Yahoo News 'It's a Geordie thing' - People have their say after Newcastle University tells staff not to use the term 'pet'
Geordies have reacted after Newcastle University told staff not to use the term 'pet', with one young person saying: "I find it comforting."
People in Newcastle city centre shared their thoughts on researchers at the university being asked to avoid 'patronising' vocabulary. This comes after Newcastle University put together an Inclusive Language Guide for their researchers in which they outline issues with gender and sexism.
The inclusion of the North East word 'pet' as part of this has sparked a lot of debate, with it usually being seen as a term of endearment. It became well-known outside of the North East after featuring in the title of the 1980s TV comedy "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet".
Read more: Newcastle University tells researchers not to use popular Geordie term 'pet' as it's 'patronising'
Student Oscar Black, 20, said: "I think that the university would be a lot better off if it stood up more for where its from and embraced its locality, rather than trying to be a huge international university. The last thing that Northern cities need is more divide between students and residents.
"There are much more problematic things to worry about, and the city is able to define what its terms mean, so I think that it's strange pretending that there is a be all and end all with this."
Julie Marsden, 59, also gave her thoughts and said: "The term 'pet' has been around for a long time, and it's a Geordie thing, so there's no way I'd be offended by it. It's part of what makes Newcastle the place that it is, coming from TV shows like 'Auf Wiedersehen, Pet'.
"It's definitely going out of fashion a bit which is a shame, and there is a decline in its use. Newcastle is a great city and parts of its culture like this should be kept."
Two current Newcastle University students who are both 20, Olivia Button and Daisy Percival, also shared their opinions, with Olivia saying: "I've never heard it be used in a lecture itself, just in one on one meetings with personal tutors which I don't see a problem with.
"I wouldn't say it was offensive, but we have both grown up in the North East, so I can understand people maybe taking it the wrong way if they are not from here. It is part of our identity and what makes Newcastle what it is, so I don't think it shouldn't be allowed."
Daisy added: "If it is used in a professional sense, I understand the complaints, but not for the same reasons. Regional words like 'pet' are built into the history of the place, and it makes me feel at ease, so I think that it is unfair to ask people not to use the language."
A Newcastle University spokesperson said this when clarifying the institution's actions: "We have not banned these terms. Our researchers asked for advice on using inclusive language in a professional capacity and the guide was created to help them do that."
