AIBU to ask if the term "Swivel eyed loon" is OK to use?

[PampassGrass56]

Somone used this term today. I was wondering if it is socially unacceptable /non PC to use this terminology?

I quite like it.

It’s rude and insulting. I would presume they are comparing a person to a loon. Loons are very shy water birds with funny calls and constantly looking in all directions to stay safe (swivel eye).

You beat me to it. I assumed the bird reference too.

Fully acceptable. Usage encouraged.

As long as they were referring to Tory activists, which is where it originated, it is IMO perfectly acceptable.

If you’re discussing Farage then it’s absolutely fine (if not a requirement).

Do you think "Karen" is acceptable? Or "Gammon".

There's your answer.

I'm almost certain the GP's receptionist won't give you an earlier appointment if you use this term.

@MercanDede - what a lovely photo. Thank you.

Or Braverman! 🤣

If someone uses the term loon, I actually more think lunatic, crazy, and probably don't think it's acceptable given that it (as far as I'm aware) refers to someone with mental health concerns- did not know it originated from a bird!

I had no idea the phrase referred to a bird called a Loon! I was actually concerned that the term was offensive to people with eye problems. Think I might have got the wrong end of the stick!

Well there’s a marriage made in … probably not Heaven.

Loon is also the word used for a boy / man in Doric.

I would venture that 99% of people mean lunatic, as pp has said. I'd have said 100%. No one means a bird, surely?!

You're welcome. Loons are very protective parents. Lovely birds.

I think it's short for lunatic, and therefore no, I would be careful using the term outside immediate family.

It was the swivel eye bit that put me in mind of loons because they genuinely do have swivel eyes. They are very shy birds. In fact they will not live on a lake that has motorboats. Their preserves are all motorboat/jetski free lakes and reservoirs.

If someone had said “raging loon” or “looney as a rabid dog” then I’d think the old lunatic term.

It’s still not a nice thing to call someone.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

I love loons! (the birds) - but I've never thought of this phrase as being about them. I think it means lunatic and swivel-eyed as in kind of staring around eccentrically (cf "stark staring mad").

It's not PC as it's using mental illness and out-of-control eyes as an insult and those things aren't people's fault or under their control.

But I do feel a bit like it's a shame as it's very evocative. It's interesting how even though we now understand more about mental illness, and there is a stigma attached to using words like lunatic, nutter and so on, people still do use words meaning the same thing - insane, crazy, have you lost your mind, it would be madness to do that etc. Because it's almost impossible to remove the need for that sentiment from everyday life and language.

I have no idea but it’s hilarious 🤣

That’s why Canadian one dollar coins are known as “loonies”. They have an image of the bird on them.

And two dollar coins are known as “toonies”.

I used to work with someone who had some odd ideas and when she was ranting about them she would get quite agitated and her eyes would dart about in every direction. This phrase always popped into my head as it felt like she was the literal embodiment of it.

I didn’t say it, though, as I agree with pps that it refers to mental health issues and a loss of control - exactly what my colleague brought to mind in those moments - not things I would want to invoke as an insult.

I've never heard it before but Loon up here means boy in a Scottish dialect called doric. So to me the phrase would mean a boy quickly looking at something which probably isn't the meaning!

Thanks for the explanation and the lovely photo @MercanDede.

But yes, I'd always associated it with someone a bit crazy.

An insult to those beautiful birds! 🙂

I can’t see anything that suggests it’s to do with the bird, and I see that “swivel-eyed lunatic” is sometimes used, instead of abbreviating.

Does seem ableist.