about the title of a book on education and behaviour?

[Nothavingfunrightnow]

I am reading a book on behaviour in the classroom and the title of the book has the word "bugger" in it.

As far as I know, bugger means to rape someone anally - or at the very least, have anal intercourse.

So AIBU in thinking that the name of this book - which is a popular academic one - is quite horrible?

Why not call it "Getting the fuckers to behave"? It amounts to much the same thing!

[blueemerald]

...really? OED

It's a great book, I'd recommend getting past it.

[Roseformeplease]

Probably not the best but a bugger is a nuisance, a silly child. A buggerer is one who buggers. The verb for a bugger (with me so far) is to bug, not to bugger.

Phew!

[dustyovaries]

I would have called it Getting The Fuckers to Behave. Little fuckers.

[Nothavingfunrightnow]

Ah okay - so a bugger as in one who bugs as opposed to a buggerer as in one who buggers.



I will feel better using the book now, and will see it in a different light.

Still. I do think that the fuckers should learn to behave!

[CallMeExhausted]

How about a vote for "Little Shits"?

[hoobypickypicky]

I really can't get worked up about this.

Language evolves constantly but even in my youth I don't recall 'You bugger, you ate my favourite chocolate!' to mean that an anal rapist or participant in anal sex ate the complainant's preferred piece of confection.

"Why not call it "Getting the fuckers to behave"? It amounts to much the same thing!"

Why not indeed? In years to come, as language evolves, someone might.

[Flossyfloof]

Hahaha I bet you go down well in the staff room. Happy New Year.

[Nothavingfunrightnow]

I do, Flossyfloof! I do!

[noblegiraffe]

Is that the one that recommends eating 'dog food' out of a can to get the kids' attention? I was a bit at that bit.

[corgiology]

surely you mean bummer?

[Hatespiders]

Bugger/buggers is such a common word that I doubt if anyone using it is thinking of anal sex. It's just jokey. It's on a par with 'little sods'. No-one imagines that it refers to actual sodomy. Sometimes one can be a tad too literal in reacting to light-hearted banter.

[SillyBugger]

Er... I think the word has more than one meaning, and you're thinking of the wrong one - you have to look at the context.

[BigBirthdayGloom]

It's a great book!

[honeysucklejasmine]

Great book though. I also enjoyed "Getting the Buggers to Think" but that was years ago. I imagine Ofsted have changed their mind about how children need to think (I.e. to show that they are thinking) in the meanwhile.