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It would never have occurred to me that people might be offended. It is common use in Australia, especially in advertising and events. I hope I have never written anything here at SCS that has caused offence. I apologise if I have!!!
I no longer fall of the couch when I read the word 'fanny' ......here in Australia it is a very rude word for you 'front downstairs lady bits'. Have a great day everyone.
Sweet Louise, I'll never be able to hear that BeeGee's song the same way . . . "Fanny, be tender, with my love - you know how easy it is to hurt me - . . ."
Like many, I would not be offended - I love receiving (and sending!) Christmas cards. Whether it says "Happy Holidays" or "Warm Winter Wishes" (always a funny one in NC where it could be 70 at Christmas) or whatever, it is always the thought that counts.
I would not use it myself - I think more because I see it as something I would not say in ordinary speech ("Merry Xmas" just doesn't seem to roll off the tongue), and thus something I would not really tend to put on a card. I could possibly see it on a tag (e.g. "don't open until Xmas") for space reasons.
My Aussie vocabulary has been enhanced - I will avoid the use of "fanny" if ever I return. I think it eclipses the confusion with "knocked up" between US and UK.
I'm not really offended but I don't care for it. I'm not a big fan of abbreviated names, Chucktown for Charleston, Xmas, Mickey D's, Mike's. And, I am not a fan of puns. However, if I got a punny card or one that said Merry Xmas, I would not judge or be offended. I would be grateful.
__________________ By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. Confucius
I'm not really offended but I don't care for it. I'm not a big fan of abbreviated names, Chucktown for Charleston, Xmas, Mickey D's, Mike's. And, I am not a fan of puns.
OMG that makes me think of the awful abbreviations on the Food Network. EVOO, VEG (UGH - that's the worst), Apps instead of appetizers on the Applebees commercial. Nails on a chalkboard.
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However, if I got a punny card or one that said Merry Xmas, I would not judge or be offended. I would be grateful.
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I'm not a fan of the saying but I would not be offended. I would just be grateful to receive a card. I sent out about 50 Christmas cards last year and may have received 10 back. Haven't received a thank you for a gift in quite some time so just receiving a card in the mail would make me happy!
Sweet Louise, I'll never be able to hear that BeeGee's song the same way . . . "Fanny, be tender, with my love - you know how easy it is to hurt me - . . ."
Funniest thing I have seen all day!
__________________ Paula "The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa the bad things don’t always spoil the good things, or make them unimportant. - The Eleventh Doctor
Hi Joan, you are safe with Happy Birthday, just don't get off an aeroplane in Aus, say your fanny is sore and then tell customs officials that your passport is in your fanny pack!!
__________________ Susie
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I do have a problem with "Holiday tree," though. It's a Christmas tree. But I just can't wrap my brain around "Winter Wishes." I don't know what to make of it. I'm not offended by it; I'm just puzzled by it.
I have a friend who is Christian and her husband is Jewish. He either calls it a Holiday tree .
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
I had a friend that used to say bugger instead of other cuss words until I let her know what it really meant when used that way. Now she says dang. ;)
Bugger is an everyday word here for 'dang'. Toyota had a huge advertising campaign a few years ago and bugger was the only word in it, used over and over. I am guessing you had a different advert in the States LOL.
__________________ Susie
Please don't take your organs to heaven - heaven knows we need them here.
Bugger is an everyday word here for 'dang'. Toyota had a huge advertising campaign a few years ago and bugger was the only word in it, used over and over. I am guessing you had a different advert in the States LOL.
Yeah I think we must have. That would have caused accidents on highways! LOL!!!
LOL the word thongs has also been used here for footwear. I don't know how much it's still used but I remember hearing it as a kid when I lived down south a few years.
I use Winter Wishes for a friend who dislikes Christmas. Also, I do cards for the changing of seasons so I could easily use Winter Wishes for the winter solstice.
Cute story - I have friend who is Jewish and his wife if Christian. When their young son was asked at school to tell of their Christmas traditions, he started out with, "My Dad is Jewish and my Mom is Christmas."
Xmas doesn't offend me, but it doesn't impress me either. I wouldn't use Xmas for Christmas any more that I would use Bday for Birthday or Anny for Anniversary. I think the full words add a sense of solemnity or importance to the events. Maybe I've been watching too much Downton Abbey.
LOL the word thongs has also been used here for footwear. I don't know how much it's still used but I remember hearing it as a kid when I lived down south a few years.
would you wear or eat a sloppy joe? :mrgreen:
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Xmas doesn't offend me, but it doesn't impress me either. I wouldn't use Xmas for Christmas any more that I would use Bday for Birthday or Anny for Anniversary. I think the full words add a sense of solemnity or importance to the events. Maybe I've been watching too much Downton Abbey.
Ahhh (It's impossible to watch too much Downton abbey!)
And I completely agree with your opinion above. The full sentiment is warranted for these special occasions.
Forcing the issue of "Merry Christmas" over other holiday greetings is ridiculous - wishing someone well can be done improperly? really? Everyone needs to get over themselves and just celebrate the season for whatever reason makes them personally happy. If it floats their boat to call it a Holiday Tree or Winter Break or write Xmas or anything else, how much does it harm anyone, really? Nobody's bleeding, nobody's going to jail, nobody's missing out on anything...
I have a friend who is a die-hard atheist and she goes all-out for Christmas more than anyone I know, wishes everyone "Merry Christmas" and doesn't think a thing of it - it's tradition, not hard-core religious belief, that motivates her, and she is loving and generous and kind and AWESOME! We need more of her kind in the world...
Sue, I love what you wrote! I grew up in a very non-religious (though not totally athiest) family and am still that way myself. We celebrate Christmas as a wonderful historical cultural tradition - a time to hope for peace in the world, a time to get together with friends and family. So I feel that whatever greeting you say or use on cards is wonderful. Many of my cards say "peace on earth" as that is so important to me. Others say "joy" as I feel that is something important to wish that everyone has in their lives. And because I make many Christmas cards for a fundraiser sale, I do lots that say "let it snow", "winter wishes", etc. as people can use those for whatever they want. And many of the cards say "Merry Christmas" because that is what lots of my customers want.
As for the "Xmas" issue - I think writing any of those abbreviations is just lazy English - fine for labeling a box of decorations, but not for anything else. With the increase of texting, we're seeing more and more abbreviations, and it makes me feel that our beautiful rich language is being downgraded!
__________________ Susan
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OMG that makes me think of the awful abbreviations on the Food Network. EVOO, VEG (UGH - that's the worst), Apps instead of appetizers on the Applebees commercial. Nails on a chalkboard.
Love this - I agree
Rachael Ray made me crazy with the EVOO because not only would she say EVOO, ugh, then she'd say the full words right after. WHY????
__________________ By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. Confucius
I know it's being kind of picky - but I'm not very fond of turning words in to cutesy terms like "embellies" - sounds like baby talk or how people talk to small dogs. Ok - maybe I'm cranky, but it bugs me.
I'm not offended by "Xmas" or "Happy Holidays," "Season's Greetings," or anything like that. I do have a problem with "Holiday tree," though. It's a Christmas tree. But I just can't wrap my brain around "Winter Wishes." I don't know what to make of it. I'm not offended by it; I'm just puzzled by it.
I use "Warm Winter Wishes" or "Happy Holidays" a lot, as I have non-Christian friends. I do use "Merry Christmas" even though I am an Atheist, for those I know would appreciate it and even though Christmas was placed at that time of year (not because Christ could have possibly been born at that time according to the Bible account) to coincide with already established Pagan holidays that celebrated the winter season and the gods of the time. So Christians do not have sole rights to the "Holiday" season.
I probably would never use "Xmas" on a card for a greeting. But I have deliberately not used it in my card descriptions here on SCS just because I wasn't sure if it would offend anyone. I use abbreviations for other words here on SCS just because it is easier than typing out all of the words all of the time. We all like to read the descriptions, so I guess I will make it easier on myself and abbreviate Christmas to Xmas in my card descriptions.
I agree with many of you, we need to lighten up. Kindness and respect for others and their beliefs would go a long way to making this world a much better place. I personally don't care what anyone tells me....Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Seasons Greetings, Happy Winter, Happy Spring, etc, etc...........I'm overjoyed that someone is being kind, thoughtful, outgoing..................
Oh and Susie.........I had NO IDEA that "fanny" meant what it does in Austrailia!!!!!!!!!! I alwys knew "bloody" was like a cuss work in England, not sure what it meant though. DD worked with a doctor from England and he used to say "bloody" all the time. Everyone thought it was a riot!!!! Going back now to read that word list in an earlier post.
__________________ Mary ~~ QFTD #152, FS#514CC Guest Design Team 2012, 2013, 2017 & 2022 2014 CAS Spring Design Team MemberSC Guest Design Team 2015 & 2022 SU Consultant "Life's greatest adventure is finding your place in the Circle of Life" - Lion King
I'm not a fan of the saying but I would not be offended. I would just be grateful to receive a card. I sent out about 50 Christmas cards last year and may have received 10 back. Haven't received a thank you for a gift in quite some time so just receiving a card in the mail would make me happy!
I'm with you on this. I send lots of Christmas cards and get quite a few in return, but not equal. I'll keep sending though. I figure everyone likes some fun mail. Oh, and don't get me started on thank-yous. What's with people thinking they don't need to say thank you for a gift? My children are grown adults and I still nag them about this! Can't say it's working, but at least they know my feelings on the subject!
Decorating with evergreen cuttings (not a whole tree that was cut down, as that would be destroying nature) goes back much farther than Christianity. In fact, some Christians (some rather well known) have been against "Christmas" trees because the tradition is from "heathens." Calling it a Holiday Tree isn't a bad idea, all things considered.
There are many holidays that take place in the winter (and at least one that I know of is older than Christianity).
I know I'm probably going to take a lot of hits for this but if you get technical about it, you can't really X Christ out of Christmas because even Catholic and other Bible scholars admit that Christmas is a meld of the pagan celebration of Saturnalia and Jesus' birth. If you do the research, Christ was likely born late September, early October but Dec 25 was the winter solstice and Saturnalia originally didn't include Jesus at all. In the early times of Christianity, the two were merged I order to include everyone. (There's inclusion at work!)
This isn't my opinion but generally accepted fact even tho purists may not like it. There are many pagan customs included in Christian celebrations like eggs and bunnies, which are pagan fertility symbols, being mixed in with Easter. Santa is an ancient German tradition and also not related to Christianity at all. People who get uptight about the x in Xmas need a bit more research under their belts and need to consider what's really important to them about their celebration. Is it a single letter or the spirit of the celebration?
In case you were wondering, no, I celebrate neither Xmas (which I use because it is less typing) nor Easter. Tho I am Christian and my religion has a similar rememberance of Jesus that's purely religious, no bunnies or eggs.
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Thanks for all the links included in previous posts. My parents fully believed that XMas was a huge plot to remove Christ from Christmas. I hadn't paid too much attention to it, but was glad to read that it isn't so.
Now for the list of word differences - what a hoot! I looked for one in particular and didn't find it. Years ago, my husband read that to a British person, "Pardon me" means that someone, er, passed wind shall we say, not that they need to move past you.
So, if any of us Yanks are ever in a crowded room in Britain, just say "Excuse me" instead of "Pardon me" or you might get some snickers (not the candy bar). Unless, of course, you really DO need to say "Pardon me."
mcbenjam, that made me laugh! Thinking about it, generally that is true, but I think mainly amongst older people now. Younger ones- when they remember to say anything- generally use either.
Octoberbabe, it is indeed a (mild) swear word over here, frequently used as 'bloody hell'- an exclamation of shock/surprise, and often when you've hit your thumb with a hammer, lol.
"As for the "Xmas" issue - I think writing any of those abbreviations is just lazy English - fine for labeling a box of decorations, but not for anything else. With the increase of texting, we're seeing more and more abbreviations, and it makes me feel that our beautiful rich language is being downgraded!"
susanbri- totally agree with your answer. Ok for labelling and stuff like that, but doesn't seem right on a card. Also with you on the rest of your sentence- I loathe seeing things written in 'text speak'. When I text someone, I fully spell every word, and put in punctuation.( Except for the lol's and rofl's ) I hate seeing the language destroyed like that. Sometimes I see FB messages from younger family members, and have to fight the urge to re-type the message to them, spelt correctly! Hubby has actually responded before now asking what language that's in, as Google translate can't find it, rofl!
Go ahead and flame me for this but, I swear, sometimes the snobbery I encounter on crafting sites is enough to make me want to throw up! I can't imagine that I would ever receive a card from someone and think to myself "Oh my land! That is not really proper grammar!" or "X? The nerve." It reminds me of the snowflake post one year, how people refuse to use a snowflake stamp if it has more than 5 points or whatever it was. If someone gets that up in arms about seeing an X, they need to get a grip. Really.
mcbenjam, that made me laugh! Thinking about it, generally that is true, but I think mainly amongst older people now. Younger ones- when they remember to say anything- generally use either.
Octoberbabe, it is indeed a (mild) swear word over here, frequently used as 'bloody hell'- an exclamation of shock/surprise, and often when you've hit your thumb with a hammer, lol.
"As for the "Xmas" issue - I think writing any of those abbreviations is just lazy English - fine for labeling a box of decorations, but not for anything else. With the increase of texting, we're seeing more and more abbreviations, and it makes me feel that our beautiful rich language is being downgraded!"
susanbri- totally agree with your answer. Ok for labelling and stuff like that, but doesn't seem right on a card. Also with you on the rest of your sentence- I loathe seeing things written in 'text speak'. When I text someone, I fully spell every word, and put in punctuation.( Except for the lol's and rofl's ) I hate seeing the language destroyed like that. Sometimes I see FB messages from younger family members, and have to fight the urge to re-type the message to them, spelt correctly! Hubby has actually responded before now asking what language that's in, as Google translate can't find it, rofl!
YES!! I totally agree and the issue drives me crazy! ' How r u' is NOT okay!
I celebrate neither Xmas (which I use because it is less typing) nor Easter.
Which just took a whole lot more typing than just typing Christmas would have ... 😉
Christmas has gone through a whole lot of changes over the years but it is what it is now whether, for you, Christ is in it or not. To me Christmas is a time to wind down from the year, spend time with loved ones and appreciate what I have. It's in summer for me so we have spent a few days on the lake just relaxing. I have no religion leanings so Christ has never been in Christmas for me. For others it is a deeply spiritual time and means something far different to them and that's fine too.
I will write Xmas probably because Christmas might not fit or if it's just a rushed note or something.
As someone else said Xmas is used in advertising allllll the time here. Those offended by it might want to avoid coming to Australia for about the month before Christmas.
CraftyMel2? Well said, I think I love you. 😃
__________________ Stop paint chip abuse. Act now!!
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