Of Badgers and Bishops

[Elok]

A question for Brit posters: years back, I wikisurfed to the entry on badgers, because I had too much free time. The "in popular culture" section included a peculiar saying. Supposedly, in some parts of Britain, they say "don't call the badger a bishop." The phrase was said to derive from the bad old days of badger-baiting, and the general gist of it was that you shouldn't automatically impute virtue to the underdog. Sure, it's not fair that the badger is getting roughed up by dogs, but that doesn't change the fact that it's just a badger, not some kind of hero. Or something. I didn't totally understand it. Since then, the saying has been deleted, and I can't find any credible reference to it.

Is that actually something people say in England, and if so, what do they mean by it? It seems like a limited-application phrase.

[Lorizael]

Well, you did pretty accurately remember a line in a wikipedia article deleted 11 years ago (or you already found this and I'm giving you no new information).

https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Badger&diff=71531520&oldid=71525558

There is also a proverb, "Don't call the badger a bishop." This is a warning not to confuse an obstinate underdog (such as a badger in badger-baiting) with a saint (e.g. bishop). Resistance to a larger foe does not in and of itself constitute moral virtue -- "rebels" can be just as nasty as the "establishment."

It doesn't appear there was ever any citation for this, though, which might be why it eventually got deleted. That probably wasn't helpful.

[Dauphin]

I've never heard it. It sounds too close to "Don't bash the bishop" to believe it was a common phrase.

[Elok]

I did dig up the original, but thanks, Lori. I'd no idea that was more than eleven years ago, though.

[giblets]

British people also say "pip pip cheerio", so it wouldn't surprise me.

[Broken_Erika]

Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger,
Bishop! Bishop!
Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger Badger.
Bishop! Bishop!

[rah]

It's hard to believe it's an actually used phrase when you basically get squat when you google it. Especially when one of the images it shows when you do is Kidiot's avatar.

[Cort Haus]

British people also say "pip pip cheerio", so it wouldn't surprise me.

No they don't.

[Dinner]

I have nothing to add except I once had a glass of smoking bishop.

[Dinner]

I did dig up the original, but thanks, Lori. I'd no idea that was more than eleven years ago, though.

You are getting old, old man!

[Cort Haus]

I've never heard it. It sounds too close to "Don't bash the bishop" to believe it was a common phrase.

There is a mountain by lake Bassenthwaite in the Lake District called Barf. On it's side is a whitewashed stone known as the 'bishop'. It looks like this:

[giblets]

No they don't.

Prove it!

[Cort Haus]

goodbye

Prove it!

I have decades of evidence to prove it. We do say "Cheerio" occassionally, though mainly these days it is used as an ironic football chant when opposition fans are leaving early when losing. See also "We can see you sneaking out". No-one ever says "Pip pip" except on South Park. "toodle pip" is an archaic, upper class goodbye that nobody seriously uses.

[Dauphin]

As far as I'm concerned "cheerio" is a breakfast cereal.

[I AM MOBIUS]

I have nothing to add except I once had a glass of smoking bishop.

You sure it wasn't A Bishop's Finger?

There's also a Badger Brewery which does decent beer - perhaps people don't want to mix the two up?

On a side note, I enjoyed a drink at the St Canna's Ale House last night, which is run by a baptist minister.

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