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Original poster

To think we need to stop calling him Boris

185 replies

Earnsomething · 29/05/2020 09:22

He's not a loveable buffoon, there for our entertainment, he's an important man, with an incredibly serious job to do. He's Mr Johnson or the Prime Minister, Boris isn't even his actual name!

I feel like the more we call him Boris the more we excuse/allow the nonsense.

OP posts:
YappityYapYap · 29/05/2020 11:15

I have no consistency with how I refer to prime ministers and first ministers.

David Cameron
Theresa May
Boris
Nicola
Alex Salmond

I either use their first and last name or just their first name. I think because David, Theresa and Alex are such common names for politicians and Boris and Nicola are not, that's why I do it that way. I think we do this in general though. With celebrities for example, we tend to say 'Will Ferrell' and 'David Beckham' because their first names are very common. However, we tend to just say 'Beyonce' and 'Oprah' because their names are not very common and you can say their first name and everyone knows who you are talking about. If you just said Will, people would be like Will Smith? Prince William? What Will? The same with David. That's my theory on it! It would be nice to have your first name, nickname or stage name said and everyone knows who you are

Mumratheevergiving · 29/05/2020 11:17

Think all the names offered above would do. Someone’s found the perfect way to address Matt Hancock

To think we need to stop calling him Boris
Kittykat93 · 29/05/2020 11:18

I'll call him whatever I want to... But thanks all the same

zingally · 29/05/2020 11:19

My family have taken to calling him Bozza in recent months. "Did you see Bozza on the telly today?"

Of course, if I met him face to face, I'd call him Mr Johnson, or Prime Minister, as anyone would.

But what we call him in private, or on social media, is hardly the same thing as if we met him face to face for any reason.

BlackeyedSusan · 29/05/2020 11:19

Maggie also came from the slogan, Maggie Thatcher, milk snatcher...

She changed the number of children who were allowed free milk when she was education secretary sometime in the 70s?

maxonebitch · 29/05/2020 11:20

@timetest

I’m not calling that bastard “Mr”.
Anybody who has been in the military where titles are the order of the day will tell you there are ways of saying it appropriately. Sir can convey total respect or the fact that you consider them to be a complete and utter nincompoop.
MargotB7 · 29/05/2020 11:22

I think it's up to the individual what they call Boris.

Lovely1a2b3c · 29/05/2020 11:23

I guess as we call Trump- 'Trump' then it should be 'Johnson'. 'Mr Johnson' gives him respect that he doesn't deserve. I agree that his PR team would like everyone to think he's a loveable scamp but he's responsible for so much harm and really doesn't give a shit.

maxonebitch · 29/05/2020 11:25

Of course, if I met him face to face, I'd call him Mr Johnson, or Prime Minister, as anyone would

You might...I wouldn't. Good job I won't be meeting him any time soon.

CrazyCatMamma · 29/05/2020 11:27

@OtterBe4

I call him Bawjaws 🤣
Me too
KonTikki · 29/05/2020 11:27

"Dear Leader"

bumblingbovine49 · 29/05/2020 11:27

Didn't the supporters of Margaret Thatcher refer to her as "Maggie"?
Yes and Mrs Thatcher was used quite a lot. People did call her Thatcher but usually those who disliked her.

Referring to a male prime minister by their surname only is common and doesn't carry a negative connotation in the way it does for a woman. I think this is because most prime misters have been men from public schools and refering to each other by their surname only is common in those environments. Women are different as they don't tend to be referred to by their surname only, even at posh public schools for girls.

Pepperwort · 29/05/2020 11:33

"Boris" is very obviously part of a carefully-cultivated public persona. It has nothing of substance behind it. It's also part of a trend in our prime ministers - first we had Blair with his interest in appearance and spin, then Cameron who was a PR man through and through, then this buffoon. I think May was an outlier, a last attempt to bring back administration into the role. And of course, all referred to by their last names.

I accordingly refuse to use this carefully-cultivated image. Rather satisfyingly, Johnson describes him quite well too. Traditional cultural stories teach us there is power in names Smile...

Bloody hell it's embarrassing to be British with this twit in charge.

WipersThymes · 29/05/2020 11:33

@MouthBreathingRage

'Boris' is more than his name. It's a carefully cultivated personality he's made for himself over many, many years. When we think 'Boris', it's synonymous with the floppy blonde hair funny-man, the guy who whizzes down zipline, hosts popular comedy shows on the BBC, who talks in a funny way only dizzy poshos do.

'Boris' is harmless, 'Boris' would be a laugh down the pub, 'Boris' is Tim-Nice-But-Dim's jollier cousin.

Mr Johnson is our PM though, and he's not a funny buffon. He's the man who push through Brexit by any means necessary, has lied over and over, hides from the public when things get tough and ultimately has allowed the deaths of thousands of people as he tried to put the wealth of his business mates first before the health of the country. That's who we have today, not 'Boris' the media clown but Mr Johnson, one of the worst PMs in living memory

This needs saying again. With one amendment - caused instead of allowed.

He's TC Johnson in this house.

CaptainMyCaptain · 29/05/2020 11:34

I always refer to him as Johnson.

ProsperTheBear · 29/05/2020 11:34

Earnsomething
It is is name.. I suppose technically you could call him Alexander but no one would know who you are talking about.

No one used Anthony to call Blair either.

PickleKing · 29/05/2020 11:35

I think it's his actions that let him down, not his name

Mumratheevergiving · 29/05/2020 11:35

He'd probably like Supreme Master, Our Esteemed Leader, Emperor Johnson or something along those lines.

Hmm how about Unaccountable Bastard?

burnoutbabe · 29/05/2020 11:41

True it's rare for women to be referred to as surname only.
I appeared in a trade mag for our industry, top 100 women sort of thing and the article just referred to me as surname throughout, felt very depersonalising (we'd written the blurb).

FliesandPies · 29/05/2020 11:41

Of course, if I met him face to face, I'd call him Mr Johnson, or Prime Minister, as anyone would

I wouldn't. I wouldn't bother with titles, I'd just tell him he's a total disgrace.

AgeLikeWine · 29/05/2020 11:42

@Lynda07

His first name is 'Alexander', second name is 'Boris' so his name is 'Boris'. Do you know what his friends and family call him? I imagine they call him, "Boris". Many people are known by a second name. Meghan Markle's first name is 'Rachel' but her folks decided they preferred 'Meghan', I've not heard anyone say that isn't her name.

I think the 'likeable', buffoon-like image went while he was London's mayor.

Since when has 'Boris' been a caricature-cartoon-comic book-like name anyway? It's a perfectly normal name.

Johnson’s family have always called him ‘Al’. Source : Rachel Johnson.
Scruffyoak · 29/05/2020 11:42

Buffoon!

trappedsincesundaymorn · 29/05/2020 11:44

He's called the ventriloquist's dummy in this house...or Orville for short.

strugglingwithdeciding · 29/05/2020 11:46

Lot more important things to worry about than this surely

PinkCrayon · 29/05/2020 11:49

I call him Bozo.