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Unparliamentary Terms

September 29th, 2006 at 8:50 am by David Farrar

Oh a wonderful resource – a (non-exhaustive) list of terms ruled unparliamentary over the years. They include:

* Idle vapourings of a mind diseased
* His brains could revolve inside a peanut shell for a thousand years without touching the sides
* Like a snail leaves a slime behind him
* Frustrated warlord
* Ayatollah
* The Arapawa Goat

This reminds me of that classi Havoc and Newsboy episode where they sat in the shamber with then Speaker Jonathan Hunt and rattlked through a list of obscene words asking him for each one if it could be used in the House. After a dozen or so he looked most relieveved when they finally found one which was legit!

Hat Tip: Tony Milne

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  3. Farewell Mr Speaker
  4. New Labour MP
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6 Responses to “Unparliamentary Terms”

  1. phil u Says:
    September 29th, 2006 at 9:05 am

    bloody amatuers..!..aren’t they..?

    in the insult-stakes the likes of redaiber/murray/myself would be all over them..eh..?

    phil(whoar.co.nz)

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  2. innocentIII Says:
    September 29th, 2006 at 11:49 am

    I prefer great parliamentary interjections. Mr Farrar this deserves a post of its own.

    Here is one of the best (from recollection)

    Member: “It has just crossed my mind…”

    Interjection: “Must have been a short trip”

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  3. Willie Says:
    September 29th, 2006 at 11:50 am

    Those are hillarious….

    “His brains could revolve inside a peanut shell for a thousand years without touching the sides ”

    …is very Ron Burgundy off the Anchorman.

    “Great Hammer of Thor!”

    I’m all for a new campaign – Ron Burgundy MP

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  4. Nicholas O'Kane Says:
    September 29th, 2006 at 12:05 pm

    If labour could decide which terms are and are not parliamentary “corrupt” would be one of the unparliamentary terms.

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  5. Craig Ranapia Says:
    September 29th, 2006 at 12:18 pm

    Innocent:

    There’s also the classic unapologetic apology, which I’ve seen most often attributed to Richard Brinsley Sheridan (who was a British MP from 1780-1812) who said this when ordered to apologise for an unparliamentary reflection on a collegue:

    “I called the Right Honourable Member a thief and a liar it is true and I am sorry for it. And the Right Honourable Member may punctuate as he pleases.”

    I think that gets promptly ruled out of order nowadays. :)

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  6. Peter S Says:
    September 29th, 2006 at 1:26 pm

    Craig,

    great story. Thanks for sharing it.

    Thie following is also an example from the UK.

    Mr. Skinner: I should have thought that it was taking things a little too far
    even for this pompous sod down here-

    Mr. Speaker: Order. I must ask the hon. Gentleman immediately to withdraw
    that word, which I will not mention again.

    Mr. Skinner: I withdraw the word “pompous”.

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