DeSantis Uses Racist Dog Whistle...

[thewriteranon]

My mom does it all the time. One of the more infamous examples was "out of the frying pan an into the kettle".

I had a professor who talked about how her Iranian parents didn't have the greatest grasp on English metaphors, e.g. "If you have a bird in the hand, you will throw it into a bush." (iirc)

[Sparko]

I had a professor who talked about how her Iranian parents didn't have the greatest grasp on English metaphors, e.g. "If you have a bird in the hand, you will throw it into a bush." (iirc)

many foreign people have problems with English sayings. If you have studied another language I am sure you will have noticed that they have some pretty odd ones themselves. One that comes to mind is that "He has a bird" is a saying in Germany meaning "He is crazy"

[rogue06]

many foreign people have problems with English sayings. If you have studied another language I am sure you will have noticed that they have some pretty odd ones themselves. One that comes to mind is that "He has a bird" is a saying in Germany meaning "He is crazy"

Ricky in the old I Love Lucy show famously mangled idioms and the like.

[guacamole]

There's an easy fix:

"I apologize for using the word "monkey" in a way that could be perceived as racially insensitive. I hope you can take my word for it, that I didn't mean it in that way, but I still recognize that I ought to have been more careful, and I promise that I will do my best in the future. I hope that we can all elevate the level of political discourse in this country."

[Sparko]

Ricky in the old I Love Lucy show famously mangled idioms and the like.

Yogi Berra.

[Zymologist]

There's an easy fix:

"I apologize for using the word "monkey" in a way that could be perceived as racially insensitive. I hope you can take my word for it, that I didn't mean it in that way, but I still recognize that I ought to have been more careful, and I promise that I will do my best in the future. I hope that we can all elevate the level of political discourse in this country."

How about: "I apologize for my carelessness in my word choice. I intend to exercise more care in my speech, and to stop monkeying about."

[guacamole]

How about: "I apologize for my carelessness in my word choice. I intend to exercise more care in my speech, and to stop monkeying about."

Mmm... not wordy enough for a real apology. How about:

"I apologize that your feelings were hurt about my use of the word "monkey" in relation to the general election. In the future, I will be less retarded."

[seer]

Mmm... not wordy enough for a real apology. How about:

"I apologize that your feelings were hurt about my use of the word "monkey" in relation to the general election. In the future, I will be less retarded."

How about, I'm sorry that all you idiots had to pour a racial meaning into a completely innocent turn of a phrase...

[Sparko]

"I'm sorry my opponents will take any excuse to twist what I say into something I obviously did not mean just to score points in the election"

[guacamole]

How about, I'm sorry that all you idiots had to pour a racial meaning into a completely innocent turn of a phrase...

"I'm sorry my opponents will take any excuse to twist what I say into something I obviously did not mean just to score points in the election"

The joke was about using the word "retarded" in a non-pc way in an apology about using the word "monkey" in a non-pc way. You ruin the joke if I have to explain it.

[Charles]

There's an easy fix:

"I apologize for using the word "monkey" in a way that could be perceived as racially insensitive. I hope you can take my word for it, that I didn't mean it in that way, but I still recognize that I ought to have been more careful, and I promise that I will do my best in the future. I hope that we can all elevate the level of political discourse in this country."

He could even support that by pointing to the context:

“The last thing we need to do is to monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda with huge tax increases and bankrupting this state. That is not going to work. It’s not going to be good for Florida.” https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/...ernor-election

He is clearly talking politics and not race and he seems to adress "a socialist agenda" and not a particular person (though that particular person supports that agenda). I agree with those who claim he should have been more careful and talk like a grown up. But I don't see it as something that cannot be fixed.

[Sparko]

The joke was about using the word "retarded" in a non-pc way in an apology about using the word "monkey" in a non-pc way. You ruin the joke if I have to explain it.

I apologize for being too retarded to get your joke.

[Mountain Man]

Yeah it was, there's not much doubting it.


I think you're being intentionally obtuse, if you're trying to use that as a defence.

I'm not being obtuse. I'm just not a racist liberal who automatically equates the word "monkey" with black people, nor do I think DeSantis is guilty of even inadvertant racism in this case. I hope he doesn't apologize because that will just lend credibility to this specious accusation. Instead he should tell people to get a life and stop looking for excuses to be perpetually offended.

[Mountain Man]

many foreign people have problems with English sayings. If you have studied another language I am sure you will have noticed that they have some pretty odd ones themselves. One that comes to mind is that "He has a bird" is a saying in Germany meaning "He is crazy"

American Sign Language has some interesting ones. For instance, TRAIN GONE is the literal translation, but the English equivalent is "missed the boat". Also SWALLOW THE FISH is similar to the English phrase "took the bait". Then there's TOUCH FINISH which means "I've done that already."

[Leonhard]

I'm just not a racist liberal who automatically equates the word "monkey" with black people, nor do I think DeSantis is guilty of even inadvertant racism in this case.

You're right, you're not a liberal, you're a republican.

I hope he doesn't apologize because that will just lend credibility to this specious accusation. Instead he should tell people to get a life and stop looking for excuses to be perpetually offended.

I have nothing here to add to what I hoped for. What I hoped for came to pass. He got some public shaming. I don't think he got any more or less than he deserved, as it was just a peccadillo. I don't think he'll be doing it again though.