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Now we want to ban the word “regular” in coffee shops!

January 25th, 2010 Posted in Liberal Democrats by

you-call-this-liberal ?

Like all bad habits, it started as a occassional indulgence and has grown into something approaching an obsession. Reading Early Day Motions that is. I wonder if there is a Govt dept that can help me with this addiction?

I do however commend this activity to you. It provides an interesting insight into MP’s real concerns and motivations. It also throws up some shockers.

Take this one from Greg Mulholland, Lib Dem MP for Leeds Northwest. EDM 620

“That this House supports the Plain English Campaign on its attempts to prohibit the use of the word regular in coffee shops and cafés; notes that this term is a meaningless description creating confusion; regrets the Americanisation of the English language in this country; commends the Plain English Campaign for its efforts to promote clear language in public life; and calls on all coffee shops and similar establishments to use English terms and one standardised and universally understood system of measurement, such as small, medium and large.”

PROHIBIT the use of the word “REGULAR” in coffee shops?

Oh come on Greg. What is that all about? The word “regular” is confusing? Just do what the rest of us do and ask to see what size cup you get for a regular, or ask for your coffee in “one of those big fat mugs” or point at a cup and say “that sort of size”. And to say that coffee shops should be forced to use “English terms” – whatever that means – is frankly worrying.

Supposing its an Italian or French cafe? And even if it isn’t, so what if its a pretentious American cafe that prefers the word “Venti” to big or huge? A Starbuck’s venti is, in actual fact a twenty ounce coffee drink (about a pint) – from the Italian word for twenty (at least that’s what they told me when I asked many moons ago). Strikes me thats far more descriptive than “large”, which means (to the common man at least) “bigger than average” . How does that help anyone?

In any event I dont think its my place, and certainly not an elected MP’s place to start telling businesses what to call their products – no matter how silly. If customers dont like the word “regular” they will soon let them know. 

Putting this mini rant into context, only 14 others joined Greg in signing this motion –  7 Labour MPs and 4 Lib Dems (only 1 tory). Hmmmm. And we are supposed to be the home of liberalism? This sounds more like a sketch from Little Britain.

To be fair, Greg did redeem himself to some extent a couple of days later (20th Jan) with EDM 666 calling for the House to support the second reading of the Live Music bill (which will create an exemption from licences for small venues such as pubs).  Getting rid of bureacracy and needless red tape..that’s more like it.

Overall however, could do better.

UPDATE: In response to an email – the Lib Dem MPs that signed the banning of the word “regular” in coffee shops were: Mark Hunter, Mike Hancock, John Leach and Stephen Williams.

16 Responses to “Now we want to ban the word “regular” in coffee shops!”

  1. Obnoxio The Clown Says:

    I don’t know why liberals bother with the LibDems. They have become the SDP and have nothing to do with the Liberal Party any more.


  2. Joe Otten Says:

    Be warned. So-called “regular” coffee has no laxative effect whatever.


  3. BenS Says:

    Yeah, I also wonder why liberals bother with the lib dems when they’re coming up with wheezes like this.


  4. Joe Otten Says:

    If I write a bot that automatically posts a comment to every liberal vision thread expressing wonderment that liberals bother with the lib dems, that’ll save you guys some time, right? If you aren’t bots yourselves.


  5. Jock Says:

    Can I ask what is a “small” venue? Is that less than a “regular” venue? Or is it that if my “regular” pub is, in fact, quite “small” it might get an exemption? Does it have to have “venti patrons or fewer” maybe?

    In just whose universe are the “English” terms “small, medium and large” descriptive? Small compared with what? An espresso cup? Nope – that’s foreign too.

    Bonkers, bonkers, bonkers.

    But then perhaps you can take some comfort that from my today’s post, we’ll at least be able to shoot them when they come canvassing for signatures for this sort of thing!

    I think any private law arbitration panel would allow a defense of insanity in such a case.


  6. Luke Richards Says:

    To misquote Joey Lucas from the West Wing:

    To think that legislation is needed to protect the language of Shakespeare is absurd.


  7. Obnoxio The Clown Says:

    Go on then, Joe, explain it to me.


  8. BenS Says:

    ‘If I write a bot that automatically posts a comment to every liberal vision thread expressing wonderment that liberals bother with the lib dems, that’ll save you guys some time, right? If you aren’t bots yourselves.’

    When you read purely mental stories like this, it’s hard not to be baffled, is all 😉

    Although that 7 Labour MPs were on board with the idea is not surprisingly in the slightest.


  9. Hywel Says:

    @Jock

    So the gunning down of people organising a political campaign is now OK? That doesn’t sound VERY libertarian to be honest :-)


  10. Hywel Says:

    @Jock

    So the gunning down of people organising a political campaign is now OK? That doesn’t sound VERY libertarian to be honest :-)
    Oops, should mention great post. Looking forward to reading your next one!


  11. Mark Littlewood Says:

    Isn’t the word “standardised” in the text of the EDM actually itself an Americanism? I thought that the old English version of “ised” was “ized”, with a zed (or zee, as our American cousins call it).


  12. BenS Says:

    ‘ise’ is a Britishism.


  13. Mark Littlewood Says:

    @BenS

    arguably a modern term – only used since the Second World War:

    http://www.metadyne.co.uk/ize.html


  14. tim leunig Says:

    At a motorway service station I ordered a regular tea, and then at the till they charged me more than I expected, telling me that their two sizes were regular and small. I demanded another cup, their threw away the first one, and made me another. Very grumpily.

    But no, it still shouldn’t be banned.

    Tim


  15. Gandhi Says:

    @ML: “ise” hasn’t been used for long, came from French, previously more “ize”, Americans also added some “z”s that weren’t there before. Oxford English is still officially “ize”, journos (and most of the public) use “ise”.


  16. Liberal Vision » Blog Archive » Lib Dem Measurement Facist strikes again…. Says:

    […] Mulholland clearly has “Measurement Mania”.  Having sought to ban the word “regular” from our coffee shops last week, he has now gone on record welcoming the law requiring pubs to serve small (125ml) […]