Clean for the Queen campaign accused of using racist term

[Tennis]

Posters and T-shirts promoting the tidy-up feature the word ‘spic’, which some people have pointed out is a racial slur

The Clean for the Queen campaign, intended to encourage people to tidy up for Elizabeth II’s 90th birthday, has been accused of dropping a racist clanger.

Posters and T-shirts to promote the drive (pdf), which is taking place this weekend, included the words “spic and span ma’am”, prompting people to suggest that by missing out a “k” on “spic”, the organisers had inadvertently used a racial slur.

The Collins English dictionary refers to “spic” as a “derogatory term for a person from a Spanish-speaking country in South or Central America or a Spanish-speaking community in the US”.

Twitter user @dismalchips contacted the campaign last week, asking: “Are you aware you’ve put a racist term on your asinine posters? You’re missing a k.”

Adrian Evans, the campaign director, denied the wording was offensive. “It is an ancient phrase, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, which suggests two options on spelling,” he told the Mail on Sunday. “Spic and span means neat and clean – which sums up our campaign perfectly.”

Clean for the Queen was created by Keep Britain Tidy and Country Life as a way of encouraging people to participate in litter-picking events to “show our gratitude to Her Majesty”.

Billed as the largest ever cleanup of the British environment, schools, community groups, individuals, charities, companies, local authorities and parish councils are being encouraged to take part.

The event has been backed by the government and politiciams including Michael Gove and Boris Johnson have been photographed dressed in purple T-shirts, clutching litter-picking equipment, to publicise events. Neither had the offending word on their T-shirts.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/201...cist-term-spic

The entire notion of cleaning for the queen is really repulsive.

[Revi]

So they had a typo and everyone still knew what they meant.

Oh noes.

[Deleted]

Pula - Botswana's national currency.
Pula - "dick" in Romanian.

[Xanjori]

Oh no, a spelling mistake. The horror!

[Notchris]

Spic and Span, without a "k", is a brand name cleaning solution. I really doubt it was anything malicious.

[Austilias]

The entire notion of cleaning for the queen is really repulsive.

Not nearly as repulsive as living a life devoted to taking offence from the most inconsequential things imaginable.

[Deleted]

Spic and Span, without a "k", is a brand name cleaning solution. I really doubt it was anything malicious.

It wasn't.

The Cambridge Dictionary for 'spic' says see 'spick', so I wouldn't even classifiy it as a typo. It's fine phonetically.

We have lots of derogatory words for foreigners of most nationalities but I've never heard this word used this way. Given the US reference, may be this is moreof a US thing?

[Daita Tetsu]

spic and span, without a "k", is a brand name cleaning solution. I really doubt it was anything malicious.

oic because mexicans should only do lowly jobs like cleaning

brb blogging about this


edit: wow, forum removed my all caps. I was really angry too

[Gheld]

I've always said "Spic and span".

[Kurioxan]

The entire notion of cleaning for the queen is really repulsive.

The UK is a filthy country in terms of trash in the streets, never seen such before moving here, even parks are generally littered like hell, its saddening, they do need this sort of initiate.
OT though, people are too sensitive, they should just shrug and ignore.

[Tennis]

The UK is a filthy country in terms of trash in the streets, never seen such before moving here, even parks are generally littered like hell, its saddening, they do need this sort of initiate.
OT though, people are too sensitive, they should just shrug and ignore.

Clean for Britain then. Don't clean for the Queen.

[Xanjori]

Clean for Britain then. Don't clean for the Queen.

It's a motto that rhymes. You're so oversensitive it's repulsive.

[Mihalik]

Clean for Britain then. Don't clean for the Queen.

Why not? The Crown represents the United Kingdom. The Queen happens to be the current occupant of the Throne, and thus the figurehead of the United Kingdom.

Most Brits also happen to be fairly fond of the Monarchy. You know with the whole God Save the Queen routine they have going on.

[shadowdasher]

Hey someone said something, lets find a way to get upset by it!

[Kalis]

Clean for Britain then. Don't clean for the Queen.

They're using the Queen's 90th as an excuse to get people to clean up the environment, there is no harm in it. Nor is there any harm in using the word 'spic'.

Pretending to be perpetually offended at everything is incredibly dull.

[dextersmith]

Not everything revolves around Hispanics. Hispanics is a sexist slur for excluding Herspanics.

[Oviorasi]

"Clean and Simple. Spic and Span leaves behind nothing but smiles!"

[Medusa Cascade]

Pretending to be perpetually offended at everything is incredibly dull.

Someone took offence to me joking about my own disability yesterday. Fun.

[xChurch]

It's almost like people have forgotten what context means. I highly doubt they meant "Mexican and span ma'am!"

[Rend Blackhand]

Yeah whatever, spic doesn't mean anything in Britain.