State Department Chief Diversity Officer John Robinson has published a warning to State Department employees that if they want to “go Dutch” or “hold down the Fort,” they had better find another way to express it. Those phrases are now deemed offensive.
Robinson asks in the publication “How many times have you or a colleague asked if someone could ‘hold down the fort?'” The answer is presumably often but he explains that what you were really saying was “I have to run out but cannot you look out for any Native Americans while I am out?”:
“You were likely asking someone to watch the office while you go and do something else, but the phrase’s historical connotation to some is negative and racially offensive. To ‘hold down the fort’ originally meant to watch and protect against the vicious Native American intruders. In the territories of the West, Army soldiers or settlers saw the ‘fort’ as their refuge from their perceived ‘enemy,’ the stereotypical ‘savage’ Native American tribes.”
To make matters worse, when you used the phrase “rule of thumb” in lines like “As a rule of thumb, I always avoid that” you were really saying “As a wife beater, I always avoid that . . .” He states that the phrase came from a rule that you should not beat your wife with a stick thicker than your thumb.
Robinson nevertheless concludes that “Now that you know the possible historical context of the above phrases, perhaps you will understand why someone could be offended by their use.” Robinson’s hold on the historical context of some of these phrases however seems a bit off.
He appears to be wrong on the origins of these phrases. “Hold down the fort” has been traced by some to both Roman times and more directly to the Civil War.
Likewise, rule of thumb does not appear to originate with the wife beating rule (which by the way was not a wide spread rule). It has been traced to ancient times where fingers and thumbs were used for measurements (here and here).
Putting aside the false assumption that these phrases are racist or misogynistic, there is the problem that virtually no one subscribes this false meaning to the phrases. Until this publication, few people would have thought that saying “hold down the fort” referenced hostile Indians or “rule of thumb” referenced wife beating. Thus, I seriously do not believe that he was talking about an analogous rise in wife beatings when President Obama’s top economic adviser Lawrence Summers said “Breaking from historical patterns, the unemployment rate — currently at 9.5% — is 1 to 1.5 percentage points higher than would be expected under one economic rule of thumb.”
Of course, this may explain how “war” was redefined by the President as a Time Limited Military Action.
Source: Daily Caller
Gyges,
Do you mean that the rule of not using rods to beat your wife with thicker than a thumb? Or do you mean the popular meaning as I know it, ie a rough measure when lacking a ruler to measure with? Commonly used on other means of measurement as well.
Or to cite another historical one. The distance from the king’s nose to his fingertips is one yard.
Clarify please.
“Given the history of the banned phrases, any person who might reasonably claim them to be offensive would have to be over 200 years old”
An important point, they weren’t banned. They were used as examples of phrases that somebody could find offensive.
Given the history of the banned phrases, any person who might reasonably claim them to be offensive would have to be over 200 years old. Now some may argue that the slowness and inefficiency in certain governmental agencies strongly suggests that they employ individuals who fit that demographic, but I am not convinced.
Bron,
It’s also a great way to figure out how well done your steaks are (depending on which part of the base of your thumb the steaks feel like).
Gyges:
rule of thumb is an engineering method to check the density of soil. you can get an idea of bearing capacity by sticking your thumb in the soil and seeing what kind of mark is left. I couldnt find it on the web but I remember it from a text book.
“All can not look up and find his meaning of “rule of thumb”. ”
It’s mentioned in at least one fairly popular movie, I think it’s pretty well established in American Culture.
Bron, You don’t understand pc. In the pc mindset it’s a game of one upmanship..err oneuppersonship. Who can be the most sensitive, who truly cares the most. There’s a lot of holier than thou and condescension in the pc culture. The rules change arbitrarily and often swiftly. This is a pernicious mindset that must be confronted. That’s why I said I’m so pleased most everyone commenting seems to get it.
They were not apt choices to make his point. If indeed he has one. As said previously, take ones we know are offensive. All can not look up and find his meaning of “rule of thumb”. Maybe he should be a professor, there anybody who studies must ape your stupid positions.
Can’t you just see the whole State Dept. standing at attention and reciting his mantra at a weekly meeting.
Bron,
Mistakes happen, I’m not willing to judge a guy’s competency based on quotations from an article that’s obviously got a point to prove.
Honestly, I think he probably choose those examples because those are two well known folk etymologies. He even admits they could be false, but the point he’s bringing up isn’t “these phrases are bad, therefor if you say them, you’re bad” but seems to be “think about what you say, because what might be innocent to you, could have an entirely different context to somebody else.” Thus the part about Black and Tans.
Gyges:
Good point but dont you think a guy at that level should have a little more sense than to talk about holding the fort when there are actual racist and sexist phrases that are used on a daily basis? You would think he could up with some that were actually hurtful and mean.
Well I for one don’t understand why everyone is not really happy that there is SOMEBODY in this country working really hard to keep everyone from getting their feelings hurt. Even people who didn’t KNOW their feelings were being hurt can hurt a bit less, now that HE is on the job helping out. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!
Perhaps tbe Neocons and conservatives are right that we have too many bureaucrats. This leads to inefficiency and lets many important things not be done.
However, as one who worked in a company with over 110,000
employees, and seen the inefficiency, incompetency all the way up to the CEO and USA market manager, and simple lack of leadership; then I must give bureaucracy some slack.
You get very few worker bees and lots of drones. And drones can fly high and badly.
Anonymously Yours 1, August 31, 2012 at 12:01 pm
Dredd,
I can’t look that up…..it’s one of the banned Turley word…..
=============================================
Works for me … 😉
As a rule of thumb I would hazard that this particular government agency has too many Chiefs and not enought Indians. More specifically, this guy knows nuthin bout birthin babies and his name aint Miz Scarlett. Perhaps there are too many people employed in that agency and it is not a time of war so they can use less soldiers on the parameter of the fort. As a matter of fact the place smells so bad that they might consider hiring someone to hold down the farts.
I for one am deeply offended by the word ‘jazz’ as well as the phrase ‘rock and roll’ both were street slang for sexual congress and that it totally inappropriate to say in public!
I am sure there are many other words and phrases that may (or may not) have offensive roots and as soon as I hear about them I shall be deeply offended by them also.
This guys real crime is in making it more difficult to make the case against words that are really meant to be offensive. It allows people to draw a line that equates ‘rule of thumb’ with ‘nigger’ and suggest that they are the same.
The guy asks people to consider how their words might effect others, and so… he’s evil. I mean, unless I miss the part where the phrases are banned, or anyone who uses them will be fired, this isn’t an example of anything other than an article with parts that are poorly written and researched (the whole thing could be bad, but I don’t trust an article entitled “new frontiers in hypersensitivity” to be neutral in how it presents the facts). Lots of people write those, espousing lots of different view points, that doesn’t mean they’re bad. Heck, it doesn’t even mean they’re wrong. It just means they wrote a crappy article at one point in their life.
Buy that guy an electronic sign!
Dredd,
I can’t look that up…..it’s one of the banned Turley word…..
I think the worst part of the original article wasn’t even covered here:
`“Much has been written about whether the etymologies below are true or merely folklore, but this isn’t about their historical validity,” Robinson writes. “[I]nstead, it is an opportunity to remember that our choice of wording affects our professional environment.”`
This guy KNOWS he is probably wrong, but he doesn’t care… He would rather make sure that other people – who are as misinformed as he is – don’t get their poor little feelings hurt. So, instead of educating people on the truth, he’d rather tell other people about urban myths and why their words might offend stupid people.
David,
So true. These men were enhancedly interrogated to death! It makes all the difference when you put it that way! No wonder the DOJ couldn’t prosecute!!!