Anders Breivic, Three Years On

[Eddie Teach]

We discussed leaf raking the other day.

My discussions on leaf raking to date have been neighbors complaining that I haven't done it. 

[Martinus]

garbon, you seem to think freakiness is a bad thing. I do not share this view - just calling spade a spade.

[Martinus]

Malthus, it's funny - some of the most not only conservative, but outright reactionary couples I met were this gay men couple I used to know.

[mongers]

We discussed leaf raking the other day.

My discussions on leaf raking to date have been neighbors complaining that I haven't done it. 

Malthus was using a euphemism, you really don't want to know what it involves. 

[derspiess]

We discussed leaf raking the other day.

My discussions on leaf raking to date have been neighbors complaining that I haven't done it. 

You need to get on that.  It's December already for crying out loud. 

[mongers]

We discussed leaf raking the other day.

My discussions on leaf raking to date have been neighbors complaining that I haven't done it. 

You need to get on that.  It's December already for crying out loud.

Conform mulch?

[garbon]

garbon, you seem to think freakiness is a bad thing. I do not share this view - just calling spade a spade.

Okay, gotcha. Well no, freak is not a neutral term.

[Malthus]

We discussed leaf raking the other day.

My discussions on leaf raking to date have been neighbors complaining that I haven't done it. 

Malthus was using a euphemism, you really don't want to know what it involves. 

We also discussed gutter cleaning. 

[Barrister]

garbon, you seem to think freakiness is a bad thing. I do not share this view - just calling spade a spade.

Question for the masses - is the phrase "calling a spade a spade" really appropriate these days?

Some quick googling suggests that:

A. The phrase pre-dates any racial connotations by centuries; but
B. the use of the word "spade" as a slur for blacks goes back to the 1920s and is now pretty firmly established as well

[derspiess]

Conform mulch?

I'm just not a fan of other peoples' leaves blowing into my lawn.

[derspiess]

Question for the masses - is the phrase "calling a spade a spade" really appropriate these days?

Some quick googling suggests that:

A. The phrase pre-dates any racial connotations by centuries; but
B. the use of the word "spade" as a slur for blacks goes back to the 1920s and is now pretty firmly established as well

I avoid using it in situations where some goofball might decide to take it the wrong way.

[Martinus]

garbon, you seem to think freakiness is a bad thing. I do not share this view - just calling spade a spade.

Okay, gotcha. Well no, freak is not a neutral term.

It is not but I don't use it negatively. Just as I am happy to call myself a "faggot" in some circumstances.

[Martinus]

garbon, you seem to think freakiness is a bad thing. I do not share this view - just calling spade a spade.

Question for the masses - is the phrase "calling a spade a spade" really appropriate these days?

Some quick googling suggests that:

A. The phrase pre-dates any racial connotations by centuries; but
B. the use of the word "spade" as a slur for blacks goes back to the 1920s and is now pretty firmly established as well

Interesting. I didn't know it. I saw it used in serious publications such as the Economist, I believe, so don't think it is considered offensive. So I will continue using it, but then I try not to be niggardly with my verbiage.

[Sheilbh]

garbon, you seem to think freakiness is a bad thing. I do not share this view - just calling spade a spade.

Question for the masses - is the phrase "calling a spade a spade" really appropriate these days?

Some quick googling suggests that:

A. The phrase pre-dates any racial connotations by centuries; but
B. the use of the word "spade" as a slur for blacks goes back to the 1920s and is now pretty firmly established as well

Interesting. That must be a North American thing I had no idea 'spade' had any racial connotations at all.

[Barrister]

garbon, you seem to think freakiness is a bad thing. I do not share this view - just calling spade a spade.

Question for the masses - is the phrase "calling a spade a spade" really appropriate these days?

Some quick googling suggests that:

A. The phrase pre-dates any racial connotations by centuries; but
B. the use of the word "spade" as a slur for blacks goes back to the 1920s and is now pretty firmly established as well

Interesting. That must be a North American thing I had no idea 'spade' had any racial connotations at all.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/09/19/224183763/is-it-racist-to-call-a-spade-a-spade