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Originally Posted By: Rhubarb Commando
I guess it depends upon context, to some extent, Branny. It could be offensive or arrogant, I spose. But it is certainly impolite and might well be a little bit rude or offensive.
It could be but isn't. It's just a question. It aims at what we have been talking about for a while now. Political correctness. People are trying to invent posh words for unposh things all over. Things and the state of things do not change by renaming it. It only covers up (for a while)

My question was rethorical. No offense was meant.

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it also might be what word would the "sophisticated" use, as opposed to a word that "normal" or "rough" people might use. Polite company and all that...

pip pip.


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Och, to define what it is not, of course it serves to look at its positive meaning.

a.The science that deals with the promotion and preservation of health. Also called hygienics.
b.Conditions and practices that serve to promote or preserve health: hygiene in the workplace; personal hygiene.

What then could be more sophisticated than simply unhygienic?

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What I was trying to convey was that "scruffy" is not a sophisticated word (therefore not what sorrow wsa asking for.) It was slang, but has become absorbed into the UK form of the language by constant use (and, it appears, into the US form as well.) It is useful because it is a single word, whereas to make a remark about someone else's appearance sound inoffensive, one would have to use a phrase; e.g., "He does not look very tidy," or "Could you wear something smarter, please?"

For an innately polite and reserved nation like the English, it is very hard to make comments on someones appearance or personal hygiene without being thought 'offensive.'

(And I didn't mean that you were being offensive, Branny - I was just talking about the word, 'scruffy.')

Last edited by Rhubarb Commando; 05/17/13 03:49 PM.

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Thank you, one more misunderstanding out of the world. What in the follow up I refered to is that I've understood now that there is a difference between hygiene and personal hygiene. Hygiene has strictly to do with health and health maintanance. Personal hygiene
seems te be about appearance. New to me.

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Originally Posted By: BranShea
Thank you, one more misunderstanding out of the world. What in the follow up I refered to is that I've understood now that there is a difference between hygiene and personal hygiene. Hygiene has strictly to do with health and health maintanance. Personal hygiene
seems to be about appearance. New to me.


Not really, Sheaba.
Hygiene has but a subjective relationship with cosmetic beauty. Dig?

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Confusion often occurs when someone comes in asking for a word without giving a possible context. It's not clear if sorrow meant lack of hygiene or lack of hygienic appearance.

The answers were all on looks, appearance.

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..and, once again, it appears to have been a drive-by searching.

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Personal hygiene is to do with washing the bits that stink, really!

Edit: the bit that smells is, of course, yor nose!

Last edited by Rhubarb Commando; 05/18/13 08:23 PM. Reason: afterthought

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Sure, the daily bath or shower takes care of all the bits and pieces grin, but still we only can assume this wàs about personal hygiene. Never mind, lets rub it off. :-)

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