tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post6149812899823964617..comments2024-03-14T10:31:26.918+00:00Comments on DCblog: On being ignorantDChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-40876477261162348242013-05-09T17:59:11.829+00:002013-05-09T17:59:11.829+00:00Hello Mr Crystal,
Maybe this is not much relevant...Hello Mr Crystal, <br />Maybe this is not much relevant to the topic, but it might be interesting. I am an English teacher, from Serbia, and, I remember, when I started teaching, I came across this word in a sentence (sth like "He was ignorant."); students asked me what it meant, and I said "It means that he ignored them." I wasn't sure about my translation, because in Serbian language, we have the verb "ignorisati", which means "to ignore sb, not pay attention to sb or sth", so I guess it was "false friends" situation that influenced my translation. I came home, and looked the word up in a dictionary,where I found the explanation (ig‧no‧rant<br />1 not knowing facts or information that you ought to know:<br />an ignorant and uneducated man<br />ignorant of<br />Political historians are often rather ignorant of economics.<br />ignorant about<br />Many people remain blissfully ignorant about the dangers of too much sun (=happy because they do not know about the dangers).<br />➔ see usage note ignore<br />2 caused by a lack of knowledge and understanding:<br />an ignorant remark<br /> ignorant opinions<br />3 British English spoken rude or impolite:<br />ignorant behaviour) then went to school the following day, apologized to my students, told them what the real meaning of the word was. <br />And now,it seems that the word can be used, or, mean what I thought it meant in the first place :) <br />Best regardsAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11815796477587269007noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-6010952653699410012012-07-08T00:17:59.954+00:002012-07-08T00:17:59.954+00:00Polish "inteligentny" underwent similar ...Polish "inteligentny" underwent similar development -- in lower class colloquial speech it can stand for "kulturalny" ('well-mannered'), apparently on the notion that well-bred people are also well-educated. (The same, I guess, holds for Russian "интеллигентный"). And double-checking the pronunciation of 'ignorant', one may come across another example of this ilk, 'uncouth'.Peadarnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-47842739566305014492012-03-17T05:36:07.971+00:002012-03-17T05:36:07.971+00:00Ignorant 'rude' is found throughout the Am...<i>Ignorant</i> 'rude' is found throughout the American South, and in AAVE as well. It often takes contrastive stress: <i>What an IGnorant thing to say</i>.<br /><br />I think Amy is right in thinking that ignorant people (in this sense) are ignorant of good manners, and further I think that the implication is that they are that way because their mothers failed to teach them better.John Cowanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11452247999156925669noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-72256845830339755692012-03-13T21:25:00.555+00:002012-03-13T21:25:00.555+00:00I definitely heard this usage when I was a teenage...I definitely heard this usage when I was a teenager in Leicester in the late 70s/early 80s.Kate Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-75144275106735513342012-02-29T05:53:35.693+00:002012-02-29T05:53:35.693+00:00My father, who grew up in Suffolk, would say, &quo...My father, who grew up in Suffolk, would say, "Don't be ignorant" to me when I forgot my manners as a child in the '70s and '80s. I'm not sure if this was a "local" usage he experienced as a kid, or something that he picked up during his many moves to Gloucestershire and various parts of the U.S.A.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-41154246156633454932012-01-23T10:10:12.397+00:002012-01-23T10:10:12.397+00:00This was one of its earliest senses, in fact. The ...This was one of its earliest senses, in fact. The 'rude' sense came later.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-44211754449486283702012-01-23T04:18:45.356+00:002012-01-23T04:18:45.356+00:00I'm reminded of the word "impertinent&quo...I'm reminded of the word "impertinent". This usually means "rude", even though one might think that its meaning ought logically be something more like "irrelevant".<br /><br />I wonder whether there is any connection between these senses of "impertinent" and "ignorant".vphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16647609487352038948noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-42507539034785644922012-01-19T11:18:19.827+00:002012-01-19T11:18:19.827+00:00Nice examples.Nice examples.DChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10192779827863835310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-64512010528211115122012-01-19T11:13:41.768+00:002012-01-19T11:13:41.768+00:00I'm 50 years old, live near Nottingham (for ov...I'm 50 years old, live near Nottingham (for over 30 years), father from Coatbridge (near Glasgow) and mother from near Solihull (but no accent to speak of)...<br />I can remember both my mother and father using it when we were growing up. <br />My father would use it if you didn't use "good manners" ("please" and "thank you") - he would say "don't be so ignorant" or "people will think you're ignorant", the latter implying some lack of knowledge.<br />Mother would say things like "don't be ignorant, Mrs Smith is talking to you". I think mainly if we were not taking any notice. That is certainly in the sense of ignoring people.<br />Mother-in-law (would be nearly 90 if alive) used to say "She's proper ignorant - passes you on the street and doesn't even look at you."Alison Peckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07026686189885253952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-51701320092174602362012-01-15T21:15:51.411+00:002012-01-15T21:15:51.411+00:00Hello,
I grew up in Warrington in the NW in the 1...Hello,<br /><br />I grew up in Warrington in the NW in the 1990s and I certainly heard people being described as 'ignorant' for ignoring people or being rude. In fact, I sometimes use the word in that way too. Very often it would be used as part of the expression 'pig ignorant'.Marknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-53380165776739644872012-01-04T10:06:46.978+00:002012-01-04T10:06:46.978+00:00Hi David,
I've come across this. A Brummie sc...Hi David,<br /><br />I've come across this. A Brummie school friend of mine would often use it in in this way back in the late eighties. He would say so and so is 'really ignorant' with respect to him not giving you any attention. Not as in he's a dumbass. Ironically I thought he was a ignorant for using the term in this way. Such a snob I know.<br /><br />Faruqconspirisihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17419602988221357514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-19996591843445819622011-12-09T08:37:54.035+00:002011-12-09T08:37:54.035+00:00In Evesham, Worcestershire, most of my friends use...In Evesham, Worcestershire, most of my friends use the term ignorant to describe a person who is ignoring someone else and will never believe me when I tell them otherwise.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-34654404446365286422011-12-07T10:25:50.646+00:002011-12-07T10:25:50.646+00:00I grew up (SE Ireland) with the term "ignoran...I grew up (SE Ireland) with the term "ignorant" being used in the active sense, but surely someone who could be classed as ignorant in this sense could also de facto be classed as rude and, therefore, ignorant in terms of "lacking manners"?The Sixth Form Teamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16682743948339896566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-41978728001406843432011-12-05T09:06:13.504+00:002011-12-05T09:06:13.504+00:00While working in a bar in a very working class par...While working in a bar in a very working class part of Sydney, Australia about 7 or 8 years ago a colleague referred to a new manager as being ignorant. When I asked in what way the manager was ignorant my colleague told me that the manager frequently ignored certain staff members when they spoke directly to him.Jamesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-6304652468033082962011-12-05T00:10:30.876+00:002011-12-05T00:10:30.876+00:00FWIW, "ignorant" meaning "rude"...FWIW, "ignorant" meaning "rude" - not just ignoring someone, but also behaving crudely or insultingly, as well as "stupid", is fairly common in parts of the US as well. I'm 57, grew up in Tennessee, and it's a very familiar usage to me. I now live in Maryland and don't hear it, but any time I go back home I do.The Ridger, FCDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01538111197270563075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-81441781891506470052011-12-02T21:39:24.247+00:002011-12-02T21:39:24.247+00:00I'm getting the feeling this is a colloquial w...I'm getting the feeling this is a colloquial word used in the Midlands. I m from Leicester and as many of your other readers mentioned, my mother/teachers often referred to a person as being 'ignorant', usually referring to a person who didn't want to accept the status quo or rules of the school and so on. In other words, if you were 'ignorant' you were a rebel!<br />Interesting subject!shazhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05815568253940475288noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-11323619703756199572011-12-02T12:18:42.415+00:002011-12-02T12:18:42.415+00:00In German the sense of 'ignorant' (same sp...In German the sense of 'ignorant' (same spelling) is, if used as an adjective, of someone who actively ignores something. Might there be some crossover there?Gingerburnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14099688108226393426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-41545202138148677262011-12-01T17:04:20.459+00:002011-12-01T17:04:20.459+00:00I found an interesting example in the OED:
2b. (I...I found an interesting example in the OED:<br /><br />2b. (In quot. 1755, taking no notice of, ignoring.)<br /><br />1755 Man No. 38. ⁋5 To be ignorant of calumny more effectually stops its progress than vindication.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02341330140084823857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-25080594431049324632011-11-30T18:53:36.721+00:002011-11-30T18:53:36.721+00:00I am 36 and grew up in Preston, Lancashire, where ...I am 36 and grew up in Preston, Lancashire, where school friends would use the word in the way other commenters have described - both to mean, narrowly, 'ignoring people' and, more broadly, being rude. My parents used to tell me this was an incorrect usage!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-5901971698367279742011-11-27T11:27:52.454+00:002011-11-27T11:27:52.454+00:00Here in Australia I have only ever heard 'igno...Here in Australia I have only ever heard 'ignorant' being used in the sense of somebody not having full knowledge of a topic. Usually it goes something like 'people choose to be gay'<br />'what and ignorant thing to say'<br />Never heard it used in the active sense mentioned in the post.Essays and Philosophyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09835782170194791606noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-29276351130874753462011-11-26T02:05:13.168+00:002011-11-26T02:05:13.168+00:00I'm in my early fifties and have spent most of...I'm in my early fifties and have spent most of my life in New Zealand. This is a completely new one for me, too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-81159602276964217402011-11-25T11:19:05.589+00:002011-11-25T11:19:05.589+00:00I am familiar with 'ignorant' meaning '...I am familiar with 'ignorant' meaning 'badly behaved, bad mannered' - my mother (born 1917, Warwickshire) used it. My feeling is that it derives from 'one who doesn't know things', hence 'one who doesn't know how to behave properly', but is also used loosely to refer to the 'lower orders'.Marionhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01166388120514028170noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-83343882334968519472011-11-25T09:39:24.278+00:002011-11-25T09:39:24.278+00:00Yes, I seem to remember it being used that way up ...Yes, I seem to remember it being used that way up in Lancashire when I was a boy (1950s and 60s). Also "stop being ignorant" meaning "don't ignore me".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-81139390529857796942011-11-24T23:17:10.856+00:002011-11-24T23:17:10.856+00:00I was born in, and still live in, the East Midland...I was born in, and still live in, the East Midlands, where 'ignorant'='rude' is indeed quite a common working-class usage. <br /><br />My impression is that it's used more frequently in contexts where the rudeness involved is a pointed 'blanking' of someone - and one particularly hears it used by parents admonishing children for not responding when spoken to ("Answer the lady! Don't be ignorant!")nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8377709913595182916.post-5271853598258959682011-11-24T15:56:52.627+00:002011-11-24T15:56:52.627+00:00Hi It is common in Stoke on Trent to use ignorant ...Hi It is common in Stoke on Trent to use ignorant to mean rude. We're not so very far from Notts, I guess. When I was teaching in Stoke in the 90s I regularly heard teenagers using it this way.suzehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10444618227747092142noreply@blogger.com