Don’t Oppress My People With Your Departmental Acronyms
In the clown-shoe world of San Francisco public schools, honking ensues:
The director of the district’s arts department told local ABC7 news that a decision has been made to change the name of their department, “VAPA,” which is short for visual and performing arts. The new name will be SFUSD Arts Department. “We are prioritising antiracist arts instruction in our work,” the director, Sam Bass, told the network.
I’ll give you a moment to process the notion of “antiracist arts instruction” and how one might prioritise this feat over more mundane matters. Say, encouraging competence. To say nothing of students of the visual and performing arts who apparently struggle with the words visual, performing and arts.
“The use of so many acronyms within the educational field often tends to alienate those who may not speak English to understand the acronym.”
At which point, readers unmoved by wokeness may be inclined to point out that a way to overcome alienation – here, it seems, a euphemism for ignorance – is via students learning things, perhaps even words. Which is, I gather, what takes place in schools, theoretically, even those in San Francisco. However, the fretful and enlightened educators wish us to know that unremarkable terms that are not “proactively chosen” by minority students – including departmental acronyms – are “damaging” and “oppressive,” and actually a symptom of “white supremacy culture” and “white supremacy thinking.” Albeit in ways not entirely obvious, and in an environment where the imagined feelings of non-white students, or those who claim to speak on their behalf, seemingly trump those of everyone else.
And if a punchline seems in order:
It was not clear whether SFUSD was also considered a racist acronym.
Via Darleen.
If I had to draw a chart of “wokeness of institutions” vs “quality of art” I believe there would be a very strong correlation. Though not in the direction the institutions think it would be.
As in Shut the Fk Up, Stupid Dunce
If I had to draw a chart of “wokeness of institutions” vs “quality of art” I believe there would be a very strong correlation. Though not in the direction the institutions think it would be.
Well, it does seem clear that farcical posturing is deemed more important, and statusful, for the educator, than the routine work of actually imparting skills and knowledge. Even of simple and relevant words. And all of this posturing requires time and focus and resources that could be directed elsewhere.
So WAP is racist?
the director, Sam Bass, told the network.
“The use of so many acronyms within the educational field often tends to alienate those who may not speak English to understand the acronym.”
And yet, the ability to communicate in comprehensible English does not appear to have held Sam back in any way. What, precisely, would it mean to “Speak English to understand the acronym”? To speak the kind of English required to understand the acronym? The quality of English? The broken English of the director of an Arts Department?
Surely the point of acronyms is to make the language accessible even to e.g. morons? Which one would have thought would greatly appeal to SFUSD.
AYFKM?
If I had to draw a chart of “wokeness of institutions” vs “quality of art” I believe there would be a very strong correlation.
Alternatively…
Is BLM a racist acronym too?
In fairness, “Arts Department” is a better name than one that’s only a hair’s breadth from “vapid”. If this latest fad means fewer smartarse acronyms, I’m not going to complain too much.
But it won’t, of course. What it’ll actually mean is the great rich tapestry of the English language being reduced to the level of Thing Explainer.
Charles Kay Ogden was way ahead of both of these though, coming up with Basic English in 1925. His motivations were considered the height of enlightened forward thinking at the time:
Force ’em, d’you hear? It’s for their own good.
GESTAPO is an acronym for Geheime Staatspolizei. Most people don’t know that, but they still know what it means, even if they don’t speak German.
‘SFUSD’ is not an acronym ….
And acronym is set of letters that are pronounceable as a word.
‘SFUSD’ is pronounced S.F.U.S.D.
‘SFUSD’ is pronounced S.F.U.S.D
What does the “U S” stand for? Utterly Stupid?
“‘SFUSD’ is not an acronym ….”
Unless they’re actually calling it “Sfuss-dee”.
And acronym is set of letters that are pronounceable as a word.
Tell that to the Serbs who had all their vowels stolen.
SFUSD is a perfectly comulent acronym, pronounced ‘Sufused’, with the S & F elided, not unlike цфусд.
An[d] acronym is [a] set of letters that are pronounceable as a word
Well, sir, I beg to differ. Most dictionaries define an acronym as being prounounced as a word. Hence SFUSD. Or more correctly in this case SFUSDAD. Whose illiterate director is Sam Bell – the SFUSDADAD. Pronounced “sfusdadad”.
You may prefer to consider it to be a mere abbreviation or initialism. Like the BBC. Pronounced “Bee Bee See”. An initialism of the “Big Black Cock”.
NALOPKT YW.
Basic English is the inter-language of the future world
Basic, or at least bad, English is the common tongue of the world today. It can be heard (almost) every time a Chinese person talks to a Nigerian, or a Spaniard to a German, or an American to another American.
or an American to another American.
[ Muffled tittering from stock room. ]
GESTAPO is an acronym for Geheime Staatspolizei. Most people don’t know that, but they still know what it means, even if they don’t speak German.
Again… I was told there would be no German. Interesting how it keeps cropping up though.
or an American to another American.
“see a broad who get all booty-eyed, lay’em down and smack’em yack’em. Ho got to be, you know? Sheeit…”
[Muffled tittering from stock room.]
Right, now do Geordie.
[Or, as they say on the western part of your island, “Teitlo mwdlyd o’r ystafell stoc.”]
“Teitlo mwdlyd o’r ystafell stoc.”
Geshundite.
Oh, wait…
As many others have pointed out in the thread, when I see the letters SFU I think Shut the Fk Up, and I am pretty sure any rap-loving student of Color is gonna think the same thing.
How do these Woke clowns get away with so blatantly demeaning racist language and actions? The default for these people is that BIPOC, BAME and whatever other acronym the intersectional grievance poker bunch is using to describe themselves are too stupid to know anything, learn anything, or perform at all above a Stone Age, mud hut, witchdoctor level?? Isn’t that what white supremacists are supposed to believe?
Muffled tittering from stock room
An Englishman’s way of speaking absolutely classifies him. The moment he talks he makes some other Englishman despise him.
Right, now do Geordie.
I’m sorry, I can’t hear you, you’re bBBZZTTTCRACKLEKKKKRRRRking up.
Must be solar flares.
What a WOMBAT[1]. Still can’t be surprised at a SNAFU…
[1] My favorite FETLA[2], standing for Waste Of Money, Brains And Time.
[2] Further Extended TLA[3], as distinct from a DETLA[4] or RTLA[5].
[3] Three Letter Abbreviation.
[4] Doubly Extended TLA. Pleasingly it is itself a DETLA, as is ETLA[6].
[5] Reduced TLA, because you couldn’t use Two Letter Abbreviation without causing confusion.
[6] Extended TLA, obvs.
Well, sir, I beg to differ. Most dictionaries define an acronym as being prounounced as a word.
Well, the Cambridge dictionary agrees with you, but others either say pronouncability is optional or do not mention it at all.
My former employer was fond of acronyms as job titles. For a while we had someone in the job of “Doofus”.
Formally written as DOO/FSS – or Director of Operations / Finance and Student Services.
I was told there would be no German. Interesting how it keeps cropping up though.
My dad told me about traveling in Italy where he struck up a conversation with a Japanese man…in German. It was the only language they had in common.
[ Muffled tittering from stock room. ]
Careful. They have rules against that sort of thing now. You’ll get Weinsteined.
I’m sorry, I can’t hear you, you’re bBBZZTTTCRACKLEKKKKRRRRking up.
Ya need ter Rabbit and Pork ter the bloody gaff gaffer. Damien Hirst the bloody moldy banger, and na the chuffin’ reception is Sorry and Sad.
Is it possible to achieve negative intelligence?
It’s almost like there’s a master plan to dumb the whole thing down.
https://www.breitbart.com/education/2021/02/03/sf-to-dump-merit-based-admissions-to-majority-asian-magnet-school-because-systemic-racism/#
Is it possible to achieve negative intelligence?
Possible? The American Left has achieved it.
So WAP is racist?
How dare you say that?!? I take offense on behalf of my goombah dago guido greaseball eyetie wife. Denounced.
How dare you say that?!?
WAP, from the song, not wop…
An Englishman’s way of speaking absolutely classifies him. The moment he talks he makes some other Englishman despise him.
Can you guess a Canadian’s birthplace by simply hearing his “sore-ee”, Professor?
There are issues with racism and sexism that should be addressed.
But 99% of the effort goes towards useless silly symbolic performative actions that not only do not improve the situation, but often make things worse.
But 99% of the effort goes towards useless silly symbolic performative actions that not only do not improve the situation, but often make things worse.
And thus, for their purposes, not useless.
David – there’s a blatant problem here (and you should be ashamed of yourself).
We have long ago learned not to correct misspellings or bad grammar because it is oppressive to those who haven’t mastered these skills. In these circumstances, it is incumbent upon you to work out what the intention was. It is surely obvious that the acronym is misspelled and should in fact read: S.T.F.U.
I hope that makes it clear!
But 99% of the effort goes towards useless silly symbolic performative actions that not only do not improve the situation, but often make things worse.
We used to educate our children to be the leaders of tomorrow; today education is designed to create a generation of followers.
Can you guess a Canadian’s birthplace by simply hearing his “sore-ee”, Professor?
We do have regional accents in Canada, but the regions tend to be quite large. You can always tell someone from Newfoundland or Quebec, and if you know what to listen for you can usually hear Northern Ontario or the rest of the Maritimes. The rest of Canada is basically a wash. In large urban centres you’re much more likely to hear Caribbean, Middle Eastern, East African or South Asian accents than regional Canadian.
San Francisco University Social Disease. Soviet or Socialist both fit here as well…
So… Asylum or Nuthouse were both already taken?! Pity…
But not all of American academia is stark, staring insane; our old friends at Evergreen State are… well, see for yourself.
our old friends at Evergreen State are… well, see for yourself.
That brings back painful memories of idiots who would insist on telling me who I was based on my astrological sign or a tarot reading. That sort of behavior tends to erode the value of social events. My favorite, though, was the aging fake “reverend” who would ask me my sign every time he saw me. I varied the answer. 🙂
“You heard it here first“
No, Spiked. I didn’t. I heard it here first.
[warily eyes the small piece of toilet paper floating in his “gin”]
Can you guess a Canadian’s birthplace by simply hearing his “sore-ee”, Professor?
Aren’t Canadians the folks who say ‘aboot’ instead of ‘about’?
I confess I haven’t been north of the US border and there are not many ‘free-range’ Canadians in the part of Australia where I live.
Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg posted a document to Twitter containing tweets that she was told to post and actions she should take regarding the current protests in India. She quickly deleted the tweet.’
We all know that she is merely a tool, used by leftists who hope that she, being a c /communists are not human beings
see for yourself
I love Tarot decks. I collect them for the art and they make great creativity spurs if you’re a writer or something.
I also like games where you get to be a pirate, and if I could get paid $55,000/a to do that I’d be all over it.
Aren’t Canadians the folks who say ‘aboot’ instead of ‘about’?
There have been a lot of Scots-Irish immigrants over the years, that’s where it comes from. Stronger in the Maritimes.
Damn those white people and their …
Oh, hell, you all know the drill.
Oh, hell, you all know the drill.
Treating leftists humanely is foolish.
Speaking of leftists who deserve our hatred and contempt…
Snow-shoveling carjacking victim refuses to press charges — “they probably need a car”
Aren’t Canadians the folks who say ‘aboot’ instead of ‘about’?
To me the interesting thing about accents is if they are constantly different, like twixt American and Oz or UK and US, for the most part people find them amusing and somewhat fun to play around with. Where they get especially annoying is in the regional differences. As an American, you’re listening to say, Jordan Peterson and you’re not noticing anything odd in his pronouncing and then he says “aboot” and somewhere in your head a WTF goes off. When the whole conversation is going on in a constantly noticeable accent it’s no big deal. Same applies to say, speaking with my Pittsburgh relatives, even my own mother, GRHS, especially after I left for college. I’m listening to what is being said and then something comes out about “gotta go dahntahn” or “dry those dishes with this tahl” my jaw drops a bit.
As an American, you’re listening to say, Jordan Peterson…
Speaking of which, it appears that the Times of London has published a malicious hit piece.
WTP: “To me the interesting thing about accents is if they are constantly different, …”
I thought I was developing some mastery of spoken German years ago until I met an Austrian who claimed to speak German. I couldn’t understand a thing he said. Later I mentioned my difficulty to a native German speaker who said he had the same problem to a lesser degree so I didn’t feel quite so inept.
Where they get especially annoying is in the regional differences.
Hard to understand how these differences came to be. You can drive through a state like Ohio (some in the state say ohiya or ohia) from north to south and east to west and hear 3 different accents from a flat nasal midwest sound along the Erie shoreline to an almost southern drawl around Cincinnati.
Here in Canada people in Windsor sound more like they’re from across the river in Detroit than Southern Ontario. Meanwhile folks in Fort Erie Ontario wear sawks on their feet while across the bridge in Buffalo they wear sacks.
As Daniel pointed out upstream these differences are disappearing in urban centres in Canada due to immigration and the uniculture of the media.
I thought I was developing some mastery of spoken German years ago until I met an Austrian who claimed to speak German.
You should see someone from France try to carry on a conversation with a French-Canadian in French. If you think the French are rude to English speakers you should see how they treat the Quebecois.
Hard to understand how these differences came to be.
Population isolation leads to linguistic drift. The more populations mix, the more homogeneous their speech becomes. With Internet globalization and a shift to video and audio over text as the primary mode of communication it’s going to accelerate.
you should see how they treat the Quebecois
To the European French, French-Canadians sound like Appalachian hicks.
When I was 13 my parents took me and my brother on a summer holiday to Quebec. We always stayed at campgrounds in a tent trailer we pulled behind the car. We were getting close to Montreal and we’re trying to find the campgrounds my mother had pre-scouted.
My father was hopeless with a map and mom finally made him eat his pride long enough to stop at a gas station for directions. The park’s name was Point de Cascades which my dad pronounced as Poynt dee Casskaydes to the station attendant. The polite teen started explaining the directions. My flustered father said “I’m sorry I don’t speak French.” The young man replied, “Sir, I’m speaking English.”
Snow-shoveling carjacking victim refuses to press charges — “they probably need a car”
And so, because of this clown’s self-imagined altruism – which is to say, his preening and moral cowardice – the armed carjackers will learn a perverse lesson about violating people, at gunpoint, and getting away with it. They will be emboldened further. And their next victims, whether of carjacking or something else, something worse, will not have figured in this man’s lofty theatre of forgiveness.
it appears that the Times of London has published a malicious hit piece.
Ah yes. The unlovely Decca Aitkenhead, formerly of the Guardian, and of whom we’ve spoken before,
Note that she and her editor did this knowing that a full, unedited recording of the interview, made by Peterson, would emerge. Presumably, they didn’t care that their dishonesty, and intent, would subsequently be revealed to a great many people.
Rather speaks to who they are.
You can always tell someone from Newfoundland or Quebec
Everywhere we go-ho-ho-ho … from Vancouver to Toronto, people want to know…
“they probably need a car”
So much for a conservative being a liberal who’s been mugged. Such adjustments to reality can no longer be expected even in cases of “robbery gone wrong”.
To the European French, French-Canadians sound like Appalachian hicks.
If my memory is correct the French born US equestrian team coach for the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Canada refused to speak French to French Canadians.
Thoughtful response to wokeists: You’re black? Blame your parents, it’s their fault.
Snow-shoveling carjacking victim refuses to press charges — “they probably need a car”
I think we’ll give that one a post of its own.
Aren’t Canadians the folks who say ‘aboot’ instead of ‘about’?
People claim Canadians say “aboot” but it’s more like “a boat” (as opposed to the American “a bawt”) to my ears. “Aboot” is more Scottish.
Later I mentioned my difficulty to a native German speaker who said he had the same problem to a lesser degree
So the United States and Great Britain are not the only “two countries separated by a common language.” 🙂
Population isolation leads to linguistic drift.
Yes. Also, different regions of the United States were settled by people from different parts of the UK. For example, Southern speech patterns (and culture) can be traced back to certain parts of England.
To the European French, French-Canadians sound like Appalachian hicks.
To the Quebec French, French-speaking Acadian-Canadians sound like Appalachian hicks.
To the Quebec French, French-speaking Acadian-Canadians sound like Appalachian hicks.
How about all those Francophone nations in the Southern Hemisphere? Where do they fit on the hierarchy of snobbery? For that matter, I have no idea how their pronunciation compares to the people of France.
Presumably, they didn’t care that their dishonesty, and intent, would subsequently be revealed to a great many people.
No. They knew that they can get away with defining the Narrative without any serious consequences, and thus they do it. Their “truth” is now the established fact that JP is a drug addict and mentally ill. That cannot and will not be undone without a serious revolution in our culture. And who is going to take on that effort? “Never go to war with people who buy ink by the barrel” has been the “wisdom” of the right for decades now. no one lifts a finger to refute that either. See “Streisand Effect”.
“People claim Canadians say “aboot” but it’s more like “a boat” (as opposed to the American “a bawt”) to my ears. “Aboot” is more Scottish.”
Yep. We Jocks very definitely pronounce it “aboot” (also “broon”, “aroond”, etc.).* But while the Canuck pronunciation is clearly distinct from the American, it sounds nothing like “aboot” to our ears. “A boat” is closer, but still not it. I think you’d probably have to resort to those weird hieroglyphs they use on Wikipedia.
“To the European French, French-Canadians sound like Appalachian hicks.”
Same with Latin Americans and the Spanish, Brazilians and the Portuguese.
*I mean, sometimes. Some of us talk proper like.
We Jocks
The Hill People are among us. Hide your valuables.
I have no idea how their pronunciation compares to the people of France.
In my experience, the French speakers in the Caribbean sound closer to “standard” French when speaking formally but there are still regional differences. Most of the islands have their own patois which expresses their unique pronunciation which they use amongst themselves. Now Louisiana Cajuns to my ear are very difficult to understand because I haven’t been exposed to it for any length of time. Others would probably say the same thing about French-Canadian joual, which I can understand and affect because I’ve been exposed to it.
I’m listening to what is being said and then something comes out about “gotta go dahntahn” or “dry those dishes with this tahl” my jaw drops a bit.
The Lovely Bride is originally from Agony County, and while she’s worked hard to lose her accent, it still pops out at unexpected times. Last time was a big family dinner at my niece’s house. Niece had two new kittens who were fearless and curious and definitely causing trouble. When they jumped up on the kitchen counter to see what the women were cooking, the Lovely Bride scooped them up and sent them scooting across the floor, shouting “Get ahtta here, bohtha yinz!” We all just stopped and stared for a moment.
If you’re curious what it sounds like, I highly recommend Pittsburgh Dad on YouTube. The linked example is a particular favorite of mine, not least for the startlingly familiar environment of Gram’s kitchen.
while she’s worked hard to lose her accent, it still pops out at unexpected times
My maternal grandparents were of German descent and had the misfortune to live in a town named “Berlin” during WWI. The local German community made a concerted effort to “go native” so as to avoid being seen as potentially having loyalties to the Fatherland. Not once in my life did I ever hear either of my grandparents speak a word of German.
My mother, on the other hand, knows a handful of German words and phrases, all of them the kind of thing young mothers shout at their children when they are very angry.
she’s worked hard to lose her accent, it still pops out at unexpected times
I think I’ve related here but as a youngster (we left The ‘Bergh when I was six) I had something of an accent. My best friend’s family, who were from Chicago and themselves had a thick accent, used to make fun of my pronouncing ‘out’ as ‘aht’, which I worked so hard to break such that when I got to college, one of my fellow dorm rats, one with a mid-Florida accent, would call me out on my very slightly now-Canadianish ‘owt’. You just can’t win.
My mother, on the other hand, knows a handful of German words and phrases, all of them the kind of thing young mothers shout at their children when they are very angry.
Similar here but never knew my grandparents. Did have German toilet training via a German aunt, for which I blame….well, I digress…but via dear ole Mom and Aunt Lucy I know (phonetically as I’ve never really studied the language) Sitz-de-hint, schluphunnas, dumkopf, schvinekopf…a few others. Which I now suffer upon my dog.
For a very long time, I thought that “scheisskopf” was a term of endearment…
…you can usually hear Northern Ontario or the rest of the Maritimes
In southern Ontario, Ottawa Valley accents are hard to miss. There is also the nearly-extinct “Old Ontario” which you’re actually more likely to hear among older people in rural parts of the West, not in ‘ntario. Watch for any initial vowel followed by a nasal consonant…nope, you missed it that time. Try agayne.
The Acadians (when speaking English) have a very distinctive accent, which differs from a French-speaking Quebecer’s English. There are also identifiable regional accents through the English-speaking parts of the Maritimes (St. John Valley, Cape Breton, southwestern Nova Scotia). English-assimilated Acadians are different again.
The Newfoundland Baymen (as distinct from the Townies) often have very local dialects. A friend that worked near Grand Bruit in the southwest recalled how mainlanders were sometimes pressed into service to translate for one Bayman to another from a different outport.
Labradorian (“Settler”) English is distinguishable from Newfoundland English too (watch Last Stop Garage). I know it by its punctuation:
Interrogative, “er what?” (“You goin’ fer a coffee er what?”)
Simple declarative, “I s’pose” (“Well, I’ll go find another boulder, I s’pose.”)
Emphatic, “I daresay” (“Some mail fer you, I daresay.”)
Exclamatory, “I say” (“Oh, shit on it, I say!”)
To the European French, French-Canadians sound like Appalachian hicks.
Quebec Joual and Acadian French both descend from Norman langue d’oil, which is also preserved in the Channel Island dialects. Jerseyish for “horse” is “joual”…sound familiar?
I have no idea how their pronunciation compares to the people of France.
My limited experience of francophone Africa is that French-speaking Africans talk as though they’re presenting a paper at the Academie Francaise. It’s the only place I’ve been able to make my school French work, which I turned into a cliche: “Il marche en Afrique, mon francais.”
My limited experience of francophone Africa is that French-speaking Africans talk as though they’re presenting a paper at the Academie Francaise.
I wonder if that indicates a different attitude towards the French language and towards higher education.
I too thought for a while that “pendejo” was a similar endearment from a Mexican girlfriend.