Apparently "window lickers" doesn't mean what I thought it meant ...

[verygreenlawn]

... according to Derek Draper it isn't an incredibly offensive term used to describe people with disabilities, it refers to "someone looking in a window like a kid in a candyshop wishing they were inside".

Sorry doesn't fool me - I was at school in the 80s and I know exactly what that expression meant then and what it means now.

That's cos the French for window shopping is window licking (IIRC), but you're right, I think it's an offensive term too.

definately an offensive term round my neck of the woods

derek draper talks out off his ass

Mr Draper must be extremely naive

Never heard of the term but I would have assumed it meant what DD said. But fully acknoweldge that I may be wrong.

It could easily be both. However, the fact that it is an offensive term overrides anything else.

I've never heard of it either.

Er, bullshit.

It's a horrible word and definitely used in the sense of people with disabilities, my disgusting excuse for step-father used to go on about "blue bus window lickers"

Never heard of the phrase apart from once before on MN. Wouldn't have a clue what is meant.

saly we had 'charity bus window lickers' shouted at the 'special school' bus that stopped outside our school until our head threatened the boys with expulsion! It did not and does not mean anything to do with shopping

Horrible terminology and definately derogatory term for disabled people here!

I had never heard of it until MN. Because I have been told that it is used to describe people with ld, I find it highly offensive.

IF I had never heard of it, and I was told of it and told it was a phrase used to describe window shoppers, lusting after things in shop windows, then I am sure I would have smiled and thought it quite funny.

Because a word is just a word, it is context, meaning, intent that make it what it is.

my son goes on a bus to cdu group and a little kid said (age 10)ask me whats your son doing on a sb ooh i could off knocked his teeth out i was so mad !!!

I've never heard of it before but would have guessed at window shopper if pressed...

A well known local businessman where I live is also a sports presenter on local radio and he used the term during a call in show about football fans. He was suspended. I was so glad they had made an issue of it (BBC local radio) but was sorely disappointed when they reinstated him after a couple of weeks. He does a lot of good work for charity but I thought it was inexcusable.

totally offensive term round here

It is fucking offensive.
Often shouted at special school bus by fucking little shitheads who i would like to beat the crap out of passing hoodies

whatever it may have been that is what it is now.
Derek Draper is right

I have never heard this term before (and I have never heard of Derek Draper) but imagine it is describing those who are unable to control their tongues. What a vile and revolting thing to say and yes it is completely offensive.

hmm.... has this derek draper bloke been heard using the term?

No way is it used to refer to someone shopping!

Very offensive term IMHO

Derek Draper used the word to describe his critics.

well he may well be a tosser.
But he is right thatthe term is highly offensive

sorry - my rage is getting the better of me.
He is a tosser full stop.
It is highly offensive.

so he described his critics as (in effect) excited children waiting outside a sweetshop?

um... yeah, that sounds likely

I only know it in the French form- lecher les vitrines- window shopping (covetously)

The way it is used on this thread is highly offensive.