The word 'belm'

I don't see what all the fucking fuss is about.

And who is this jeez character? He seems a bit quiet to me.

I was wondering who'd be tasteless enough to set up this as an alias...

And you still don't know, do you?

It's not difficult to work it out, is it?

is Joey Deacon an estate agent?

Google the word belm.
I haven't found a forum where there aren't people saying they think comes from taking the piss out of a man with cerebral palsy.

Derogatory slurs about mental and physical disabilities are massively marginalised because of archaic attitudes like yours. That's why all over the country you'll hear people say retard, spastic, insane etc and not get pulled up on it because 'language and words change' and the world has decided that the mentally and physically disabled are fair game.

The fact that people are going to be reading this and thinking 'fucking pussy all this political correctness can fuck off stop being such whiny little bitch grow up' is a perfect example of exactly how marginalised this issue is.

I was a bit like that ^ before I came into contact with mental health charities and was made properly aware of the problem. It's allowed to start at such a young age and nobody stops it. Generations of kids at school start saying these words and grow up still saying them and thinking 'it's not that bad, not like calling someone a paki or a faggot'.

This is a good article:

http://www.abc.net.au/rampup/articles/2011/09/13/3316570.htm

Like I've said before, I spent about 7 years working as a support worker for people with learning disabilities and mental health needs, I've got a pretty good grasp on the issues people face around this kind of thing. You are pretty unlikely to find me using words like retard, although, like every word, context and meaning are more important that the censorship of a certain arrangement of letters. You are right about hearing people all over the country saying retard and spastic and they should probably get pulled up about it, you'll also hear people saying idiot, moron and cretin and most people won't be bothered, you won't hear people calling each other belms apart from on here, mainly because of this little thread about it.

Although this kind of belmery rubs me up the wrong way

you won't hear people calling each other belms apart from on here

This isn't true.

It's very much not in common parlance.

Idiot, cretin and moron have become so ingrained in the English language as synonyms of fool or stupid person that the OED defines them as such. I think with words like those you can grant someone a bye because only in the nitpickers eyes are they seen as offensive to the mentally and physically disabled.

Belm however, especially when combined with the tongue sucking/clicking, is referring to a specific man with a specific disorder. A quick read through a few forums and websites seems to show that the word does indeed stem from Joey Deacon's ill fated Blue Peter appearance.
Google 'Joey Deacon belm', I'm pretty sure there's enough info there to convince even the most staunch belm supporters.

i've heard the word used in the colonies where no one's even heard of joey deacon or blue peter. are you suggesting they stop using the word because england?

Nah they're fine obvs

If an infant is saying 'nigger' because they thinks it sounds like pep-pep's lawnmower you're not going to call supernanny cause your kid is a racist.

It's an 'e'. Neggers are really annoying.

If an infant is saying 'nigger' because they thinks it sounds like pep-pep's lawnmower you're not going to call supernanny cause your kid is a racist.

Would if be wrong to dress them as a ghost, fill them with sugar and set them loose I a public place?

Hypothetically of course.

Google 'Joey Deacon belm', I'm pretty sure there's enough info there to convince even the most staunch belm supporters.

Oh yeah, googling Joey Deacon belm brings up references to belm and Joey Deacon, how strange.

^See? That's how you control the urge to belm.

Idiot, cretin and moron have become so ingrained in the English language as synonyms of fool or stupid person that the OED defines them as such. I think with words like those you can grant someone a bye because only in the nitpickers eyes are they seen as offensive to the mentally and physically disabled.

Belm however, especially when combined with the tongue sucking/clicking, is referring to a specific man with a specific disorder. A quick read through a few forums and websites seems to show that the word does indeed stem from Joey Deacon's ill fated Blue Peter appearance.
Google 'Joey Deacon belm', I'm pretty sure there's enough info there to convince even the most staunch belm supporters.

Wrong

Belmwalk

I'll march with you.