Beyond the pale

[Reppin]

Can we all stop using this expression now?

[WindyWindy]

Barbarian is certainly a pejorative term and I'd suggest "differently cultured".

[Columbine1]

Windy were your ancestors Irish? Its hard to imagine it feeling okay but you might be the exception
Just because racism is so widespread does not negate it or make it nebulous - more a problem that needs to be addressed more actuvely

[Iprefercoffeetotea]

English rule in Scotland? A few English (some of whom were Norman French origin) kings tried but I think they got seen off every time.

[DownTheChimney]

shall be adding to my list of phrases and words to use on a more regular basis to annoy people like the OP who get easily offended, usually outraged on someone else's behalf

Me too

I quite like the way syphillis is "The English Disease" in France

Well, I'm deeply offended and they must stop saying this at once!

[PricillaQueenOfTheDesert]

Why? Who put you in charge of what I or anyone else uses as an expression.
Does the use of beyond the pale actually affect you or your tragic life? Does a puppy die every time someone says it?
Stop trying to be so obviously goady and find something worthwhile to get het up about.

[Columbine1]

Ipref then in fact those Scottish kings took over England...then eventually ran out of male children so their Hanoverian cousins(?) had to take over....then decided their name needed to sound more English when a later set of siblings/cousins/in-laws found their countries falling out...and became the Windsors....ever wondered why all the European kings/princes etc looked so so similar in the early 20th century?

[BitOutOfPractice]

Quite apart from the ridiculousness of your "request" OP, you need to polish up your manners as rudeness is really beyond the pale

[WindyWindy]

The current acceptable form of coercive control is that of language policing.

It begins as requests to promote tolerance and ends up in workplace exclusion and sackings.

It's the same impulse to bully finding modern means to my eye.

But crack on and build your fairer world.

"Makeourfuture" indeed! Love that posters name.

[Columbine1]

Wow Priscilla just mean
What global good do you do every day?
Down & whoever you are quoting - does that bring you joy - planning to be spiteful?

[LivLemler]

OP has hardly covered herself in glory here, but as an Irish person I really don't love the phrase. I do know there was more than one pale, but to me I hear that unacceptable behaviour is Irish people being Irish in Ireland.

(Although, being from Dublin, I do of course occasionally use it to annoy the culchie cousins!)

Perhaps I'm being a bit oversensitive ATM, as others have alluded to it hasn't been the nicest time to be Irish on here, or reading the British media, lately.

[MmmmmmBop]

AreThere thank you for introducing me to the term 'tansplaining' . It's perfect!

[pippistrelle]

Here's a phrase that should be used more - a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

[JeReviens]

I don't think this discussion necessarily needs to be shut down though? I have not insulted anyone

With the possible exception of your own intelligence.

This kind of nonsense needs stopping. I will never amend my vocabulary because a word or phrase may have meant something else hundreds of years ago. Just on this thread alone looks how many different etymologies of the phrase have been presented. And OP wants us to stop using it just in case her version is correct? Bollocks to that.

[WindyWindy]

Tbf Liv I don't use it as a phrase.

But I can't be doing with all this proscription. Awkward I am.

[BitOutOfPractice]

I don't know where to start with that Liv. You don't want others to use it because you find it offensive, but you reserve the right to use it to offend others? OK!

[SilverySurfer]

No, I won't stop using it. Get over yourself.

[expatinscotland]

Nah, I won't stop using it.

[LivLemler]

Yeah I know what you mean BitOutOfPractice. Probably didn't explain that well.

To me, there's a huge difference in using it in a humorous way between Irish people, with the full knowledge of that the Pale was in Ireland and what it meant for our history. Compared to someone else (particularly someone British) using it in a genuine sense to mean unreasonable behaviour.

And yes, I know the Pale in Ireland wasn't the only one etc etc etc. But just trying to explain how it sounds to me.

[senua]

Can we all play this game?

Speaking as a left-hander, I demand that we stop using the word 'sinister'.

[ReanimatedSGB]

OP is displaying limited knowledge www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-pal2.htm
Most people use the phrase to mean that someone has said/done something that is so unacceptable they should be removed/sent away from polite society.

[RadioGaGoo]

I stand with Senua. Deeply offended.

[Booie09]

As a northerner can people stop talking of how grim it is up north!!

[WindyWindy]

Or even more cringe worthy "Oop North".

[maddiemookins16mum]

Deary me, do people seriously get worked up about random expressions like this (that in reality I have never heard anyone in rl actually use!).
All these 'stop doing this', 'can I request you don't do this' threads, I doubt the OP would go up to a unknown person in the street and ask them not to do something.

The last time I can think I ever heard the beyond the pale expression was in a video of the Donny Osmond production of Joseph.

[PositivelyPERF]

Sorry, but what does transplanting mean? 😐