Jamie Oliver - 'pimp the flavour'

Nope I didn't say it was ridiculous to be offended, I said I was offended by his ridiculous fake mockney yoof speak on the program. I have heard him speak and this is not the norm, so I wonder why he puts this on for a program?

The thread was more about the normalisation of the sex industry and how the fact that words like this can become so normalised as to become included in a cookery show pre-watershed may be an indicator of how far things have changed.

I didn't think think it was about people watching Jamie's program and being utterly offended by that in itself IYSWIM.

Interestingly the only two people on this thread who have used the word "offended", were the people saying "it's ridiculous to be offended by this" - no-on had actually said they were offended

I realise the error of my ways. The other day I told a friend (in the context of looking for consultancy work) that I was whoring myself around. And then I went an ordered a Bakewell Tart.

Shame on me. I will go immediately to vocabulary training.

fwiw - I think the way he's using it is wrong and he's a tool. But to quote Bill Hicks, if this really offends you, I suggest you take a long look around at the world in which we live.

The original word would have come from pimper, one op was correct, as in the Scarlet Pimpernel?

But it can mean despicable person, or a dressed up sort of dandy which both descriptions would describe the character in the book, or the 70's style pimps of the US.

But pimp my ride no doubt relates to the pimp culture for dressing ott and having ott cars as a prostitutes' pimp. (madam your ride not really in use that much I imagine) by wearing your money on show to tell other pimps your and their place in the pimp hierarchy.

And Jamie would be using the phrase in this yoof culture frame of reference no doubt!

Not so offensive his use of the word to me (we all sang nursery rhymes in the playground involving maidenheads and choppers in my day) as I believe that People are using it in the " bling up" sense and aren't thinking about the degradation of prostitutes necessarily.

More the fact that a 36 year old man should stop talking in a mockney yoof culture accent.

A bit mean calling him dense, he was a SN child I believe.

Oh don't be so coy, coleys

Fancy him!?

You mean you fancy him, coleys?

I like him too (but not for his gender politics, obviously )

I love Jamie Oliver, I don't think he is a tool.

But I think he hasn't thought this one through.

ISNT is spot on

From the OED (because I have nothing better to do of a Friday evening )

"6. trans. slang (orig. U.S.). To customize or modify (something, originally a car) so as to be more stylish, ostentatious, or flashy; to improve by customization. Also with out, up. Cf. pimped-out adj.

With reference to the ostentation or conspicuous wealth associated with pimps; cf. pimpmobile n.

Popularized by the name of Pimp my Ride, a U.S. television programme (first broadcast in 2004) in which old or dilapidated cars are remodelled or customized.

2000 Re: What's Deal with Riceboys? in chi.general (Usenet newsgroup) 13 Mar., They have to pimp their ride up.

2002 Rolling Stone 14 Nov. 63/3, I pimped out the Bentley with white-and-blue-striped interior.

2004 N.Y. Times 4 July viii. 11/4 Customizers who ?pimp? their rides with gargantuan tires and costly, flashy wheels.

2006 Canad. Business (Electronic ed.) 25 Sept. 114 You get plenty of options to pimp your PC. For the exterior, you can choose Poison purple, Monaco yellow, [etc.]."

Sorry are you his mother?

'a touch on the dense side'? How patronising.

No I wasn't having a go! Didn't mean to come across like that. I just was fairly sure that I was right had heard something different

that definitely makes sense ISNT, sorry for being so lowbrow and quoting wiki, just thought it was interesting to think about the different possibilities...

That makes a lot of sense ISNT. I wonder, though, where there could be found a definitive answer (ie. something not wikipedia!)

Erm I'm not at all sure about that wiki entry robyn.

My understanding (and I could be wrong!) was that it came from the fact that in a poor area a pimp has lots of cash and often ostentatiously displays it. So "pimp my car" = do the car up in a way that makes it look expensive and obviously so.

I thought it was a pretty direct route - pimps are rich and cool you want stuff like they have.

Its not ok, but i think mainly due to him being a touch on the dense side, he won't have thought about it. But its not nice the way its become acceptable term.

interesting comparison to 'primp' here...
(from wikipedia)

Etymology

The word pimp first appeared in English in 1607 in a Thomas Middleton play entitled Your Five Gallants. It is believed to have stemmed from the French infinitive pimper meaning to dress up elegantly and from the present participle pimpant meaning alluring in dress seductive. Pimp used as a verb, meaning to act as a pimp, first appeared in 1636 in Massinger's book, The Bashful Lover.[2] In the 18th and 19th centuries, the term was commonly used to refer to informers.[3] A pimp can also mean "a despicable person".[4] The term can also be applied to a person who is considered a ladies' man.[2]
The verb "pimping" came up in the early 17th century.[2] In the first years of the 21st century, a new meaning of the word has emerged in the form of a transitive verb pimp, which means "to decorate" or "to gussy up" (compare primp, especially in Scottish usage). This new definition was made popular by Pimp My Ride, an MTV television show.[2] Although this new definition paid homage to hip-hop culture and its connection to street culture, it has now entered common, even mainstream commercial, use.[5] In medical contexts, the verb also means "to ask (a student) a question for the purpose of testing his knowledge".[6]

apparently there are 2 official definitions of 'pimp'

pimp1
n

1. a man who solicits for a prostitute or brothel and lives off the earnings
2. a man who procures sexual gratification for another; procurer; pander

pimp2 Slang chiefly Austral and NZ
n
a spy or informer
vb
(intr; often foll by on) to inform (on)
[of unknown origin]
Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

At what point did 'pimp' become a verb meaning 'to enhance'? Pimps are essentially agents/sellers/vendors, aren't they? What part of their vile jobs have lead to the change/addition of meaning?

I'm just wondering if the term 'pimp' used as a 'seller' of prostitutes is the same word, or does it actually have a different root.

I would also think of the 'pimp my ride' thing before thinking of porn. And Jamie is ace . He's got my 17yo cooking!