Redefining misanthropy for a fresh generation. Standard posts begin with a definition from Ambrose Bierce's The Devil's Dictionary followed by a modern adjustment. Miscellany on Wednesday and storytelling on Saturday.
Friday, October 05, 2007
Bigot
BIGOT, n. One who is obstinately and zealously attached to an opinion that you do not entertain.
2007 Update: Someone who fails to recognize the inferiority of his own kind, as well.
Ahhh this word brings back memories. How much fodder it provided for my Belle brawls. Although I still stay screw spell check, the given spelling should be Biggot!
Once again I come to give you the etymology of a word:
BIGOTn. Big Ot was a giant who lived in England right at the edge of recorded time. He was large and clumsy and not too bright. His parents thought an education might help smarten him up, but giants don't have schools. They sent Ot into town to go to school with the human kids. The human kids teased and taunted OT mercilessly. He had no friends.
Then one day a new girl joined the class. She was beautiful and sweet and always kind to Ot. He fell madly in love with her and because of her kindness, thought she loved him, too.
The girl -- her name has been lost to history, but it's hardly important -- had no idea what was going on in Ot's head, and even had she known it may not have made a difference.
It came to pass -- as is befitting of the most beautiful girl in school -- that she fell in love with the most handsome boy. The boy proposed and the girl began planning the wedding.
The girl really was kind. She noticed Ot had no other friends save her, and she decided to help him meet other people. She went about doing that by asking him to help her plan the wedding.
Ot -- did I mention he was not very bright? -- thought he had been proposed to. He set about helping the beautiful girl plan what he thought was to be their wedding.
When it came time for the marriage ceremony Ot and the groom arrived at the altar together. Ot was confused. The groom was confused. The bride was called in to straighten things out, and she said, "Dear Ot, I wouldn't hurt you for the world, but I do not love you."
Ot cried, "But all of this time! All of this planning! I thought you were going to marry me!"
The groom was shocked. The bride was speechless. The wedding guests were scornful. They boo-ed and hissed OT. They called him names, pointed out his ugliness and stupidity, and insisted that he go back to his own kind.
Ot retreated to his mountain top and lived alone in silence and misery. He accumulated a good deal of wealth and some magical possessions, but he was very lonely. Then one day a young maid came to his door seeking work. OT let her in and gave her a job. Unfortunately (you know this part of the story) the young maid turned out to be a boy named Jack in disguise. Jack stole all of Ot's wonderful possessions and ran away.
Ot tracked Jack down. The trail led him into the same town where he had been ridiculed all those years ago. He went to the police department to report the theft.
It turns out the police chief was none other then his rival in love, and the thief was his first born son. Neither the police chief or his still-beautiful-but-not-nearly-as-kind wife wanted their darling boy -- Jack -- to go to jail, so they trumped up a story that Ot had stolen all of these possessions from the girl's family and Jack was only retrieving them for his poor widowed grandmother.
The rest of the story you know, though history records records it a little differently. As is often the case of tales passed down from generation to generation, the truth has gotten a bit mussed. In reality, Ot was not killed. He lost the civil suit he had filed against Jack and retreated, broke and bitter, to his mountain top.
Ot did eventually meet a nice giantess and marry. They had 15 children -- each one named Ot -- and their father taught them -- each and every one -- to distrust anyone who did not look, act and think the way they did. The family trait became well-known throughout the land and before long anyone who acted in the least bit discriminatory was said to be acting like a Big Ot....
"You ain't no big nothin', dude. As your date would tell you. If you could get one. I'm talkin' 'bout the dual identity stuff. There are two of us, right?"
"Through no fault of your own, dude. If anyone I know ever deserved to be command-Xed ..."
Control-Xed! You Mac crasher!"
"Yeah, dude? Your Vista doesn't go as far as the end of your nose, dude!"
Battlecry of the bigot: why some of my best friends are (fill in your favorite persecuted group here) or I served in the army with (fill in your next favorite persecuted group here) and so on and so forth.
18 comments:
Oopsie Daisy!
bigot - A term of ridicule directed at those who are. As in, "You incredible BIG OT!"
I believe that Icy does like cats. She just can't eat a whole one by herself.
Bigot: Most everyone else. Or the famous not me. That guy.
Ahhh this word brings back memories. How much fodder it provided for my Belle brawls. Although I still stay screw spell check, the given spelling should be Biggot!
Well put.
The thing is, for someone to be bigoted, that would also suggest that it's also a transitive verb
bigot: to instill in another an incomplete misanthropy
Bigot:
"Talk to the hand!"
Fingers in ears... "I can't hear you!"
Bigots have Boundaries on the Bias.
Bigot, sightless person who was staring at the Sun for too long.
ladns: ladies in sand
I had to learn what a bigot was by watching All In The Family.
Once again I come to give you the etymology of a word:
BIGOT n. Big Ot was a giant who lived in England right at the edge of recorded time. He was large and clumsy and not too bright. His parents thought an education might help smarten him up, but giants don't have schools. They sent Ot into town to go to school with the human kids. The human kids teased and taunted OT mercilessly. He had no friends.
Then one day a new girl joined the class. She was beautiful and sweet and always kind to Ot. He fell madly in love with her and because of her kindness, thought she loved him, too.
The girl -- her name has been lost to history, but it's hardly important -- had no idea what was going on in Ot's head, and even had she known it may not have made a difference.
It came to pass -- as is befitting of the most beautiful girl in school -- that she fell in love with the most handsome boy. The boy proposed and the girl began planning the wedding.
The girl really was kind. She noticed Ot had no other friends save her, and she decided to help him meet other people. She went about doing that by asking him to help her plan the wedding.
Ot -- did I mention he was not very bright? -- thought he had been proposed to. He set about helping the beautiful girl plan what he thought was to be their wedding.
When it came time for the marriage ceremony Ot and the groom arrived at the altar together. Ot was confused. The groom was confused. The bride was called in to straighten things out, and she said, "Dear Ot, I wouldn't hurt you for the world, but I do not love you."
Ot cried, "But all of this time! All of this planning! I thought you were going to marry me!"
The groom was shocked. The bride was speechless. The wedding guests were scornful. They boo-ed and hissed OT. They called him names, pointed out his ugliness and stupidity, and insisted that he go back to his own kind.
Ot retreated to his mountain top and lived alone in silence and misery. He accumulated a good deal of wealth and some magical possessions, but he was very lonely. Then one day a young maid came to his door seeking work. OT let her in and gave her a job. Unfortunately (you know this part of the story) the young maid turned out to be a boy named Jack in disguise. Jack stole all of Ot's wonderful possessions and ran away.
Ot tracked Jack down. The trail led him into the same town where he had been ridiculed all those years ago. He went to the police department to report the theft.
It turns out the police chief was none other then his rival in love, and the thief was his first born son. Neither the police chief or his still-beautiful-but-not-nearly-as-kind wife wanted their darling boy -- Jack -- to go to jail, so they trumped up a story that Ot had stolen all of these possessions from the girl's family and Jack was only retrieving them for his poor widowed grandmother.
The rest of the story you know, though history records records it a little differently. As is often the case of tales passed down from generation to generation, the truth has gotten a bit mussed. In reality, Ot was not killed. He lost the civil suit he had filed against Jack and retreated, broke and bitter, to his mountain top.
Ot did eventually meet a nice giantess and marry. They had 15 children -- each one named Ot -- and their father taught them -- each and every one -- to distrust anyone who did not look, act and think the way they did. The family trait became well-known throughout the land and before long anyone who acted in the least bit discriminatory was said to be acting like a Big Ot....
Stuff and bother -- I go to tall the trouble to pen that beautiful story and then don't even sign my real name! This duel identity stuff is a pain!
"Hey, dude! The pen chick's talkin' 'bout us!"
"Speak for yerself, dude. I ain't no bigot."
"You ain't no big nothin', dude. As your date would tell you. If you could get one. I'm talkin' 'bout the dual identity stuff. There are two of us, right?"
"Through no fault of your own, dude. If anyone I know ever deserved to be command-Xed ..."
Control-Xed! You Mac crasher!"
"Yeah, dude? Your Vista doesn't go as far as the end of your nose, dude!"
"Yeah??"
"YEAH!"
[curtain]
Pacific, that's a great story!
Bogot: A small toy tire filled with cheese, olive oil, and bits of rubber. Similar to escargot.
Battlecry of the bigot: why some of my best friends are (fill in your favorite persecuted group here) or I served in the army with (fill in your next favorite persecuted group here) and so on and so forth.
Bigot - shortened form of big idiot.
hupknf: I'v hupknf of bigots, I'm off to bed.
No, no, Minka. That was a big toe you stepped on.
That'll teach him, Poobah.
Icy, I hear you, sister. Terriers!
TLP, in French it's "Lui"
Sar, we all miss Belle. Back when that got publisher regular, I was smart enough to get why there should be two gs.
Wombat, you cracked it. "Incomplete misanthrope" is best of all.
Oh, come on, Jamie Dawn. You're not a bigot. You're differently tolerant.
Mo'a, I can lean all the way.
Ariel, why do sightless people do that?
Then you were a twice blessed child, Terry.
Quilly, that was wonderful. The original was missing something. Please tell me the one where Jack gets et! Please!
And a morality play about using Vista from Brer O Ceallaigh. I was missing but you guys sure were here yesterday.
Ariel, I agree. There just had to be more to it than what we'd heard! I mean, why wouldn't the giant just sue?
OE, if that's on the menu, I'm bringing friends.
G, some of my best friends are Irish Jews. Counting Tali, three.
Doug, I can't tell you the one where JAcj gets et, this is a G-rated ... okay, this is supposed to be a G-rated blog.
Bigot: Rhymes with 'spigot.' The first starts trouble, the spigot usually produces something good.
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