Evenin’ all: DIxon of Dock Green
What’s all this then? Police can’t say evenin’ all any more
By David Wilkes
With his greeting of ‘Evenin’ all’, Dixon of Dock Green embodied the values of the solid, commonsense copper.
But his reassuring salutation, which began each episode of the classic police TV drama from 1955 to 1976, is one which today’s real-life officers should be wary of using.
According to one force’s official guidelines, it could confuse people from different cultural backgrounds.
Warwickshire Police’s handbook Policing Our Communities, issued to every member of its staff, gives advice on communicating with people from different ethnic groups in a section entitled Communication, Some Dos & Don’ts.
It states: ‘Don’t assume those words for the time of day, such as afternoon or evening, have the same meaning.’
A force spokesman explained: ‘Terms such as afternoon and evening are somewhat subjective in meaning and can vary according to a person’s culture or nationality. In many cultures the term evening is linked to time of day when people have their main meal of the day.
‘In some countries, including the UK, the evening meal time is traditionally thought of as being around 5-7pm but this might be different, say, for a family from America who might have their main meal earlier and thus for them evening may be an earlier time.’
In a section entitled Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Communities the handbook confusingly states that the phrase ‘lesbians and gay men’ is likely to be satisfactory for most situations when talking about sexual orientation, but says ‘ homosexual’ is ‘best avoided’ as the word is ‘interpreted differently by many and relates to sexual practice as opposed to sexual orientation’.
Following a Freedom of Information request to police forces and fire services it also emerged that a number, including Essex Police and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, instruct staff to avoid the words ‘child, youth or youngster’.
They could have ‘connotations of inexperience, impetuosity and unreliability, or even dishonesty’.
The guide used by them also states that addressing someone as ‘boy’ or ‘girl’ may ’cause offence’. It suggests ‘young people’ instead.
The same guide also warns against the phrases ‘manning the phones’, ‘layman’s terms’ and ‘the tax man’, for ‘making women invisible’.
Yesterday Marie Clair, of the Plain English Campaign, said: ‘Those writing these guides are overanalysing things. It’s political correctness gone crazy.
‘Is anyone really going to be confused by “evening”? And if you can’t say what a lovely afternoon it is, what are you meant to say – what a lovely 3pm?’
How to be a PC PC
George Dixon, played by Jack Warner (right), might scratch his head over some other advice in the Warwickshire Police handbook Policing Our Communities.
For example, it advises staff to ‘be sensitive to using colloquialisms or terms of endearment that may cause offence (My love, My dear)’.
It also states: ‘Don’t use phrases that include black in a negative context, such as black mark , black day.’
And staff are told: ‘Do take care to be patient and reassuring when accent or language hinders communication. (Remember, a translator could be useful).’
Other words, ‘many slightly archaic and best avoided’ according to the handbook, include: ‘ Passive homosexual – use the term “gay manî. Practising homosexual – ditto above. A woman with lesbian tendencies – just say lesbian.
‘Frequent – use the term “often visited”, “enjoyed going to” – frequent is normally used in reference to criminals.’
Some of the daftest dictats
* Don’t assume those words for the time of day, such as afternoon or evening have the same meaning
* Do be sensitive to using colloquialisms or terms of endearment that may cause offence (My love, My dear)’
* Don’t use phrases that include Black in a negative context, such as Black mark `Black day”
* Do take care to be patient and reassuring when accent or language hinders communication. (Remember, a translator could be useful)
* ‘Homosexual’ in most people’s minds relate to men only, this is not the case, however as the word is interpreted differently by many, and relates to sexual practice as opposed to sexual orientation, it is best avoided’
* Other words, many slightly archaic and best avoided, include: Passive homosexual – use the term “gay man”. Practising homosexual – ditto above. A woman with lesbian tendencies – just say lesbian. Frequent – use the term “often visited”, “enjoyed going to” – frequent is normally used in reference to criminals’
Aftermath News 
Everyone being trained to be so thin skinned and helpless–have to be shielded from someone else’s words or thoughts. What playground they grow up on? Though I guess playgrounds are anachronistic.
Jerry Falwell was pushing this in the 80’s–sue people if your feelings allegedly hurt.
It’s all about control and brainwashing to turn society into hive of automatons who won’t question anything and will sumbit to the collectivist ideological orthodoxy that controls their every thought and movement.
They are inventing a new language – and taking out of circulation hundreds of words – in the mould of Orwellian Newspeak with a nice perncious sprinkling of The Frankfurt School.