Pike "The nigger in the woodpile"

[Wildfisher]

How times have changed. I recently picked up an old book I had when at school in the 1960s

"The Observers Book of Freshwater Fishes"

printed 1964

The entry for pike starts


THE PIKE

Family ESOCIDAE              Esox lucius

The Pike (Plate 16) has been referred to
variously as the Water-wolf, the Lord of the
Stream, the Freshwater Shark, the King of the
Lake and so forth, appellations that are apt and
well deserved. In some ways the Pike is more
savage and ruthless than the shark, to which, by
the way, it is by no means related, and it certainly
has a greater appetite. To the fish culturist he
is a veritable  "nigger in the woodpile," but to
the angler he is a foe worthy of his steel;
to hook, play and land a good sized pike calls
for skill of a high order, furthermore, unlike
many other freshwater fishes, it makes excellent
eating.


Bearing in mind this was a book aimed at children. Can you imagine the furore there would be these days if such terminology was used?

[Dunbar]

Heh heh, can just hear Mr Cholmondely-Warner narrating that text with a mooth full of bools. I've got a copy of that, must check to see if it has been sanitised - im sure its a later edition though.

[Dunbar]

And they've got the cheek to say it's good eating too!

Don't forget there was also "The Observer's Book of Birds Eggs". Ideal for a small boy to go a-wandering over "fjell og vidde" raiding nests and blowing the eggs for his collection. I remember it well.

I've got a very old copy of that too - I mind rebinding it when a laddie, using some PVC ripped off an old chair. Full of 'ticks', if you know what I mean.

[Wildfisher]

It's astonishing stuff right enough, but reading that makes you realise  why some still have difficulties not using racist language, even if they don’t consider it or intend it to be. We all grew up  in an age when such usage  was commonplace.

[superscot]

Visit the "Bluebird Cafe" in Gourock to see their marvellous collection of Golliwogs

Feck yi canny say that noo !  :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

[Pearly Invicta]

I'm only 36 but I remember having reading books in primary 7 where the word 'nigger' had been neatly striked-through and replaced with the handwritten 'negro'. Even in primary 7 I knew that just wasn't right...

[Scotaidh]

What about the style of the language?  Children would never be presented with such an "adult" and intelligent piece of writing these days in a book, it's all dumbed down to the max.

[.D.]

How times have changed. I recently picked up an old book I had when at school in the 1960s

"The Observers Book of Freshwater Fishes"

printed 1964

The entry for pike starts


THE PIKE

Family ESOCIDAE              Esox lucius

The Pike (Plate 16) has been referred to
variously as the Water-wolf, the Lord of the
Stream, the Freshwater Shark, the King of the
Lake and so forth, appellations that are apt and
well deserved. In some ways the Pike is more
savage and ruthless than the shark, to which, by
the way, it is by no means related, and it certainly
has a greater appetite. To the fish culturist he
is a veritable  "nigger in the woodpile," but to
the angler he is a foe worthy of his steel;
to hook, play and land a good sized pike calls
for skill of a high order, furthermore, unlike
many other freshwater fishes, it makes excellent
eating.


Bearing in mind this was a book aimed at children. Can you imagine the furore there would be these days if such terminology was used?

Didn't Geoff Hurst infamously use the very same expression in the ITV studio in the company of Garth Crooks once.

Still, that's football, not fishing.

Ron Noades (1991):

'The black players at this club lend the side a lot of skill and flair, 
but you also need white players in there to balance things up and 
give the team some brains and some common sense.' 

  :roll:


.D.