Why Do Some Take Such Offense...

[The Volusianator]

+like+

to the original topic, intent makes a huge difference! I have on occasion had the word 'skirt' used, when the speaker truly did not know a better word.

In california, we have many non native english speakers who are not familiar with the word 'kilt', but do know the word 'skirt'. To make things more interesting, in spanish, there is not a word for 'kilt'. The closest is 'falda escocesa', where 'falda' means skirt, and 'escocesa' is scottish. So, to be offended by the use of the word 'skirt' is truly silly if coming from someone with limited english speaking skills.

[Dale Seago]

In German a kilt is a Schottenrock or Scottish Skirt.

Same sort of thing in Brazilian Portuguese. I was having a live online chat on Facebook with a Bujinkan lass in Brazil who at one point made some comment about the skirts I wear. When I mentioned that the correct word in English is "kilt", she mentioned that in Brazil they only distinguish the kilt by calling it a "Scottish skirt".

[Geoff Withnell]

Perhaps, however I should explain a little more. Is the US flag just a piece of fabric, Gettysburg just a parcle of land, USMC uniform a just a fancy suit? All of these things have significant meaning attached to them for most people. The kilt started out representing ones family, a regiment, and ones national heritage. These concepts still mean something to many folks. If I took a USMC Class A and ripped the sleeves of and wore it with shorts and a Coors light baseball cap would someone become upset? I know a Marine would have something to say about that. It is not so much about what it is rather it is about what it represents.

No one said anything about ripping something up. Your first post implied someone with say an Estonian heritage, wearing a perfectly traditional kilt outfit in a universal tartan would not be wearing a kilt, because their ancestors didn't wear it.

[Joshua]

***

In German a kilt is a Schottenrock or Scottish Skirt.

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schottenrock

Regards

Chas

That link, unfortunately also has an example photo with an accidental "exposure"... (the campbell example) and now I need brain bleach.

[kc8ufv]

No. The British forces have worn a Battledress Blouse for years - go and tell them, they are women - if you dare!

A blouse and a shirt are two very different articles of clothing. What we today call a man's shirt is more correctly called a blouse, because it opens up from neck to hem. A shirt, correctly, only opens up as far as halfway between navel and groin (think nightshirt). The navel is called the belly button because that is where the lowest button on a shirt was.

If we are going to have these type of discussions, we really need to get the terminology right.

Regards

Chas

It's not just the Brittish forces. The disaster response team I am on also uses the BDU as a uniform. One wears a shirt under the blouse, and (optionally, depending on conditions) a jacket outside the blouse.

[flyingshamrock]

Most have as this has turned into more of a discussion of where the kilt originated, and I'm sure that's been discussed more than one cared to read here. But I've read plenty of threads where people are offended by the term skirt, albeit ignorance or someone trying to get under my skin, I simply don't let it bother me.

For the most part I don't care but unfortunatley there are days when I get an overabundence of "skirt" comments. I don't know about you but I sometimes lack the self control not to get a little peturbed. It applies to pretty much everything though. I don't appreciate when someone persistingly badgers me about anything. God didn't make me perfect.

[Nighthawk]

I'd be inclined to reply, "Well, it's really a shame but there are a lot of ignorant people who actually believe that".

Very open ended and non-accusatory: From there it's all up to how he wants to self-identify. Sure, the kilt is a skirt: Specifically a male skirt that began as purely masculine wear, with many of those wearers being warriors. I'd also be prepared, depending on how far he wanted to push the matter, to demonstrate that some of those wearing it today are warriors as well.

I did respond with something similar. My stock response is "Well, intelligent and educated people refer to it as a kilt." And I end things right there by walking off.

[CDNSushi]

Other languages and cultures can teach us a lot about ourselves and our own worldviews. When a term is uncommon (or unknown) in another context, the people will simply just make up new words or descriptors based on the world around them that they DO know... Kinda like in French when I hear people refer to Passover as "Pâques Juives" or "Jewish Easter." Ummmm... But to be insulted and to get all huffy each time someone says it, you'd spend your days quite miserable I'm sure.

Here in Japan, I get the skirt comments all the time, not for malice, but ignorance. And most of the time, a simple comment like: "The preferred word is 'kilt' rather than 'skirt,' or else some people might not understand what you mean" is far better than ANY chastisement or snarkiness or huffiness. I've gotten the most mileage BY FAR from that, than anything else.

Only once, an Ozzie bartender, in a VERY sarcastic voice, said to me: "Nice dress." I simply chose to take his sarcasm at face value, gave him a huge, broad smile, and said: "Thank you!" He never said anything after that. Ever... I love taking sarcasm at face value sometimes -- it really discombobulates the person trying to take the p*ss.

[BKPowell]

Here's me 2 cents. My wife refers to me kilts as "skirts". At first, it bothered me, but later on, when I started refering to my kilts "skirts", both she and I know what we are talking about. As for the clueless folk, well, there's not much you can do about them, except explain to them that there are other ways of wearing what's below one's waist.
I really haven't heard any bad comments when I'm out and about, sure, I get the stares and the wide eyes, but I also get the smiles, mostly from women.
Once, I heard a lad say "What's with the skirt?"
My reply was "Your insecurity is showing."
Skirt? Kilt? As long as I feel good about myself while wearing one, its nobody's business but me own.


Brad

[Kintail's Lost Now Found]

I take offense when offense was meant. No one likes a bully, and that is how I perceive it when people people say it with poison in their tone. I've had well meaning people say "skirt" because it was the only word they had for it. After a brief conversation about it being a "kilt" they are very quick to remember its name. Some people are just crabs in a bucket though. They see someone happy and moving along and they have to claw them back down. Most people think they are funny when they say it, like its the new best joke in the world. Good on them for being a funny guy/girl, but when it comes to them trying to be the alpha male and bring other people down, I personally take offense. I saw it in high school when people bullied my down syndrome friend, I see it every day in the army. I just don't like bullies and I like it even less when they are uneducated bullies.

That's just my perspective though.