Followed a young feller on a shit old honda 125, riding like a clown

[Virago]

No, in the phrase "to call a spade a spade" it is not a garden implement

There are lots of arguments on this one ... it does seem to have origins in Ancient Greece, where "to call a fig a fig" meant to speak honestly without beating about the bush" - the commonly accepted meaning of the phrase today.

However, this particular phrase seems to have come to us via early 20th century America where a "spade" was a derogatory term for an American Black ... and "to call a spade a spade" was the prhase used by white racist Americans, especially in the South, reacting against what they saw at the time, but would not have called it that, the shift towafrds political correctness.

Most people use it today to mean to speak honestly, but the particular phrase "to call a spade a spade" is inherently racist.

Absolute rubbish.

The phrase was introduced to English in 1542 in Nicolas Udall's translation of Erasmus, Apophthegmes, that is to saie, prompte saiynges. First gathered by Erasmus:

"Philippus aunswered, that the Macedonians wer feloes of no fyne witte in their termes but altogether grosse, clubbyshe, and rusticall, as they whiche had not the witte to calle a spade by any other name then a spade."

The phrase predates the use of the word "spade" as an ethnic slur against African-Americans, which was not recorded until 1928; however, in contemporary U.S. society, the idiom is often avoided due to potential confusion with the slur - i.e. Political Correctness.

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

[FJRider]

I wonder how many people who say that actually know what "a spade" means ...

Some just call it like it what it is ... just a fucking shovel.

I wonder how those that suggest "helping the rider out" ... suggest it should have been done ... with both vehicles on the move ... ??

[Katman]

I appreciate the sentiment, but that was quite unecessary.

Meh, who cares? I've edited it again.

(And no, I've got nothing against working girls either).

[JimO]

Some just call it like it what it is ... just a fucking shovel.

I wonder how those that suggest "helping the rider out" ... suggest it should have been done ... with both vehicles on the move ... ??

i could have stopped when the cop had him on the side of the road and entered into a discussion on the merits of his riding that morning, the policeman may have wanted to add something to this as well

[PrincessBandit]

Half society's problems originate from when calling a spade a spade fig a fig hoe a hoe became politically (and/or socially) incorrect.

Meh, who cares? I've edited it again.

(And no, I've got nothing against working girls either).

Some girls seem to have no problem with being called ho. Maybe the missing pre-fix "skanky" has something to do with it
Speaking of pc bullshit and not being able to speak frankly anymore, it's frustrating writing reports. You end up with some lame sounding, wet bus ticket, limp celery slapping sentence when you really want to say: Your child is a ..... Oh bugger, I can't even manage to type it here!!!!!

[FJRider]

i could have stopped when the cop had him on the side of the road and entered into a discussion on the merits of his riding that morning, the policeman may have wanted to add something to this as well

There are times when you are better to remain ... not in the picture ...

The cop probably saw enough ...

[Virago]

[Big Dave]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kzn3K...ailpage#t=151s