Geordie phrases are still on the council agenda, er, pet
Aug 17 2006 By Chloe Griffiths, The Journal
Pet, hinny and love are still on the agenda for employees of a North-East council, after bosses last night insisted the traditional phrases had not been banned.
Newcastle City Council denied claims the expressions, seen by many as traditional regional terms of endearment, had been blacklisted.
The denial followed allegations by an unnamed employee that the words and other expressions, including sweetheart and darling, had been banned on the grounds they could be offensive.
The employee claimed council staff had been barred from using the words, which have become iconic Geordie phrases used in cartoon strips and television programmes, when speaking to women.
The allegation followed an equality and diversity training course.
But yesterday the council said the claims were "misleading and inaccurate".
A spokesman insisted there was no ban, but that employees had been told to make a "judgment" before using the words.
He said: "There is no ban on words, such as hinny, pet, love or darling.
"The point made to council staff during equality and diversity training is that they must make a judgment before using these words as to whether they are likely to offend the person they are directed to.
"In the vast majority of cases, these would not offend, but we want our staff, as part of the equality and diversity training, to be sensitive to the needs of those in all of our communities."
Last night, Chris Donald - founder of cult magazine Viz, which immortalised many of the expressions - joked: "I've never been one for doling out affectionate epithets.
"I can see why modern women might get annoyed over the use of words like `pet'. A sour-faced bird could easily misinterpret it as being sexist.
"On the other hand, I was staying at a hotel in Caribbean recently, and a young, pretty waitress insisted on calling me "honey" - and as a fat, balding bloke of 46, I didn't mind that at all."
Yesterday, Tim Healy who played "gaffer" Dennis Patterson in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, said: "I think they are beautiful words and it would have been absolutely ridiculous if they had been banned."
Indeed, Bill Griffiths, of the Durham and Tyneside Dialect Group, says the words are so well established they are "a part of the local dialect".
