When you join the forces like I did in ’78 you find that almost no one gets called by their actual name…..its almost always the lowest common denominater, so Scouse, Taff, Jock, Paddy, Geordie became these guys first names and it was never meant as offensive, just Blokes being Blokes. If you came from a non identifiable area, then you got called a shortened version of your surname….although if you were a Smith it was ‘Smudger’ or a White it was Chalky etc etc.Oh yeah, Ginge, Lofty or worse if you had any physical peculiarities!
Move forward to 2013 and everyone is looking to take offence at every possible word/name being bandied about, which is a bit depressing. What will we be like in another 35 years?