Blighty

[Renaud]

Why is this word such a favourite on this forum?  It is irrational I know, but for a reason I cannot fathom, this term grates with me.  

When I first went to school in the 50s, ‘war comics’ were the favourite reading matter in my class and ‘Blighty’ was the term used by the gallant lantern-jawed Tommies - between firing their tommy guns at the fiendish Germans “This will teach you to mess with Blighty, you Jerries…”,  “Achtung! Englisher schweinhund…” etc. (These comics seem to have died out, I can’t think why).

So I guess that it is a WW2 term or even a WW1 one. What is the derivation of the word? Does Blighty refer to The British Isles? The United Kingdom? Britain? Or just England?

[Unknown]

I don't know, but clearly you have too much time on your hands [:D]

[Dick Smith]

See

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blighty

[Bugsy]

Well blighty does sound better than bilayati or wilayat or vilayet

[RumziGal]

[quote user="Renaud"]

(These comics seem to have died out, I can’t think why).

 

[/quote]

Past Times are selling a little compendium of Commando stories just now.

Didn't have time to look to see if they'd been Bowdlerised.

There you go, Dick, two words especially for you.  [:)]

[Dick Smith]

Don't really have to look those up.

Commando is from the Afrikaans, Kommando, borrowed into English during the Boer War (2nd)

Bowdlerise - to remove any potentially offensive material - Thomas Bowdler produced an edition of the complete works of Shakespeare (1818 I think) in which any words or phrases likely to offend bourgeois sensibilities were removed or replaced.

[Will]

I remember 'Blighty' magazine in the 1950s. It was a sort of Loaded' or 'Nuts' for a more innocent age. It got relaunched as the slightly racier 'Parade' then faded into obscurity when Playboy etc arrived on these shores.

I sympathise with the original poster - I dislike the word too, along with terms like 'expat' which crops up far too frequently on this forum for my liking, but given the viewpoint of many users it is probably understandable. Also the abbreviation 'UK' seems often to be used pejoratively, as it appears in many cases to be the epithet of choice when comparing Britain unfavourably with France.

[Dick Smith]

I don't mind it at all - probably due to years of being immersed in WW1 history!

[RumziGal]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]Don't really have to look those up.
[/quote]

I know that!   I had a little sprat of insecurity about compendium and Bowdlerise, though.  Not sure why.   Still traumatised by the beards, I think. 

And now I'm getting my fish-spawn mixed up.  There's thunder in the air. 

[Dick Smith]

Oh - compendium! From the Latin, weighing things together (com pendere), thence the meaning of many items included in one volume, box of games etc.

[Renaud]

Dotty is quite right, I should get out more.

I agree with Will that ‘expat’ is an unlovely term but it is useful there is no real synonym for it.

And thank you to the Zen Kitten for directing me towards Wikipedia. Vesta Tilly singing "When I think about my dugout, where I dare not stick my mug out... I'm glad I've got a bit of a blighty one" had lyrics that would make any country n western singer green with envy.

 

[vjs]

BLIGHTY is a British English slang term for Great Britain deriving from the Hindustani word "bilayati" meaning foreign related to the arabic word "wilayat" meaning kingdom or provence.

VJs now I am going to look up BLIMEY!!!!

 

[Dick Smith]

Ummm. Have a look at the second reply and follow the link...

Blimey is said to be a corruption of the expression 'God blind me' via 'Gorblimey'. Personally I don't go for that, I think they are two separate words. Blind Me is probably a euphemism for 'Bu88er Me'

[Bugsy]

[quote user="vjs"]

BLIGHTY is a British English slang term for Great Britain deriving from the Hindustani word "bilayati" meaning foreign related to the arabic word "wilayat" meaning kingdom or provence.

[/quote]

Eeerrrr, I think I already said that, see above..........................

[Renaud]

I like the idea of the war comics being bowdlerised - now the gallant lantern-jawed Tommies - will say:  "today we express disagrement but one day we shall both rejoice in a common agricultural policy" and the German will reply "and we will together fight for an European constitution..."

[Will]

And what about 'Blige me'? (oh, sorry that was a catch phrase of somebody who doesn't exist here any more)

[Will]

[quote user="Dick Smith"]Ummm. Have a look at the second reply and follow the link...

[/quote]

I think the difference is that some people like to acknowledge their sources, and others think because it is on the web there is no copyright or plagiarism issue... (no offence) [6]