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urban slang

(22 Posts)
petunia Sun 13-Sep-20 11:09:25

Watching the usual sunday morning TV-local a local politics programme. One of the MP's being interviewed referred to a local council “spaffing” away council tax payers money. Spaffing?? what does that mean, I wondered. so I looked it up.
blimey. I asked our children (young adults) if this was now a word that is used that has evolved from its original meaning they said no, but it appears to be the fashionable word to use.
So, how do you feel about politicians using such words

Callistemon Sun 13-Sep-20 11:11:58

I looked it up and found this:

To Spaff - An onomatopoeic word describing the act of shaking up a bottle of champagne and shaking it over one's teammates.

A waste of good champagne, it annoys me intensely whenever I see someone doing that.

Doodledog Sun 13-Sep-20 11:12:55

I think it can be a difficult line to tread. The stereotype of a judge needing to be told what a t-shirt is, or referring to a ‘popular beat combo’ instead of a band is on one side of the line, but (IMO) ‘spiffing’ is too far into the other.

I suppose it’s all relative though.

NotSpaghetti Sun 13-Sep-20 11:14:34

Urban slang does not refer to champagne I'm afraid *callistemon

Doodledog Sun 13-Sep-20 11:14:44

Oh, I thought it referred to ejaculation, Callistemon. Just goes to show, then - it’s all in the eye of the beholder (or not, as the case may be) grin

libra10 Sun 13-Sep-20 11:14:46

I would prefer that politicians used correct standard English language, and didn't use slang terms - especially slang I've never heard before.

Chewbacca Sun 13-Sep-20 11:16:30

That's what I'd been told it meant too, Doodledog. That's why I was a bit hmm when I heard Boris use it.

Elegran Sun 13-Sep-20 11:17:39

Boris Johnson has used the term in the past, referring to a waste of money as "spaffing against a wall" I don't think he was referring to champagne.

NotSpaghetti Sun 13-Sep-20 11:19:33

Do you remember Boris Johnson getting into hot water by saying spending lots of cash on historic child sexual abuse was money spaffed up the wall?
Don't think it was so long ago. Was it 50 million? It was to do with police cut backs.

NotSpaghetti Sun 13-Sep-20 11:20:06

Sorry, crossed posts

Nannan2 Sun 13-Sep-20 11:24:51

So is it like 'p*ss*ng away' money then??

Elegran Sun 13-Sep-20 11:25:59

Crossed posts - but that was many people's first encounter with the word, and it was obvious both what he meant by it and that he used the expression to shock.

Elegran Sun 13-Sep-20 11:33:51

Nannan2 It is far more likely that he meant what is described in the dictionary of urban slang as " (typically used of a man) masturbate"

(And now Google, which likes to archive all of our Google searches, will have it recorded that I searched for a respectable definition of the verb "w**k. Never mind, I have contributed to Nannan2's vocabulary)

trisher Sun 13-Sep-20 11:37:40

It's obviously the new 'buzz'word for politicians 'as used by Boris'. So not only has he set a new record in lying, deception and law breaking he's ruining the English language as well!

Callistemon Sun 13-Sep-20 11:38:02

Doodledog

Oh, I thought it referred to ejaculation, Callistemon. Just goes to show, then - it’s all in the eye of the beholder (or not, as the case may be) grin

I shall never enjoy a glass of champagne in quite the same way again!
??

JackyB Sun 13-Sep-20 11:59:33

Sorry, I winced at Doodledog's "in the eye of the beholder". Was it a deliberate choice of words?

Jaxjacky Sun 13-Sep-20 12:05:20

JackyB ?

midgey Sun 13-Sep-20 12:10:33

Urban slang or just plain vulgar?

EllanVannin Sun 13-Sep-20 12:11:26

That's a new one on me. Spiffing, yes, it's a reply I get told by an old man living nearby when I ask how he is grin

Elegran Sun 13-Sep-20 12:25:10

Slang is often vulgar and tasteless. Leading politicians are generally not expected to show those traits.

Whingingmom Sun 13-Sep-20 12:34:29

A distasteful word but Boris can add it to his “whiff- whaff” and “piffle”. I can suggest another unpleasant slang word particularly appropriate for him - “tosser”.

vampirequeen Mon 14-Sep-20 12:55:42

Spaffing is the type of vulgarity that you might hear from a teenager who is aiming to shock the grannies. It's not a word I expect to hear from any grown man let alone an MP or the PM.