~Off Topic Thread~

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

*hugs everyone here*

We've got NOA2!!! *is sooooo happy*

Hooray!!! Congrats, you two.

(*scuttles off back to writin' and researchin'*)

[greeneyedgirlfl 0]

*hugs everyone here*

We've got NOA2!!! *is sooooo happy*

Congrats!!! Happy for both of you!!!!

[debbylyn 0]

Congrats Mark and Hannah!

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I have written 250 words, so I deserve a break. Or so says me. Anyway, I have a question for you UK VJ folk...

A family friend just dropped by to visit. As he walked in the dining room, where I'm working at the moment, he asked what I was doing. I said, "I'm at the coalface." He looked at me quizzically and said, "At the coalface? What does that mean?" I said it meant I was working, dealing with problems up close, etc. He had never heard this phrase before, and my mom swore it was a British idiom. Is it? Do Americans say "at the coalface"?

I have a lot of these moments, where I have no idea of whether people understand what I'm talking about. It's really rather embarrassing, what with me being American and whatnot.

[English Muffin 59]

I have written 250 words, so I deserve a break. Or so says me. Anyway, I have a question for you UK VJ folk...

A family friend just dropped by to visit. As he walked in the dining room, where I'm working at the moment, he asked what I was doing. I said, "I'm at the coalface." He looked at me quizzically and said, "At the coalface? What does that mean?" I said it meant I was working, dealing with problems up close, etc. He had never heard this phrase before, and my mom swore it was a British idiom. Is it? Do Americans say "at the coalface"?

I have a lot of these moments, where I have no idea of whether people understand what I'm talking about. It's really rather embarrassing, what with me being American and whatnot.

I've heard of it but that might have something to do with coming from 'oop north'. Someone may prove me wrong but I've a feeling it might be more of a northern saying so anyone from the south may not have heard it.

Gillian

Edited May 2, 2008 by English Muffin

[no name 1]

A family friend just dropped by to visit. As he walked in the dining room, where I'm working at the moment, he asked what I was doing. I said, "I'm at the coalface." He looked at me quizzically and said, "At the coalface? What does that mean?" I said it meant I was working, dealing with problems up close, etc. He had never heard this phrase before, and my mom swore it was a British idiom. Is it? Do Americans say "at the coalface"?

Never heard it in London (or America). It actually sounds racist...

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

I always thought it was a Britishism in the way that you were using it. I could be completely wrong, but I always thought it was related to the coal mining culture up North (people who "do" things rather than think about them abstractly or whatever).

I think I have heard it here but as a racist term

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

A family friend just dropped by to visit. As he walked in the dining room, where I'm working at the moment, he asked what I was doing. I said, "I'm at the coalface." He looked at me quizzically and said, "At the coalface? What does that mean?" I said it meant I was working, dealing with problems up close, etc. He had never heard this phrase before, and my mom swore it was a British idiom. Is it? Do Americans say "at the coalface"?

Never heard it in London (or America). It actually sounds racist...

Racist? It never would have occurred to me. It means that you are not just faffing about in the office or an ivory tower but really down there in the trenches, in the coal mine, as it were. It may be something that is particular to working in the City -- I heard it a LOT, mostly by people who were stuck in an office but thinking otherwise...

Hmmm...going off to ask Bruce what he thinks about this. (He will tell me to go back to work, at the coalface or wherever.)

Edited May 2, 2008 by elmcitymaven

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Wasn't coal used by blackface performers? I think that's where the negative connotations come from, in the US anyway.

[no name 1]

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/at+the+coalface

at the coalface (British & Australian)

someone who is at the coalface is doing the work involved in a job, not talking about it, planning it, or controlling it. You sit in your office looking at consultants' reports, but it's the men and women at the coalface who really understand the business.

---

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=coal+face

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

See, this is my problem -- from the context, I would think it would be very clear that I am using some sort of strange idiom, and not making racial slurs. If I left out the "at the" in the phrase and inserted "a", there could be some argument that I was, even accidentally.

Just consulted with Mr. Bruce -- blackface was done primarily with burnt cork or shoe polish. I can understand the confusion, but no offence to anyone was meant!

I have never heard anyone described as a "coal face" -- just looked at the urban dictionary link there. Huh.

Edited May 2, 2008 by elmcitymaven

[StillThePrettiest 3]

I have heard that used MANY times - I would have guessed in the UK as well, but definitely in Australia... and have NEVER heard, or even thought, of it being racist

in teaching, it often gets morphed into 'chalkface', for obvious reasons

[StillThePrettiest 3]

and I have to say, seeing it as a racist term strikes me as thoughtlessly kneejerk (tautology? ) - rather like making a fuss about 'niggardly'

[snowfrostedlashes 0]

I have heard that used MANY times - I would have guessed in the UK as well, but definitely in Australia... and have NEVER heard, or even thought, of it being racist

in teaching, it often gets morphed into 'chalkface', for obvious reasons

One of my uncles married a woman from up north... and I've heard this expression often, as well as the chalkface variant, although that is used less now that wipeboards have mostly replaced chalkboards (blackboards in the days before political correctness).

And I think people worry too much about being politically correct - making everyone stress about accidentally saying something that might possibly be misconstrued does absolutely nothing to address actual racism. I had a guy accuse me of being racist once purely because I turned him down... which was due to the fact that I disliked his personality quite intensely (he was always being unkind to one of my friends) and had nothing to do with his skin colour or anything else about the way he looked physically.

[StillThePrettiest 3]

oh, it used to drive me NUTS when kids at school would say 'it's because I'm black' when they got in trouble for doing some damn fool thing

I had a few responses...

1. 'Why are you being rude? is it because I'm white?'

2. 'Are you accusing me of being racist? that's a very serious matter... I think we should take that to the head teacher right now' (surprisingly enough, they never wanted to do this )

3. *mutely point to another child - not black - who was in trouble for the same thing*

your point about 'making everyone stress about accidentally saying something that might possibly be misconstrued does absolutely nothing to address actual racism' is spot on