, ethnic insults are the lowest common denominator of the ignorant.

riffmongous

Murray007 wrote: »

I don't really understand your last sentence, but generally two wrongs don't make a right

Directly after the war of independence, the civil war broke out and the new Irish state and their troops turned out to be just as bad as the legendary Black and Tans

In addition, Free State troops, particularly in County Kerry, where the guerrilla campaign was most bitter, began the summary execution of captured anti-treaty fighters. The most notorious example of this occurred at Ballyseedy, where nine Republican prisoners were tied to a landmine, which was detonated, killing eight and only leaving one, Stephen Fuller, who was blown clear by the blast, to escape

March 1923 saw a series of notorious incidents in Kerry, where 23 Republican prisoners were killed in the field (and another five judicially executed) in a period of just four weeks.
The killings were sparked off when five Free State soldiers were killed by a booby trap bomb while searching a Republican dugout at the village of Knocknagoshel, County Kerry, on 6 March. The next day, the local Free State commander authorised the use of Republican prisoners to clear mined roads. Paddy Daly justified the measure as, 'the only alternative left to us to prevent the wholesale slaughter of our men'. National Army troops may have interpreted this as permission to take revenge on the Anti-Treaty side

There was also 77 official executions of prisoners, compared to 24 ordered by the British during the war (not including the Easter Rising). All in the past now of course, my post was more or less in jest, but this always comes into my head whenever the black and tans are mentioned

Murray007

riffmongous wrote: »

Directly after the war of independence, the civil war broke out and the new Irish state and their troops turned out to be just as bad as the legendary Black and Tans





There was also 77 official executions of prisoners, compared to 24 ordered by the British during the war (not including the Easter Rising). All in the past now of course, my post was more or less in jest, but this always comes into my head whenever the black and tans are mentioned

This thread is not about the civil war, it is about tags applied to people because of their nationality in today's world and those applying those tags not understanding the origin of the tag. Please do not derail the thread, open a new thread if you want to discuss the rights and wrongs of history.

Special Circumstances

It's a calculated insult...... those adjacent to you may see the humour but those opposite won't.

Annasopra

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

Mrs Brown finds it offensive anyway.

Is that the one wheres supposed to be supporting ukip?

Tan Offensive?

Bloody Hell, I thought they attacked us again, like the Tet Offensive but with Brits...

Either way, anyone using the word Tan, if serious, is a complete idiot.

Timberrrrrrrr

I'm British and have been called a tan a few times over the years, offensive? Mildly. Bothered? Not one iota

Saying that I would never call anyone irish a Paddy, Mick or Taig.

Funny thing is the people who called me Tan...I have a stronger Irish accent than them

Tombi!

Murray007, while I know you meant it in good faith, please don't backseat mod - if you have an issue with posts or a thread, use the report function. Thank you.

ezra_pound

riffmongous wrote: »

Ethnic insults are usually just used by assholes imo, and in most cases it's a bit puzzling in how it applies to you. But you shouldn't have to put up with it anyway although sadly it's probably easier to just ignore the idiots than get involved with them

.. and if it's from a Free Stater it's just plain hypocritical, they probably executed more people than the BnTs, tying men to a mine is barbaric

Chances are the op wasn't around during the civil war so being a free stater is probably not really relevant.

stoneill

In fairness they weren't even black and tan, more a really really dark blue and khaki.
But that doesn't rhyme with come out and fight me like a man.

smash

The Sidewards Man wrote: »

Mrs Brown finds it offensive anyway.

Of course she does. They're the only ones who find her funny and she's got to keep them happy.

RoyalMarine

I'm British. But I grew up in Ireland. Was called a tan regularly in school.

Mainly started after we learned what a 'tan' was in history in second year of secondary school.

Yeah, it bothered me at the time. But looking back on it, I could probably put that down to kids being kids.
The same could be said for dubs calling the rest of the Irish muck savages or sheep shaggers.

But as an adult, anytime another adult says it, I question them on it. The ones who don't know what it is, usually apologise after. The ones who do know, I've no time for, as they're complete muppets. (Random people at parties etc who have very little social skills and can't have an adult conversation without abusing half the group to get the laugh).

haveringchick

fleet_admiral wrote: »

They call us Paddy or Mick so it works both ways

Who calls you paddy or mick?

smash

RoyalMarine wrote: »

I'm British. But I grew up in Ireland. Was called a tan regularly in school.

Was it a generational thing? I've never called someone a tan, or heard of anyone being called a tan.

The Sun King

Was called a Tan all the way up along in school. Couldn't give a **** what a couple of potato munching paddies think.

Really...I swear

jimgoose

smash wrote: »

Was it a generational thing? I've never called someone a tan, or heard of anyone being called a tan.

You do hear some older fellas in Cork referring to English folk they don't like as "tans" now and then. I would consider it quite insulting, given the history of that particular group, but I find it amusing these days conjuring up as it somewhat does an image of a clodhopper still stuck in 1922 in his mind, freeing Ireland by lying in a ditch in Drimoleague with a pitchfork in one hand and a naggin a' the poitín in the other. :pac:

jimgoose

The Sun King wrote: »

Was called a Tan all the way up along in school. Couldn't give a **** what a couple of potato munching paddies think.

Really...I swear

We prefer "unintelligible red-haired potatoist with a Semtex fetish".

Tombi!

jimgoose wrote: »

We prefer "unintelligible red-haired potatoist with a Semtex fetish".

I prefer "your lordship" but each to their own.

jimgoose

Tombi! wrote: »

I prefer "your lordship" but each to their own.

If you were any kind of decent inbred turnip-munching turf-botherer you'd be highly insulted by that, with it's connotations of English aristocracy.