NewSpeak is coming...!

[Graham]

Farmers demand a ban on the term 'couch potato'

"Potato farmers held a noisy protest outside Parliament today to get the term "couch potato" removed from the Oxford English dictionary, claiming it harms the vegetable's image.

[...]

"The British Potato Council wants the expression stripped from the Oxford English Dictionary and replaced in everyday speech with the term "couch slouch". It says the phrase makes the vegetable seem unhealthy and is bad for its image."

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article...662240,00.html

Are these people for real??? Do they *really* think that taking a word or phrase out of the dictionary is going to stop people using it?

[punky]

I am with you on this, it is ludicrous.

Anyway, aren't potatos only unhealthy if you fry them? Potatos form 1 of your 5-a-day fruit and vegetable quota?

[Mr_love_monkey]

Thing is, the idea is stupid, but I can see why they are doing it, though a different attack would have been better.

Potatoes have come under a lot of flack recently - mostly due to that atkins diet fad, since they are high in carbs - and so are now a complete no-no for all mugs that jump on this fad diet (I apologise to anyone that's offended by me calling them a mug, but these fad diets aren't the answer, eating sensibly and exercising is the answer) - end of the day, spuds a good part of a balanced diet, and the sooner people realise that, the better

[danielf]

Originally Posted by Graham

Farmers demand a ban on the term 'couch potato'

<snip>

Bloody peasants...

[punky]

Actually, if the government had said this, rather than farmers, the term NewSpeak would be quite apt. Certainly fits in with Labour's current objective of becoming a hideously oppressive totalarian socialist government.

[Ramrod]

Originally Posted by Graham

Farmers demand a ban on the term 'couch potato'

I know..........I saw this in todays papers......it's screamingly funny that they even took the notion beyond the 'vague thought' level-much less organised a protest

[Gareth]

Personally I blame Mr Potato Head more than I blame the OED

[Halcyon]

I saw this on the news today.
Dont people have better things to do than worry about potatoes.

[kronas]

Originally Posted by Halcyon

I saw this on the news today.
Dont people have better things to do than worry about potatoes.

evidently not if there is a british potato council

[Mr_love_monkey]

Originally Posted by Ramrod

I know..........I saw this in todays papers......it's screamingly funny that they even took the notion beyond the 'vague thought' level-much less organised a protest

Maybe they should fight fire with fire (or potatoes with potatoes) - They could work on introducing 'positive' expressions involving potatoes.

"Tenacious 'Tater"
"Sexy Spud"
'Totally Tuber'

[Halcyon]

I saw people gathered around the houses of parliament with posters of potatoes on the front and couldnt stop laughing.

[homealone]

Originally Posted by Mr_love_monkey

Thing is, the idea is stupid, but I can see why they are doing it, though a different attack would have been better.

Potatoes have come under a lot of flack recently - mostly due to that atkins diet fad, since they are high in carbs - and so are now a complete no-no for all mugs that jump on this fad diet (I apologise to anyone that's offended by me calling them a mug, but these fad diets aren't the answer, eating sensibly and exercising is the answer) - end of the day, spuds a good part of a balanced diet, and the sooner people realise that, the better

you are behind the times - Glyceamic Index is the rage now

http://www.naturamedica.co.uk/showfact9-98.html

look how boiled potatoes are 'better' than baked - not so much starch is converted to sugar in a boiled potato, so the GI is nearly half that of a baked one. (half baked was not what I meant - ok )

I'm guessing this is nowt more than a bit of PR fluff to promote spuds.

[BBKing]

becoming a hideously oppressive totalarian socialist government.

Socialist? Get real!

[the rest is about right]

Surely this is a golden opportunity for the wits amongst us to come up with some better terms, preferably insulting to someone or other. How about:

Tellychubby
Sofa Soames
Porky Pile of Prescott