sunseeker ..... please let me hasten to add I am a third generation Australian and I suggested an edit a lonnnnnnng time ago.

Please do NOT assume all Australians agree with the comments. Randy is the No #1 umpire here and he edited the comments out - as thadocta did not, and that is the umpire's final decision.

Let me make this pertinent comment. If a member of Parliament in this country - State of Federal or Senate called another Member - or any other person - a 'Little Xxxxxx' (for whatever reason) in the house they would be IMO forced to withdraw the comment by the Speaker .... and also forced most likely to apologise. AND suffer a good deal of poor media as a result.

I do not believe "OUR CULTURE" regards it as a polite term of phrase in public, especially when referring to a person born in the same country as Xxxxxx.

Australia has a very rich and cherished vocabulary of slang and "endearing terms".

In a pub, or over a few beers around a barbecue with friends - many phrases and terms are used with impunity and acceptance that may shock someone from Boston or Cambridge or Dusseldorf.

But they are * * NOT * * regarded as good form or polite to use in a newspaper for instance about a specific individual ... or in a "public gathering" - which indeed an International Bulletin Board like FlyerTalk surely is. Especially when we have a large number fo Germans and Austrians in our midst.

I guess an interesting test would be for thadocta to walk up to a group of NSW policemen and accuse one of them of being a "Little Xxxxxx". That might be a interesting test of whether it would acceptable and appreciated in THEIR CULTURE.

I have had the pleasure to meet both thadocta and Patron at different times recently over a few drinks. I do hope they shake hands and have a beer when Patron is next in town to hopefully amicably put this behind them.