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The Y Word

CowInAComa

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
7,293
18,237
If those words can be changed to mean something positive then why shouldn't they be reappropriated? It's better than them being derogatory no?

Agreed.

But it's not for you to determine whether someone should be offended by your use of them.

You can't say, it's fine for me to use these words as I'm re-appropriating them with good intentions, so you can't be offended or ask me to stop.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
Agreed.

But it's not for you to determine whether someone should be offended by your use of them.

You can't say, it's fine for me to use these words as I'm re-appropriating them with good intentions, so you can't be offended or ask me to stop.

I cannot control what people get offended by. That is down to them. I can only control my intent. As can you.
The re-appropiation of the word yid came from our jewish fans. The rest of our fans supported them. So can you tell them they can't re-appropriate the word?

Why do people want to turn this into a negative? I believe it is a very positive thing that people who understand are proud of. It is a chant against anti-Semitism and racism.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
If people want to stop fans chanting yid, then come up with decent chants and sing them at the game.
 

CowInAComa

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
7,293
18,237
I cannot control what people get offended by. That is down to them. I can only control my intent. As can you.
The re-appropiation of the word yid came from our jewish fans. The rest of our fans supported them. So can you tell them they can't re-appropriate the word?

Why do people want to turn this into a negative? I believe it is a very positive thing that people who understand are proud of. It is a chant against anti-Semitism and racism.

Is it bollocks.

When a stand chant yiddo at someone they aren't thinking its striking a blow against discrimination. What tosh.

Maybe once it was sung back at Chelsea fans in response to taunting. But that intent is long long gone.

We don't remain singing it as a show of unity with the Jewish community. It's because it's a word which the fan base recognise as meaning 'Spurs'. There is no heroic intent behind it being sung at the weekend.
 

Lilbaz

Just call me Baz
Apr 1, 2005
41,363
74,893
Is it bollocks.

When a stand chant yiddo at someone they aren't thinking its striking a blow against discrimination. What tosh.

Maybe once it was sung back at Chelsea fans in response to taunting. But that intent is long long gone.

We don't remain singing it as a show of unity with the Jewish community. It's because it's a word which the fan base recognise as meaning 'Spurs'. There is no heroic intent behind it being sung at the weekend.

Might want to re-read this thread, especially the posts by the jewish fans that have expressed what it means for them.

It doesn't have that meaning to you. Which is probably why you're against it.
 

CowInAComa

Well-Known Member
Aug 31, 2012
7,293
18,237
Might want to re-read this thread, especially the posts by the jewish fans that have expressed what it means for them.

It doesn't have that meaning to you. Which is probably why you're against it.

You didn't stop to think that a handful of Jewish fans. Fans of Tottenham no less , posting on a Tottenham forum, might be a slightly skewed set of opinions?

For the record im ambivalent about the word. I happily chant it. But I enjoy the idea of grown men being upset about not being able to chant a three letter word over and over again, so I am gonna have to object to it strongly in the questionnaire.

If it is banned can I be the first to suggest Dan as an alternative, Alan partridge style?
 

NayimFTHL

Well-Known Member
Jul 9, 2017
102
499
People seriously need to move on from this word the sooner the better for all. It was used for a reason and has served its purpose long ago. And if u think the club is not going to enforce this in the near future then you are mistaken. With face recognition in the stadium they can hand out warnings and bans like candy.
 

Kspur

Well-Known Member
Jul 13, 2014
498
739
It’s really interesting to read the views of others, particularly Jewish fans who’ve posted in here, so thanks to all.

I took part in the survey when they sent it out to members last week (iirc).

I sing it and depending on the environment will ‘sing’ it to/at someone in the street although likely in a way that only they would hear it, and it does make me feel a little self conscious, which is pretty key for me - I clearly don’t feel comfortable saying it anymore and therefore I’m thinking it’s come round to the point where it has serves it’s purpose and I’d be fine if we moved on.

No idea what we’d sing instead though and I love camaraderie we have with it. Blue and white army doesn’t cut it for me and to switch to ‘white army’ feels more like something the EDL would sing. Cock army not exactly doing it for me either. ? I guess we’d just go spurs army?

It’s probably the Yiddo piece I’d miss most - that really says to me ‘you belong with us’.

Anyway interesting discussion in here imho.
 

Dinghy

Well-Known Member
Jun 22, 2005
6,326
15,561
I hesitate to say this, but it seems some may be affronted at the idea that they are being labelled a yid... ?
 

'O Zio

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2014
7,405
13,785
Its entirety comparable.
they are words that were appropriated as an insult despite having a non offensive origin.

One of these words you still quite like saying. There's the only difference.

It's not at all the same for the reasons Gassin's Finest mentions above. Yid was and still is a perfectly acceptable word to use among many Jewish, especially Yiddish speaking, communities. That's in no way the same as a lazy racist slur used exclusively by skinhead types. It's ridiculous to equate it to things like "the n-word" because that started out as a racist slur in the first place.
 

Saoirse

Well-Known Member
Aug 20, 2013
6,143
15,550
People seriously need to move on from this word the sooner the better for all. It was used for a reason and has served its purpose long ago. And if u think the club is not going to enforce this in the near future then you are mistaken. With face recognition in the stadium they can hand out warnings and bans like candy.
The club would be banning tens of thousands of people who would otherwise be happy to pay them upwards of £1,000 per year. They are simply not going to do that. No business in their right minds would.
 

'O Zio

Well-Known Member
Dec 27, 2014
7,405
13,785
Is it bollocks.

When a stand chant yiddo at someone they aren't thinking its striking a blow against discrimination. What tosh.

Maybe once it was sung back at Chelsea fans in response to taunting. But that intent is long long gone.

We don't remain singing it as a show of unity with the Jewish community. It's because it's a word which the fan base recognise as meaning 'Spurs'. There is no heroic intent behind it being sung at the weekend.

That's not what we're trying to say. Of course 99% of the time when people sing it now it's purely with the meaning of "Spurs" rather than because they're trying to explicitly make some point about anti-semitism. The point is that the people that are trying to ban it are using the "fact" that it's racist/anti-semitic abuse when it's blatantly obvious that it's not. Whether or not you interpret it as our fans showing solidarity with the Jewish community or whether you interpret it as just meaning "Spurs", it's simply not correct to argue that either of those cases is an example of anti-semitic abuse so the whole argument is complete nonsense.

It's like saying we should ban people being able to say the word "frog" because it's offensive to French people, even if you're literally trying to talk about a hoppy green slimey animal. Context is everything and neither of the context in which Spurs fans use the word are in any way anti-semitic.

Even if for arguments sake we say that yourre right and it is horribly anti-semitic, then surely if they're trying to cut anti-semitism out of the game, the place to start would be the people who ARE being anti-semitic, rather than the people who are just singing positive songs about their club.
 

Navin R Johnson

Well-Known Member
Aug 29, 2011
6,376
15,070
I've made the point on here in the past and I made it to THFC when they carried out their previous fan consultation, banning Spurs supporters from using an inclusive term because it will encourage bigots is like banning miniskirts because she's asking for it.

Now NayimFTHL do your worst, I never look at my ratings or feedback anyway.
 

yankspurs

Enic Out
Aug 22, 2013
41,883
71,188
People seriously need to move on from this word the sooner the better for all. It was used for a reason and has served its purpose long ago. And if u think the club is not going to enforce this in the near future then you are mistaken. With face recognition in the stadium they can hand out warnings and bans like candy.
If the club thinks outright banning Spurs supporters saying yiddo or yid army from the stadium is a good idea, they are in for a rude awakening. If you or anyone else thinks banning it will stop the anti semitic songs and verbage from other clubs supporters, you are sorely mistaken.
 
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