Times ARE changing

[Dar Scott Consulting]

When a tiny boy near the middle of a previous century I secretly hid with a book with words in it. I was not able to puzzle the words, but I could look at the pictures. Believing it to be a fun tale mothers told children in a far off land, I studied the pictures to learn a lesson such mothers might have for their children. (I was not allowed to look at books with pictures or magazines or newspapers until I was in 1st grade, though I could look at pictures cut from them, a cold-war thing.)

Dar Scott


My forthcoming work in five volumes, `The Neglect of Cheese in European Literature,' is a work of such unprecedented and laborious detail that it is doubtful whether I shall live to finish it. -- G. K. Chesterton

> On Jun 7, 2020, at 5:24 AM, Richmond via use-livecode <use-livecode at lists.runrev.com> wrote:
> 
> Well put, good point.
> 
> On 7.06.20 11:06, Richard Gaskin via use-livecode wrote:
>> Richmond wrote:
>> > If some of these types who go on endlessly about anything that might
>> > be vaguely construed as 'racist' were capable of slightly more subtle
>> > thought they might examine intentions: after all if we all judged
>> > people on what they looked like most of us would be out of a job and
>> > starving.
>> 
>> There is also the problem of linguistic false cognates. Similar words from different regions often have very different etymologies.
>> 
>> While the stories of the old British Empire can be charming (I love the two hard-bound volumes of Kipling my father gave me), the Indian tale is unrelated to both the origins of the American word "sambo" and its colloquial use.
>> 
>> On this continent, much of our language is influenced by the Spanish who were among the first Europeans to explore and settle most the Americas.
>> 
>> From Wikipedia:
>> 
>>    The word "sambo" came into the English language from the Latin
>>    American Spanish word zambo, the Spanish word in Latin America
>>    for a person of mixed African and Native American descent.[3]
>>    This in turn may have come from one of three African language
>>    sources. Webster's Third International Dictionary holds that
>>    it may have come from the Kongo word nzambu ("monkey") — the
>>    z of (Latin American) Spanish being pronounced here like the
>>    English s.
>> 
>> Complicating matters further is the difference between etymology and popular usage, as Ms Gay has reminded us with good humor over the years. :)
>> 
>> English-speaking people in the US didn't use the word until after the American Civil War, popularized mostly by the losing side of that conflict as a derogatory term.
>> 
>> Though the war was long ago, the legacy is evident. We needn't go any further on that here in this programmer's list.
>> 
>> It is indeed unfortunate that those who used the word most commonly in the States have cast an unfortunate pallor on a tale from the other side of the world, and that Samuel Battistone and Newell Bohnett found themselves in an awkward spot with their restaurants well known for excellent pancake breakfasts.
>> 
>> Indeed, the Santa Barbara restaurant is still family-owned, and the current manager Chad Stevens has expressed a hopeful note about the name change that goes into effect this Friday:
>> 
>> "With the changing world and circumstances, the name isn’t just about what it means to us, but the meaning it holds for others. At this point, our family has looked into our hearts and realize that we must be sensitive when others whom we respect make a strong appeal. So today we stand in solidarity with those seeking change and doing our part."
>> 
>> Maybe best of all, the new temporary name they'll be using while the family decides on a permanent one is: "☮&LOVE"
>> 
>> https://www.noozhawk.com/article/bizhawk_sambos_santa_barbara_to_change_name_20200604 
>> 
>> By any name, the restaurant at 216 W. Cabrillo Blvd in Santa Barbara is well worth making a point of visiting whenever you're passing through that part of California's coast.  The pancakes are truly awesome.
>> 
>> 
>> This is quite off-topic, and I hope this momentary indulgence in etymology and pancakes doesn't stray too close to cheese.
>> 
>> Back to our regularly-scheduled LiveCode discussion, where I'll post a question about the Browser widget next...
>> 
> 
> 
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