In an only peripherally related way, I once knew someone who couldn't see CBT (computer-based training) without thinking of cock-and-ball torture. She spent a lot of time at work giggling under her breath.
There's also the example of the glass-blowing guy at the RenFaire who told us that the hole in the furnace that you stick the glass to heat it is the "glory hole," and if he knew what it meant he certainly didn't let on.
To be on-topic, I've never heard the term "dog-whistle" but I have seen "land mine" used as a metaphor in that way, so I think it's a term where people will probably understand what you mean.
You know what else this discussion reminds me of? That incident with Southwest Airlines and the women who got mad because of the flight attendant using "eeny meeny miney moe" as a joke to get them into their seats - and I learned for the first time that the original rhyme didn't end with "catch a tiger by its toe." It's something that I honestly had no idea had racial implications.
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Date: 30 Jan 2009 06:46 pm (UTC)There's also the example of the glass-blowing guy at the RenFaire who told us that the hole in the furnace that you stick the glass to heat it is the "glory hole," and if he knew what it meant he certainly didn't let on.
To be on-topic, I've never heard the term "dog-whistle" but I have seen "land mine" used as a metaphor in that way, so I think it's a term where people will probably understand what you mean.
You know what else this discussion reminds me of? That incident with Southwest Airlines and the women who got mad because of the flight attendant using "eeny meeny miney moe" as a joke to get them into their seats - and I learned for the first time that the original rhyme didn't end with "catch a tiger by its toe." It's something that I honestly had no idea had racial implications.