What the hell does "you think I come off of a Banana boat mean

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  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,170
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    titfortat wrote: »
    But why I have never heard that saying before. Its it ment to mean Black people are stupid who came over in the 60's

    It has nothing whatsoever to do with colour...it is an expression that means "Do you think I am stupid"

    The banana workers were not the most intelligent of people and that saying has arisen from them, whether they be white, black, yellow, red or blue.

    Why do people always look for the "race card" in everything???
  • miffysmatemiffysmate Posts: 672
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    I cannot believe people jump on the race wagon at the slightest thing.

    I use the saying all the time, as did my mother, there was certainly never any connotations of racism what so ever!

    My mother used to say it when she thought I was trying to get away with something that she clearly knew I was up to.
  • Stupid_HeadStupid_Head Posts: 37,826
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    It has nothing whatsoever to do with colour...it is an expression that means "Do you think I am stupid"

    The banana workers were not the most intelligent of people and that saying has arisen from them, whether they be white, black, yellow, red or blue.

    Why do people always look for the "race card" in everything???

    The poster claims in the OP she doesn't. :D
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 7,018
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    Pop_Art wrote: »
    Well I've asked and no one seems to think this happened? :confused:

    It did happen. JJ and Sunshine were having a jokey convo. And I said over on WHATM it means do you think I'm stupid.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 3,963
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    The meaning of this thread.... Bitter Rachael fan strikes again. Never misses a chance.;)
  • Eleanor_RigbyEleanor_Rigby Posts: 532
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    Vic wrote: »
    I think the phrase is an adaption of 'fresh off the boat', meaning any foreigner arriving, not able to speak the language, not knowing what was going on etc. So I guess naive in essence.

    Bingo!
    :)
  • yawalloperyawalloper Posts: 6,561
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    The scots version is ..
    "Do you think I came up the River Clyde on a banana boat? - Do you think I'm daft (stupid)?"

    Quote from the scotsman, which is a well known non rascist newspaper. http://heritage.scotsman.com/scotslanguage/Bolt-ya-rocket-Fanny-Toosh.2771868.jp (half way down the page under glasgow sayings.

    Another explanation which may be clearer is ...
    "Doon the Dee on a digestive" - this is the Abedonian equivalent of "Do you think I came up the River Clyde on a banana boat?" in other words, do you think I'm daft? "

    from here http://www.rampantscotland.com/parliamo/blparliamo_phrases.htm

    The second explanation suggests it means trying to sail on an object which doesn't float very well....imo.
  • allie4allie4 Posts: 11,994
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    it's exactly the same as saying someone's 'wet behind the ears' or innocently naive etc etc...
    Just about any saying can seem racist if you're looking for it!
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 360
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    Vic wrote: »
    I think the phrase is an adaption of 'fresh off the boat', meaning any foreigner arriving, not able to speak the language, not knowing what was going on etc. So I guess naive in essence.

    When my late mother used it, she meant the same as you're not pulling the wool over my eyes, basically it meant - you may think you can fool me, but you can't, the only race thing it eluded to, was the caribbean people who came over in the 40's, 50's and 60's who believed they were coming to a better life, and would be welcomed with open arms, and not the racist attitude they met.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,607
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    I think 'racist' is the wrong description here, 'unfortunate' might be better.

    JJ is not encumbered with a large intellect but he was not making any derogatory (or otherwise) reference to black people or trying put to them down. there was no such context whatsoever.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 907
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    The best evidence i can find is from Alf Garnett 'You bloody c*** Get back on the banana boat', < its is defo used as a racist insult.
  • titfortattitfortat Posts: 9,126
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    ArtyAttack wrote: »
    You seem determined to turn this into something racist. Why ask if you think you already know the answer?

    Well having been told many times in my life to **** off home on a banana boat I wanna know what it means. Im sorry if you think im trying to stir something if you look back at my post you will see I never play the race card and I disagree with people who do.
    But when I hear a saying that I feel is a bit near the mark Im gonna ask.
  • Stupid_HeadStupid_Head Posts: 37,826
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    allie4 wrote: »
    it's exactly the same as saying someone's 'wet behind the ears' or innocently naive etc etc...
    Just about any saying can seem racist if you're looking for it!

    Interesting.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,170
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    Pop_Art wrote: »
    I'm confused as no one mentioned it in the WHATM thread and everything JJ does is jotted down in there.

    I am not surpised you are confused.

    The WHATM thread is for people to find out Whats Happening at the Moment.

    Every time I visit that thread there is never a mention of "whats happening at the moment" yet lots of chit chat and gossiping.
  • Rogana JoshRogana Josh Posts: 41,348
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    It has nothing whatsoever to do with colour...it is an expression that means "Do you think I am stupid"

    The banana workers were not the most intelligent of people and that saying has arisen from them, whether they be white, black, yellow, red or blue.

    Why do people always look for the "race card" in everything???

    We had the Geest banana plant up here a few years ago and all the banana workers were white people, so I agree with you its definitely not a racist remark.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,530
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    Don't think it's racist or anything..probably means 'do you think I'm stupid??'...nothing malicious intended???
  • nortonblimeynortonblimey Posts: 150
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    Of course there was such a thing as a banana boat

    look at your history

    after WW2 some kids had never seen a banana so when the banana boats came in it made big news

    So you are saying there are boats made of banana:Ds....wow didnt know that thought they were a fruit>
  • FringoFringo Posts: 7,995
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    titfortat wrote: »
    I shal explain then in the 1960's when an influx of carabiane people came over to britan to work they came over on ships and boats.

    Im sure most of you have heard the term why dont you home on your bananna boat becuses bananna were also shiped in from that thoses countrys too.


    So people who were coming off of the "ban boats were black people. so to me that term means black people are stupid. what eles can it mean. I have never heard that term before in my life

    So where were you suddenly enlightened? Can you send a link? Because you've obviously done your homework very recently.

    TBH that was what I had always believed (just by hearing it mind, never looking it up) but it would seem that isn't the case or indeed it's so common in parlance that the origin has been lost.
  • hustedhusted Posts: 5,287
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    River Man wrote: »
    A boat with bananas in.

    No its a boat made out of a banana. Obvioulsy it wouldnt float which is the point.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 224
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    LMAO wrote: »
    It means the same as saying ...Do you think I fell off the turnip truck?




    and no different to ..." Do you think I came down in the last shower of rain ?"

    It's all so very straight forward , can't believe anyone British doesn't know this.

    there are alot of posters on here who really ought to do their homework first , unless they're naturally argumentative and just being Rsouls.
  • titfortattitfortat Posts: 9,126
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    The meaning of this thread.... Bitter Rachael fan strikes again. Never misses a chance.;)

    Its nothing to do with scoring points. I don't think JJ is rascit at all. But I wanted to know what the saying ment. If any of them had of said I would of asked the same thing.
  • sofieellissofieellis Posts: 10,327
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    My husband always says "do you think I came up the Foyle in a bubble?", which just means do you think I'm that stupid/naive? I think the banana boat is just the same.

    Maybe there were some racist connotations years ago, but I've never connected the term with racism.
  • linfranlinfran Posts: 5,607
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  • Janette800Janette800 Posts: 13,357
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    ArtyAttack wrote: »
    I always took it to mean Do you think I am stupid?

    Me too
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 6,170
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    titfortat wrote: »
    I think it is. I dont think JJ is racist but the term is.

    Im mixed race and the amount of times Banana boat is used to put a balck person down is very common

    Youve just said you never heard it before....but yet you have decided you know what it means?

    And all of a sudden youve heard lots of referrences to banana boats to put black people down??

    Thats convenient for you isnt it. :rolleyes:
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