To think this was a bit tactless of the teacher

[callherwillow]

The teacher in question referred to friends daughter (Year 4) as 'bonny'. I realise that there are areas of the country where this is just a compliment without any other connotations but here it essentially means 'fat.'

The friends DD was a few minutes late due to helping set up the assembly and upon entering had gone to sit with her friends and was stopped by the teacher who tried to steer her to the year 6s and when she politely explained she was in year 4 the teacher commented (in a whole school assembly where the children could all hear her) 'well, you are a very bonny girl for year 4, aren't you?'

Not the teachers finest hour, I don't think?

^ I've seen that list 3 times in the last 2 days. Is this a new 'thing'?

No, bonny babies is perfectly nice as babies are meant to have a bit of chub on them. But what you'd coo to a baby and what you'd say to an eight year old in front of her peers is different!

Ready, it's a bit arrogant to assume that because where you are from has one meaning that everywhere follows suit. I'm sure you don't need me to explain to you that words have different meanings, and therefore connotations, in different parts of the English speaking world.

Crikey, never heard of 'bonny' meaning fat... I could have insulted a far few in my time

Scottish mate says 'bonny wee lass' often, so I am pretty sure she'd be horrified too

But, she didn't say fat, she said "bonny." Your interpretation is that it means fat. I think the only way to know definitively if she meant fat, is if she said fat. Why not give her the benefit of the doubt?

Where has that list suddenly come from acasualobserver? I've seen it posted a few times the past few days!

I think it might mean that acasualobserver finds the thread(s) boring.

if the teacher called her very fat then its a lot more than "a bit tactless" its full on rude, bullying,abusive,inappropriate, body shaming behaviour that should not be tolerated by anyone and op is worse if she doesnt immediately report it to the head. awful fucking attitude

Xpost bumbley!

Doesn't anyone just call 101 nowadays?

it's a bit arrogant to assume that because where you are from has one meaning that everywhere follows suit. I'm sure you don't need me to explain to you that words have different meanings, and therefore connotations, in different parts of the English speaking world.

Aren't you doing the same thing, assuming that everyone in your area means fat when they say bonny?

Bonny means pretty or cute to me. Didn't know it could mean fat.

However, also pretty OR fat does't make sense in the statement made.

"well, you are a very PRETTY girl for year 4, aren't you?" doesn't make any sense at all, and
"well, you are a very FAT girl for year 4, aren't you?" doesn't make any sense at all.

Tall or big may be more logical. Big can mean tall or fat in that sense I guess.

Of course it is definitely not on if she genuinely was calling her fat!

willow to be fair you and 1 other here say it means fat... no one else has ever heard of that connotation. We also have no idea where in the country/world you live in! We just know it isn't 'here!'

If you have a problem with the post Ego then by all means report it, although I have to admit I'm a bit baffled as to what the problem is, unless it's because I've been slightly critical of a teacher.

If that's what bonny means in your area, then in the context I can't see how she DIDN'T mean fat.

'You're very pretty for year 4'

'You're very beautiful for year 4'

Neither of those sentences makes sense.

Blanche that's why I did explain in my OP that I realised it is a word with regional variations and I took pains to explain what it meant here :)

The OP has clearly stated that in local vernacular is means FAT. The teacher mistook the child for an OLDER child - not because she was "pretty", "glowing", or "healthy" because a year four child could be ALL of those things. hat you don't expect a year four child to be is BIG - hence "You are big for year four" or "You are bonny for year four". It really isn't rocket science and if you think it's cool for a teacher to say this to a child in front of the school assembly then you are a dick.

Re the 'bonny baby' competitions, OP ...

As far as I am aware 'bonny baby' means 'pretty/cute' baby, not 'fat/chubby' baby. They are usually judging babies on their looks, not on their chubby cheeks or whatever,

And I am still trying to get my head round it...

It's bad enough I moved a lot as a kid, had to get used to a lot of new ways with words... I thought those days were over

Where has that list suddenly come from acasualobserver? I've seen it posted a few times the past few days!

I made it up although another poster helped me by suggesting MI5 and the Pope.

Never buy - but FAT makes no sense either. People can be fat regardless of age. TALL or BIG would make more sense - but does bonny ever mean that?

Yes, I know Hula but what is considered beautiful on a baby generally isn't on an older child, is it?

What she meant was 'you're a very big girl for year 4, aren't you?'

'Tall' would have been kinder.

In which region of UK does bonnie mean fat? so I know to be offended if I am called that next time I am in the area