ban·ter
ˈban(t)ər/
the playful and friendly exchange of teasing remarks.
“there was much singing and good-natured banter”
As Brits we are well known to enjoy a bit of banter – when amongst close friends it is almost an unspoken rule that you will at some point indulge in ‘full on bants’.
Although the word is hundreds of years old, it has definitely made a resurgence in the last decade. The popularity of the lads from The Inbetweeners, who are banter masters, certainly has a lot to do with this. They even reference ‘The Archbishop of Banterbury’ and Bantom of the Opera! There is also a restaurant called Scoff & Banter in Kensington, London which no doubt has lots of cheeky cocktail names on their menu!
But sometimes what one person regards as banter is not necessarily funny to others. I do think a lot of people use it as an excuse to say something unpleasant then shrug it off with a chuckle as its ‘bantaah’. There has certainly been an ongoing debate in the British press regarding this subject – former England player Stan Collymore quite rightly got very angry with a football association for ‘its acceptance of the “banter” of casual racism’; but that is where banter goes awry. I’m sure we have all noticed that social media has made it an awful lot easier for people to publicly poke fun at acquaintances, celebrities or even complete strangers. This can sometimes be amusing but there is a very fine line between a gentle teasing and a nasty trolling. I am pretty sure that I have made flippant comments here and there, and not realized until later that I actually hurt the feelings of the recipient (so a big sorry if I have done it to you!!). I do love a bit of banter myself, although it is highly recommended that you don’t try it on the locals, as most of the time the response will be confusion or upset. In all honesty the best motto is “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all”; or if you really can’t help yourself, keep it to very close friends who can give as good as they get.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this subject as it seems to be one everyone has an opinion on!
Thank you to all who joined us at the Pub Quiz at the Pikey this week. Craig and I had a great time hosting – it is back on October 6th with Sandro Monetti so come on down. Lots of great prizes and laughs. Our weekly Breakfast Club is back to Tuesdays at Cecconi’s. Big thank you to our friends at Goldenvoice who donated concert tickets to Paul Weller and The Charlatans upcoming show for the fundraiser for the lovely Rita Payne – Rock it For Rita is on October 3rd – visit us at www.Britsin.LA for all the details or www.gofundme.com/RockItForRita if you want to donate.
Cheers!
Eileen
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