Nigel Slater

[Captain Nudnick]

Nurse said:

so stop s.nigg.er.ing* at the back).
*automod forced me to put some full stops in there.

It's disgusting how censorship makes you focus on offensive things you didn't even know were there...

Ban all automods! Filthy things...

(snigger at that, if you will)

[omega]

I don't see the problem with a grown man referring to his mother as Mummy. I have brought up to refer to my mother as Mummy and never mum or mother.

[Tin Lizzy]

omega said:

I don't see the problem with a grown man referring to his mother as Mummy. I have brought up to refer to my mother as Mummy and never mum or mother.

I think 'Maman' is OK if you drive a Citroen DS23 and wear berets on a regular basis. 'Mummy' is a little too Radio 4 for my liking.

All the boys who work at R4 have their partings and ties checked by their mothers or wives before leaving for work. They listen to Mozart whilst driving their Bristol 411's.

The boys who work at R3 feel very smug knowing that R4 tried to copy them........and didn't pull it off.

Apparently R4 is planning on a week of Neil Young next Christmas. Can't wait! Perhaps they'll invite him to sing on 'Loose Ends'? Mr Young can talk to Mr. Sherrin about honorary doctorates.

I think Jude Kelly should be invited to chair a new Saturday evening talk show on R4. Enjoyed listening to her on last week’s AQ – good to hear a rather delightful Liverpudlian accent on R4. The first topic for discussion could be: ‘the role of the gondola basket for girls who studied Domestic Science at school’. I liked the symmetry and mystery of the tea towel on the top of the basket.

[rosalie]

blast I missed this one, and I like Nigel Slater ever so much. He's a gentle, nice man who writes about food with such a lack of pretension...and he chose Baby Love too

[Omega]

why is 'Mummy' a little too Radio 4?

[Tin Lizzy]

Omega said:

why is 'Mummy' a little too Radio 4?

Perhaps you’re unique, but in my opinion adult males who still call their mothers ‘Mummy’ have never really grown up. The Character of Nigel Pargitter in The Archers is a case in point. It was predictable that Nigel would break down in uncontrollable tears when Julia died, because she was, literally, his life (more so I suspect than Lizzie). I was reminded of the Rolf Harris song: I’ve Lost My Mummy when I heard him crying. I believe an adult and mature male would have buried his mother quietly and grieved in private. Above all, though, he would have avoided self-pity and that’s what Nigel was indulging in. Shula and Alistair have a similar relationship, with Alistair always terrified that Shula will catch him being a naughty boy. I can’t ever imagine them making love. I believe the scripts are written like this because there will be a large proportion of upper-class males tuning in.

I suppose there are also class connotations associated with all this as well. I never called my late mother ‘mum’ or ‘mother’ either, but would invent different names for her and this was a family tradition that always made my late mother laugh. On the one hand it acknowledged that her children were independent adults; on the other the names we gave her always acknowledged the respect her children had for her as head of the household.

[Omega]

Interesting response. Well, I consider myself grown up and have been brought up to call my mother 'Mummy' (mum was never allowed) and will continue to do so as it is a more endearing term than mum or mother (and less common).

[Tin Lizzy]

Omega said:

Interesting response. Well, I consider myself grown up and have been brought up to call my mother 'Mummy' (mum was never allowed) and will continue to do so as it is a more endearing term than mum or mother (and less common).

I think your comment is most reasonable and I can understand why the use of ‘mum’ was forbidden. I’d probably take the same course of action as you and stay true to my school. I can’t recall the age when I ceased to call my mother ‘mummy’ (I guess about 4-5), but I do remember the dreadful embarrassment when I inadvertently addressed my infant teacher as ‘mummy’ instead of Miss Yates.

Thank you for taking the time to respond.

[Omega]

I note that you refer to adult males and not adult females. I think this discussion arose as a result of a previous message which stated 'posh women usually call their mothers 'mummy' which resulted in a response 'when a grown man calls his mother 'mummy' I 'cringe'. Why is the criticism directed at adult males? It seems slighty unfair, as 'mummy' is a more endearing term than mum and mother and yes, there are class connotations here. To see the term 'mummy' on a birthday card is lovely and sounds so much nicer than mum. I discussed your comments with Mummy and we see no reason why there should be any ridiculing.