# "you lying arab"



## bouncer_the_dog (Jan 18, 2006)

While watching sleb BB I witnessed 'Hello, Im Rula Lenska' accuse another housemate of being a 'lying arab'. Clearly I am outraged and insulted. But what exactly is the entomological significance of this. And what are the reasons for me being insulted. I am sure somepoeple here can point my ire in the right direction.


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## Dubversion (Jan 18, 2006)

i kinda missed it, but didn't she actually call Faria it?


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## redsnapper (Jan 18, 2006)

Yeah I was a bit surprised to hear her say that too and like you wonder what the origins of such a phrase are..........it was funny tho


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## DexterTCN (Jan 18, 2006)

come on.  Play the white man.


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## editor (Jan 18, 2006)

I can remember that phrase being used at school.


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## King Biscuit Time (Jan 18, 2006)

At my school too - although it was usually applied to cheats.

"you cheating arab"


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## butchersapron (Jan 18, 2006)

Yep, that's what we had as well.


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## mrskp (Jan 18, 2006)

i've also heard the phrase "lying jew".  i wonder if there's a connection in the origin somewhere.


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## spanglechick (Jan 18, 2006)

barrymore joked to galloway after the "you say we pay" game that rula had said he should've got at least ten. That was her outraged response.


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## electrogirl (Jan 18, 2006)

At my school it was "thieving arab". That wasn't so long ago either.


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## pianistenvy (Jan 18, 2006)

Sadie said:
			
		

> At my school it was "thieving arab". That wasn't so long ago either.



thieving gyppo was the one bandied around at school from what i remember


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## mk12 (Jan 18, 2006)

I used to hear, "you dirty arab". 

And she didn't direct it at Faria, it was to Michael I think.


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## Wookey (Jan 18, 2006)

It was noted on chez Wookey. Straight-A racist bullshit.

But my other half said to me: You said I was just like an Arab the other day!

I said: In what context? I'd never say 'You lying Arab'.

And he said: It was when I got that Xmas prezzie for me mum, and I got a fiver knocked off...

And I said: Well then, that's culturally true. You barter like an Arab. It's not something white lads from Sunderland usually do. Hence the comparison...

Bit different from typifying Arabs as lying - and just as wrong as saying 'Thieving Gypo' or 'Thick-arse bog-stomper' or any other reflexive stereotype by race, imho.


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## pianistenvy (Jan 18, 2006)

mattkidd12 said:
			
		

> And she didn't direct it at Faria, it was to Michael I think.



seems a somewhat random comment to make on telly.


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## Wookey (Jan 18, 2006)

> And she didn't direct it at Faria, it was to Michael I think.



It was to Michael - she hugged Fariah straight after when she realised what she'd said and in front of whom she'd said it..

I thought George was racist earlier on, when he said 'We've all made allowances for that man's (Dennis) rude, sexually predatory ways, allowances we'd never make for a white man.'

I'm like, can you be any more patronising!? I'd be furious if he insinuated that I made allowances for someone's rudeness because of their colour/race.


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## pianistenvy (Jan 18, 2006)

Wookey said:
			
		

> It was to Michael - she hugged Fariah straight after when she realised what she'd said and in front of whom she'd said it..
> 
> I thought George was racist earlier on, when he said 'We've all made allowances for that man's (Dennis) rude, sexually predatory ways, allowances we'd never make for a white man.'
> 
> I'm like, can you be any more patronising!? I'd be furious if he insinuated that I made allowances for someone's rudeness because of their colour/race.


it's all getting a bit weird on CBB now. excuse the ignorant question, but is faria alam of arabic descent, then? i only ask as my dad's sri lankan and i used to get called a paki every now n then at school, but it didn't really bother me as technically i wasn't, and couldn't be arsed with anyone who made the assumption...


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## Wookey (Jan 18, 2006)

> is faria alam of arabic descent, then?



She's about an 8th Iranian - but she describes herself as Persian, perhaps because it sounds more romantic.

So technically, I don't think she is an Arab, no.


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## pianistenvy (Jan 18, 2006)

Wookey said:
			
		

> So technically, I don't think she is an Arab, no.



so Rula, technically, should have hugged everyone in the room to make up for her lame-ass comment!


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## Flashman (Jan 18, 2006)

She said, and I quote, "I'm half P*ki half Bangladeshi", quite early on in the show.


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## trashpony (Jan 18, 2006)

She was born in Bangladesh AFAIK.


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## laptop (Jan 18, 2006)

bouncer_the_dog said:
			
		

> what exactly is the entomological significance of this?



Something to do with Arab Beetles?


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## mrskp (Jan 18, 2006)

Flashman said:
			
		

> She said, and I quote, "I'm half P*ki half Bangladeshi", quite early on in the show.




but that's ok cos she said it about herself i suppose.


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## Flashman (Jan 18, 2006)

mrskp said:
			
		

> but that's ok cos she said it about herself i suppose.



It's precisely that reason, yes.


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## Wookey (Jan 18, 2006)

Race is so fucking complex. Why everyone can't just be Irish I'll never know.


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## 888 (Jan 18, 2006)

laptop said:
			
		

> Something to do with Arab Beetles?



You lying scarab!

(I hate people who call themselves "persian" - they're either pretentious or pro-shah (most likely both))


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## mrskp (Jan 18, 2006)

Flashman said:
			
		

> It's precisely that reason, yes.




ah, that's alright then.


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## D'wards (Jan 18, 2006)

Wookey said:
			
		

> I thought George was racist earlier on, when he said 'We've all made allowances for that man's (Dennis) rude, sexually predatory ways, allowances we'd never make for a white man.'
> 
> I'm like, can you be any more patronising!? I'd be furious if he insinuated that I made allowances for someone's rudeness because of their colour/race.



This is quite an interesting point - if someone is acting like a negative racial stereotype, do we make allowances for them without thinking of it?
I think we do - same with any type in society - Rula will probably get away with the Arab comment cos she is an older lady, somewhat out of touch maybe (just look at her hair, fercrissakes).

If Maggot of Chantelle or Preston said that some of the Grockles on this board would hit the facking roof doubly so.


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## KeyboardJockey (Jan 19, 2006)

I remember (possibly the last usages of mind you) the phrase 'your like a wandering Jew' to children who wandered from room to room and wouldn't settle.


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## Harold Hill (Jan 19, 2006)

Wookey said:
			
		

> It was to Michael - she hugged Fariah straight after when she realised what she'd said and in front of whom she'd said it..
> 
> I thought George was racist earlier on, when he said 'We've all made allowances for that man's (Dennis) rude, sexually predatory ways, allowances we'd never make for a white man.'
> 
> I'm like, can you be any more patronising!? I'd be furious if he insinuated that I made allowances for someone's rudeness because of their colour/race.



I don't think its unreasonable to think people would - many people would in that context because of PC paranoia.  Stupid to admit you do though.  I think most people just wanted a quiet life.


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## Fong (Jan 19, 2006)

888 said:
			
		

> You lying scarab!



I liked that.


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## camouflage (Jan 19, 2006)

editor said:
			
		

> I can remember that phrase being used at school.



Yeah, and 'dirty arab'.


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## siarc (Jan 19, 2006)

> I remember (possibly the last usages of mind you) the phrase 'your like a wandering Jew' to children who wandered from room to room and wouldn't settle.




is that antisemitic in that context? it's not an apocryphal/unfalsifiable/inherently hurtful assumption like jew=avarice/african=laziness and relates to an unfortunate historical fact.


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## purves grundy (Jan 19, 2006)

mattkidd12 said:
			
		

> I used to hear, "you dirty arab".


Translates as 'mucky arab' ooop north


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## Corax (Jan 19, 2006)

I always heard it pronounced AY-rab.  I only realised what I'd really been saying when I was about 20.


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## Maltin (Jan 19, 2006)

bouncer_the_dog said:
			
		

> While watching sleb BB I witnessed 'Hello, Im Rula Lenska' accuse another housemate of being a 'lying arab'. Clearly I am outraged and insulted. But what exactly is the entomological significance of this.


Brewer's Phrase & Fable has the term Street Arab which it describes as "An offensive term for a homeless child, especially one who begs and steals.  The reference is to the nomadic habits of the Arabs, who had no fixed abode."

Perhaps phrases such as thieving, lying or dirty arab are a derivative of this term.


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## nogoodboyo (Jan 20, 2006)

It's pretty standard for English derogatory expressions to invoke foreigners and their supposed characteristics, isn't it?  Welsh on your debts, for example, or less offensive but similar things like a Chinese snooker or Irish waterfall.  They all imply that anything unEnglish is wierd in some way... not sure it's racist so much as very anglocentric.  Racist in modern terms I suppose.

Then again, the English aren't the only people who do this.  Americans describe sidespin in pool as "putting English on the ball"... same kind of thing, and I expect there are other examples from other cultures.  Part of the essential xenophobia of nations.


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## rennie (Jan 20, 2006)

racists, the lot of you!


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## bouncer_the_dog (Jan 20, 2006)

nogoodboyo said:
			
		

> anything unEnglish is wierd in some way... .



But everyone knows that...


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## rowan (Jan 20, 2006)

nogoodboyo said:
			
		

> It's pretty standard for English derogatory expressions to invoke foreigners and their supposed characteristics, isn't it?  Welsh on your debts, for example, or less offensive but similar things like a Chinese snooker or Irish waterfall.



It's not 'welsh' it's 'welch' - 

dictionary def, 





> welch
> 
> to avoid doing something you have promised to do, especially not to pay a debt:
> 
> - "Their competitors' behaviour gave them a great opportunity to welch on their promises."


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## Dissident Junk (Jan 20, 2006)

888 said:
			
		

> (I hate people who call themselves "persian" - they're either pretentious or pro-shah (most likely both))



  errr . . .  bit of a sweeping generalisation there.


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## Maltin (Jan 21, 2006)

rowan said:
			
		

> It's not 'welsh' it's 'welch' -
> 
> dictionary def,


Both spellings are acceptable.  The OED seems to favour 'welsh'.


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## rowan (Jan 21, 2006)

Is Welch another name for Welsh? Sorry if it is, I didn't know


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## GarfieldLeChat (Jan 21, 2006)

lying arab?

it used to be lying jew and cheating arab or thiving arab, after the turks in the otterman empire i think... all part of the young turk etc type comment....

tbh i'm still amazed that philistine is allowed ...

after all it's palestinian for palestinian... 

i'm sure i did a thread on this before and was universally poo poo'ed for suggesting that it was a racist statment to use phillistine... even though it clearly is in the same vein as paki or nigger...


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## blamblam (Jan 21, 2006)

mattkidd12 said:
			
		

> I used to hear, "you dirty arab".


Yeah that was my peer group's one too.

I'm surprised no one called her on it. I'm also surprised no one called Faria - particularly after her race comments - when she stated how black men all sleep around and cheat


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## WasGeri (Jan 21, 2006)

icepick said:
			
		

> I'm surprised no one called her on it.



They didn't need to, because she immediately apologised for being racist and gave Faria a hug.


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## john.king (Mar 24, 2016)

This was a very popular insult in the 1960's. " You Lying Arab". This was harvested from grandparents and parents that had fought the Arabs and Nazis in the Middle East. During the World Wars. They found that Muslims would lie about just about anything, they could not be trusted. We know this as Al Teqiyya, deception, which is encouraged in Islam. Their prophet lied as a weapon against his enemies. He signed treaties which he had no intention of honouring. Muslims emulate the prophet. This is still true today.


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## stethoscope (Mar 24, 2016)




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## B.I.G (Mar 24, 2016)

john.king said:


> This is still true today.



Reported. Ya big racist.


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## ffsear (Mar 24, 2016)

Sneeky Russian in my day!


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## JimW (Mar 24, 2016)

These made-up old timers never met the Christian Arabs then.


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## krtek a houby (Mar 24, 2016)

john.king said:


> This was a very popular insult in the 1960's. " You Lying Arab". This was harvested from grandparents and parents that had fought the Arabs and Nazis in the Middle East. During the World Wars. They found that Muslims would lie about just about anything, they could not be trusted. We know this as Al Teqiyya, deception, which is encouraged in Islam. Their prophet lied as a weapon against his enemies. He signed treaties which he had no intention of honouring. Muslims emulate the prophet. This is still true today.



You are the king of liars, John.


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## Treacle Toes (Mar 24, 2016)

stethoscope said:


>



Exactly what I was thinking.


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## SpookyFrank (Mar 24, 2016)

john.king said:


> This was a very popular insult in the 1960's. " You Lying Arab". This was harvested from grandparents and parents that had fought the Arabs and Nazis in the Middle East. During the World Wars. They found that Muslims would lie about just about anything, they could not be trusted. We know this as Al Teqiyya, deception, which is encouraged in Islam. Their prophet lied as a weapon against his enemies. He signed treaties which he had no intention of honouring. Muslims emulate the prophet. This is still true today.



Al taqiyya refers to the idea that a muslim can commit an immoral or blasphemous act if necessary to prevent greater harm to themselves or others. It's about deception being forgiven, in certain circumstances, not about deception being encouraged.

e2a: The apostle Peter used the same trick after Jesus was arrested. Three times he insisted he knew nothing of Jesus because the alternative was getting strung up along with him, which wouldn't have helped anyone. Jesus foresaw all this and forgave Peter in advance.


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## mauvais (Mar 24, 2016)

But where's Rula Lenska now, I ask?

Convicted of drink driving, apparently. How the mighty have fallen.


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## Treacle Toes (Mar 24, 2016)

SpookyFrank said:


> Al taqiyya refers to the idea that a muslim can commit an immoral or blasphemous act if necessary to prevent greater harm to themselves or others. It's about deception being forgiven, in certain circumstances, not about deception being encouraged.



Pretty similar to the concept of a 'bluff' then. Others might use the term, 'little white lie'.


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## CNT36 (Mar 24, 2016)

john.king said:


> This was a very popular insult in the 1960's. " You Lying Arab". This was harvested from grandparents and parents that had fought the Arabs and Nazis in the Middle East. During the World Wars. They found that Muslims would lie about just about anything, they could not be trusted. We know this as Al Teqiyya, deception, which is encouraged in Islam. Their prophet lied as a weapon against his enemies. He signed treaties which he had no intention of honouring. Muslims emulate the prophet. This is still true today.


This was the best you could do? Even going back over 10 years. Sad the state of trolling these days.


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## krtek a houby (Mar 24, 2016)

Drive by trolling


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## SpookyFrank (Mar 24, 2016)

The other day I asked a muslim bloke if muslims always lie. He said 'no'. So that proves it.


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## rutabowa (Mar 24, 2016)

SpookyFrank said:


> The other day I asked a muslim bloke if muslims always lie. He said 'no'. So that proves it.


He should have said "yes", to create an amusing paradox.


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## DotCommunist (Mar 24, 2016)

SpookyFrank said:


> Al taqiyya refers to the idea that a muslim can commit an immoral or blasphemous act if necessary to prevent greater harm to themselves or others. It's about deception being forgiven, in certain circumstances, not about deception being encouraged.
> 
> e2a: The apostle Peter used the same trick after Jesus was arrested. Three times he insisted he knew nothing of Jesus because the alternative was getting strung up along with him, which wouldn't have helped anyone. Jesus foresaw all this and forgave Peter in advance.


heres an interesting one for you:
Mental reservation - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## SpookyFrank (Mar 24, 2016)

rutabowa said:


> He should have said "yes", to create an amusing paradox.



Well yes I can see how that would have been funnier, but I have a moral duty to relate the story as it acutally happened.


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