[Assam] From NYT--On Insults

Wed Dec 17 12:34:28 PST 2008

> What would be the ultimate Oxomiya insult?> > cm> ( No need to describe with profanity of course)

In a 'decent world', it could be one of these which practically mean 'low-life':

'Paaxondo' 
'Dhurondhor'
'Omukar Suwa-Khowa'
'Tomukar pitek' (also Kukur-powali, Gahori-Powali, etc., though I think referring to any scum-bag as an innocent animal is nothing but an insult to the animal only )
'Odhom'
?? That's all I can think of now.
Pardon me, Gentle Readers.

“In order to make spiritual progress you must be patient like a tree and humble like a blade of grass.”

 > Date: Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:35:18 -0600> To: assam at assamnet.org> From: cmahanta at charter.net> Subject: [Assam] From NYT--On Insults> > What would be the ultimate Oxomiya insult?> > cm> ( No need to describe with profanity of course)> > ***********************************************************************************************************> > > OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR> The Shoe Heard Round the World> > > By JOHN KENNEY> Published: December 16, 2008> Hitting someone with a shoe is considered the > supreme insult in Iraq. It means that the target > is even lower than the shoe, which is always on > the ground and dirty.> - The Times, Dec. 15> > IN France, of course, it's a waffle. Throw a > waffle at someone and you have said, in essence: > "I loathe you. You are scum. Your people are > donkey traders." It suggests that the target is > even lower than a waffle, which is sometimes on > the ground if it happens to fall off a plate, and > the ground could be dirty, depending upon the > ground.> Who's to say why, exactly? Some say the waffle's > association with Belgium is enough to disgust any > Frenchman. Others suggest it is its annoyingly > spongy consistency. Still others say it's the > derivation of the word - "le waffle" in French, > from the Flemish "wafflintis" and originally the > Latin "wafflibus," all of which translate, > loosely, to "waffle."> For scholars of insults, what comes to mind > almost immediately after a high-profile insulting > incident is the central African nation of Chad, > where hitting someone with a pair of pants is the > highest form of insult. It means that the target > is lower than pants, the hem of which, while not > on the ground, is often near the ground and, > again, unclean. The only problem with this form > of insult is that the thrower then has to > retrieve the pants, as he or she had been wearing > them.> For many years people threw shorts, but almost no > one was offended, as the hem of shorts is a great > distance from the ground. "We're working on new > forms of insult, as well as changing our > country's name, which, strangely, is a common > first name in California," said a Chadian > cultural attaché. "We need to be taken more > seriously."> In the former Soviet Union it is not uncommon, > especially among the savage Russian mafia, to > throw a 68-ton American-made Abrams M1A1 tank. It > means that the target is even lower than a tank, > whose treads are always on the ground, unless > they're not for some reason - say, repairs or > what-have-you. In fairness, though, the throwing > of tanks appears to be happening with less > frequency, due to the near impossibility of > surprise, especially at indoor events.> In Peru, meanwhile, people throw their voices as > a form of insult. While not technically near the > ground, a voice suggests "sound" and "sound" > rhymes with "ground," the ground being low and > possibly unclean, depending upon where, exactly, > you're standing.> Peruvians say that throwing your voice is the > ultimate insult because the intended victim > doesn't know where it came from. It is not > uncommon to hear someone say, "Who said that?!" > on the streets of Lima after a particularly > cutting remark. The danger, of course, is > insulting someone by trying to throw your voice, > but doing it poorly and instead moving your lips. > The intended victim knows immediately where it > came from.> And what of tiny Bhutan, snug between Tibet in > the north and India to the south? In this > mysterious Buddhist country, perhaps the only one > in the world that measures its Gross National > Happiness, people throw brightly colored tissue > paper, so as not to hurt anyone. The paper falls > harmlessly to the ground - a symbol of both > lowness and dirt - and the thrower quickly picks > it up, disposes of it, and then apologizes > profusely.> John Kenney is a writer.> > _______________________________________________> assam mailing list> assam at assamnet.org> http://assamnet.org/mailman/listinfo/assam_assamnet.org
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