Because the term "yapping" is one used only by people who mean to be derogatory. If you intended to deliver a direct insult, that's fine. If not,it pays to find out how the average person understands certain terms, because your intention requires the udnerstanding of the other party for communication to take place. And the burden is on the one doing the communicating.

DO look up Suzette Haden Elgin's blog and writings! Sensible and useful both. She is a retired Professor of Linguistics.

Hmm. My grandparents use the word "yapping" all the time and it is not meant to cause any insult.

Originally Posted by Adina

Hmm. My grandparents use the word "yapping" all the time and it is not meant to cause any insult.

But we're not your grandparents!

Now that's funny!

But I'm serious. They use that word all the time: "Oh quit that yapping!" They have a lot of good old fashioned phrases, like "what the deuce!" and such.

Originally Posted by Adina

But I'm serious. They use that word all the time: "Oh quit that yapping!" They have a lot of good old fashioned phrases, like "what the deuce!" and such.

Question: What do you do for a living?

Of the beaver, her name was Duece
She made the habit, of being obtuse
When she'd seen Cleaver
She said that's a beaver
She should, really, not be out loose!

That set of grandparents are retired.

Originally Posted by Tone70

Of the beaver, her name was Duece
She made the habit, of being obtuse
When she'd seen Cleaver
She said that's a beaver
She should, really, not be out loose!

Duece?

Oh, you're really droll today. Is that a veiled insult? I don't know what it is about these limmericks, but they seem to rub me the wrong way.

Originally Posted by Adina

Hmm. My grandparents use the word "yapping" all the time and it is not meant to cause any insult.

When they're talking to grandchildren? Or when they're talking *about* some mouthy TV commentator? I'll bet you a copy of any book you name that they don't tell their peers and contemporaries that they are "yapping" unless it's the sort of conversation that begins "Zeke, you old sunuvabitch!"

One subset of "derogatory" is "belittling." If they use it to the grandchildren, they are belittling the grandchildren, which a lot of older adults think, or used to think, is/was their right when talking to mere children. Archie Bunker used to use such terminology towards Edith, too, because he felt he had the right to belittle her. Being not only a 'mere woman' but a 'mere wife".

When they're talking to grandchildren? Or when they're talking *about* some mouthy TV commentator? I'll bet you a copy of any book you name that they don't tell their peers and contemporaries that they are "yapping" unless t's the sort of conversation that begins "Zeke it's the sort of conversation that begins "Zeke you old !"

I suppose you're right.

Originally Posted by Adina

Duece?

Oh, you're really droll today. Is that a veiled insult? I don't know what it is about these limmericks, but they seem to rub me the wrong way.

Did I veil it? I'm sorry I didn't mean to. I agree it is droll. But only insulting in it's accuracy, I mean she is a rather stupid beaver.
Perhaps you should spend more time considering and less time asking obvious questions or making ill thought out statements. Feel free to be bothered. It's a free country. Perhaps you should not expose yourself to humor. You seem terribly ill disposed to it, even though you are apparently, an unaware straight man. I do appreciate the inspiration for the last part.

Originally Posted by Adina

Duece?

Oh, you're really droll today. Is that a veiled insult? I don't know what it is about these limmericks, but they seem to rub me the wrong way.

Adina, Cleaver is a reference to Beaver Cleaver in the old late 50s-early 60s sitcom "Leave It To Beaver." The family was called the Cleavers and their youngest was Beaver--or "The Beave."

And then the whole beaver-lady parts enters in--somewhere. I'm usually pretty good at limericks, but I'm not sure I get that one, either.

I don't even think it's on any of the retread TV channels anymore. Is it?

Originally Posted by annla899

Adina, Cleaver is a reference to Beaver Cleaver in the old late 50s-early 60s sitcom "Leave It To Beaver." The family was called the Cleavers and their youngest was Beaver--or "The Beave."

And then the whole beaver-lady parts enters in--somewhere. I'm usually pretty good at limericks, but I'm not sure I get that one, either.

I don't even think it's on any of the retread TV channels anymore. Is it?

I had not thought of that! It actually started with (someone?)calling otters by their latin name and me wanting to make a limerick with it. It's gotten a little away from me I'm afraid. You see the deceitful otter, in his amorousness, didn't realize she was a beaver and the beaver thought he was a beaver....I'm not sure I understand it either.

Edit: well it really started with a crack about otter abuse. Which was no laughing matter in the 80's.

Perhaps you should not expose yourself to humor. You seem terribly ill disposed to it.

I love humor for the most part. Like in comic books and such. My favorite is this

Originally Posted by Tone70

I had not thought of that! Edit: well it really started with a crack about otter abuse. Which was no laughing matter in the 80's.

You otter know better dan to be yapping about anskimal abuse! Better off to take a crack at the beaver.

Originally Posted by Adina

I love humor for the most part. Like in comic books and such. My favorite is this

Life with Archie?

Adina, I've posted on this forum only in the past month, but have read it on and off for probably 10 years when it was in a different format. Certain posters I read with interest. You're one of them, and its because of things like this. It's not meant in a bad way.

But now I'm wondering if maybe someone brought you here from 1950. Seriously. Sort of. Very intelligent, but..also very unlike 24 year olds at any time in the past 60 years.

Please don't take this in an offensive way. You're just an oddity. Not a bad thing. Just..unusual.

Originally Posted by Hutch74

Life with Archie?

Adina, I've posted on this forum only in the past month, but have read it on and off for probably 10 years when it was in a different format. Certain posters I read with interest. You're one of them, and its because of things like this. It's not meant in a bad way.

But now I'm wondering if maybe someone brought you here from 1950. Seriously. Sort of. Very intelligent, but..also very unlike 24 year olds at any time in the past 60 years.

Please don't take this in an offensive way. You're just an oddity. Not a bad thing. Just..unusual.

At times, I do feel a little out-of-sync with the times.

Originally Posted by Adina

At times, I do feel a little out-of-sync with the times.

But the question is, Betty or Veronica?

Originally Posted by Adina

At times, I do feel a little out-of-sync with the times.

I guess I can relate with this sometimes.

Originally Posted by Skabungus

But the question is, Betty or Veronica?

Which do you think I am?

Originally Posted by Adina

Which do you think I am?

Betty, for sure.

Originally Posted by Hutch74

But now I'm wondering if maybe someone brought you here from 1950. Seriously. Sort of. Very intelligent, but..also very unlike 24 year olds at any time in the past 60 years.

I wonder how I'd react if I suddenly woke up and found myself in 1950. I wonder if I would fit in.

Archie's Veronica and Betty are dears
They've been teens for sixty-two years
frenemies in strife
To be Archie's wife
Frustrated libido keeps them in tears!

Originally Posted by Adina

I wonder how I'd react if I suddenly woke up and found myself in 1950. I wonder if I would fit in.

I don't know. How well would you like:

Wearing a girdle with clip-on nylons. And a bullet bra. And a slip.

Your hair that had to be curled. With the hair care technology of the day, that meant sleeping on brush rollers. No kidding. And it had to be hairsprayed.

Skirts tight enough that you HAD to wear a girdle. At least business skirts were. And women's shoes all had high heels unless you were wearing sneakers. They could be the shorter, thicker Cuban Heels, especially for housework or if you were an older woman, but the standard was three inch pumps.

Having everyone take it for granted that your entire education was aimed at making you a better wife and mother.

Wearing a skirt to school every day including Fridays. And in fact, for everything except sports and rough work.

Being given three career options: teacher, nurse, or secretary. And the highest pinnacle of success in the business world was to be the private secretary to the top executive.

Being the little woman behind the man in the gray flannel suit, and having his superiors judge him partly on how well you entertained him at home and how well your house looked and how well you dressed and behaved. And the children. No ---seriously. First Lady level of scrutiny!

Being unable to raise or discuss any serious topic of conversation in mixed company because one of three things would happen: either the conversation would die away while they waited for you to leave (happened to me in college!); or they'd verbally pat you on the head and indulge you by giving a simplistic answer and trying to make social chit-chat; or you'd be given the same look as the children get when they interrupt adult business.

And your husband would be asked later if he couldn't control his wife better. And then he'd ream you out in private for jeopardizing his position in the firm or agency.

Sports, if any, being genteel and low-impact, though quite wholesome: golf, tennis, badminton, swimming, volleyball - no track and field and nothing really competitive. At school you were likely to have "play days" instead. And the gym suits were hideous relics of what was cutting edge for the Missionary Generation. And a large part of your grade in PE was that your gym suit was clean and properly ironed. With starch.

On the other hand, you would probably have a lot more female companionship than you would have in the 60s - fellow housewives - and in the early part of the period, at least, there was a lot of volunteer work going on. By the later part of the period, what had been founded and run by volunteers was often successful enough to become a regular institution run by professionals. That is, by men. But there was certainly room for the former volunteers as secretaries.

And children. These were the days of Dr. Spock's theories of child-rearing. By and large, they were reared quite well. But there was an anxiety-ridden undertone in those Freudian days of not making them into Mama's boys by being too warm and loving (all mothers wanted to cling to their sons and attach them to them unnaturally, don't you know? And that's how homosexuals were created. Beware!) or by being too cold and unloving (don't you know that's why children turn out autistic?) or by lack of supervision, turning them into juvenile delinquents (for the definition thereof, see "Grease."), or by oversupervision ...

Well, you get the idea.

Oh, and your social status was reflected in the church you attended. Protestant, of course, unless you lived in a Catholic neighborhood.

Originally Posted by The Grey Badger

I don't know. How well would you like:

Wearing a girdle with clip-on nylons. And a bullet bra. And a slip...............



.........................cted in the church you attended. Protestant, of course, unless you lived in a Catholic neighborhood.

Excellent post. Different world totally. Cant see how anyone would want to go back there.