"Self-Loving"

Question

Every day I wake up and appear to stumble over a usage I have not seen before.
Today's example is "Self-Loving".
I spotted it in an article by that sensitive chappie Jeremy Clarkson in last weekend's Sunday Times (don't worry if you're not from the UK - you're not missing anything if you are unaware of the rantings of this pompous petrol-head). He was talking about an pressure-group called the Organization of Gay and Self-loving Men in Orbit (or ORGASMO). Now I am prepared to accept that this is probably a put-up job, another NAMBLA, but I was curious about the term "self-loving".
Is this simply a term for a masturbating abstainer or a value judgement about the emotional maturity of homosexual men? Or something else?

TIA
Ida Goode-Johnson

Usenet · Accepted Answer

[nq:1]Every day I wake up and appear to stumble over a usage I have notseen before. Today's example is "Self-Loving". ... you're not from the UK -you're not missing anything if you are unaware of the rantings of this pompous petrol-head)[/nq]
He had an equally meretricious and offensive article under the "Table Talk" restaurant review heading, a slot normally occupied by his fawning accolyte A A Gill. I don't understand how these people continue to obtain paid work, nor (since we're on the topic) that bumbling fool Julie Burchill, who is presently trying to persuade us that the epithet "chav" is an insult to the working-class (no it isn't Julie, it's an insult to chavs).
Will.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]He had an equally meretricious and offensive article under the "Table Talk" restaurant review heading, a slot normally occupied by ... us that the epithet "chav" is an insult to the working-class (no it isn't Julie, it's an insult to chavs).[/nq]
I despise that woman wholeheartedly.
Ida Goode-Johnson

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]He had an equally meretricious and offensive article under the "Table Talk" restaurant review heading, a slot normally occupied by ... us that the epithet "chav" is an insult to the working-class (no it isn't Julie, it's an insult to chavs).[/nq]
If only I knew what a chav was, I would go out and try to find one myself to insult. I would probably do the same for Julie Birchill, but I have the same problem of not knowing who on earth she is. Through ignorance, therefore, I am forced to remain at home, polite to everybody.
Richard Chambers Leeds UK.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Every day I wake up and appear to stumble over a usage I have not seen before. Today's example is ... a term for a masturbating abstainer or a value judgement about the emotional maturity of homosexual men? Or something else?[/nq]
The usual definition of "self-loving" falls within the latter category of "something else", and has nothing to do with masturbation or homosexual men. It refers to any person, male or female, who has high self-esteem. A considerably higher opinion of himself than the opinion of him held by the person who utters the epithet "self-loving".
In view of the fact that Jeremy Clarkson visibly has a high self-esteem, and you personally disagree (calling him a pompous petrol-head, for example), I would not be surprised if you were to later describle him as "self-loving". By contrast, I usually find our Jeremy quite amusing in a low-brow sort of way. As far as I am concerned, therefore, he is as entitled to his ration of self-esteem as I am to mine. So I would not personally call him "self-loving". The term is a highly subjective value-judgement of personality, and its use shows as much about the attitudes of the speaker as it does about the person being spoken about. Above all, the use of the term is an indication of a clash of personalities since we can all accept, without criticism, high self-esteem in our friends.

If ORGASMO is Clarkson's own invention, then his juxtaposition of "self-loving" with "gay" is a possible indication of a personality clash between himself and the homosexual community. I guess that he might have an intolerant attitude towards them.
Richard Chambers Leeds UK.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]The usual definition of "self-loving"[/nq]
...so there *is* one...
[nq:1]falls within the latter category of "something else", and has nothing to do with masturbation or homosexual men. It refers ... A considerably higher opinion of himself than the opinion of him held by the person who utters the epithet "self-loving".[/nq]
Assuming that ORGASMO does* exist, surely this is an organisation of people who refer to *themselves as "self-loving". Hardly consistent with that last sentence.
[nq:1]In view of the fact that Jeremy Clarkson visibly has a high self-esteem, and you personally disagree (calling him a pompous petrol-head, for example), I would not be surprised if you were to later describle him as "self-loving".[/nq]
But of course I didn't. Precisely because I wanted to find out what the term meant - not so I could apply it to Mr Clarkson. I have many other ways of insulting him.
[nq:1]If ORGASMO is Clarkson's own invention,[/nq]
No it isn't. I never said it was either.
It may still be an invention though - thus my reference to NAMBLA.

Ida Goode-Johnson

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]If ORGASMO is Clarkson's own invention,[/nq]
[nq:1]No it isn't. I never said it was either. It may still be an invention though - thus my reference to NAMBLA.[/nq]
It seems to come from this
piece of satire:
[nq:1]Claiming to represent millions of homosexual and masturbating Democrats, ORGASMO demanded that Kerry honor the Democratic Party's commitment to diversity ... and supervised â?? on stag space flights threatens to undermine the morale and image of America's proudly macho astronaut corps.[/nq]
I've seen it used as an euphemism or jocular term for "practising masturbation" before.
Chris Waigl

a chisel writing http://lascribe.net/
"Away, you scullion! you rampallian! you fustilarian! I'll tickle your catastrophe."
c w a i g l / a t / f r e e / p o i n t / f r

Usenet · Answer

[nq:2]No it isn't. I never said it was either. It may still be an invention though - thus my reference to NAMBLA.[/nq]
[nq:1]It seems to come from this piece of satire:[/nq]
I read and chuckled at that. Looks like Clarkson was taken in by it (or thought we would be).
Maybe we should refer him to Betty Dodson!
Ida Goode-Johnson

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Every day I wake up and appear to stumble over a usage I have not seen before. Today's example is ... a term for a masturbating abstainer or a value judgement about the emotional maturity of homosexual men? Or something else?[/nq]
My take is that it's there to complete the acronym.
[nq:1]Ida Goode-Johnson[/nq]
I agree. You'da Goode!

dg (domain=ccwebster)

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]"Will wrote[/nq]
[nq:2]He had an equally meretricious and offensive article under the ... working-class (no it isn't Julie, it's an insult to chavs).[/nq]
[nq:1]If only I knew what a chav was, I would go out and try to find one myself to insult. I would probably do the same for Julie Birchill, but I have the same problem of not knowing who on earth she is.[/nq]
Are you a High Court judge, by any chance? Do you never read The Times, or did you never read The Guardian? The ****** woman has been polluting those august organs with her inane, self-regarding drivel for years. Still, you are one lucky bunny if you really don't know who she is.
Will.

Usenet · Answer

[nq:1]Every day I wake up and appear to stumble over a usage I have not seen before. Today's example is ... prepared to accept that this is probably a put-up job, another NAMBLA, but I was curious about the term "self-loving".[/nq]
I'm curious about "petrol-head". It's a new word for me. What does it mean? A flamer? One who takes flame bait?
[nq:1]Is this simply a term for a masturbating abstainer or a value judgement about the emotional maturity of homosexual men? Or something else?[/nq]
"Self-loving" sounds like what earlier generations called "egotistical" or "narcisssistic".

Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/7734/stevesig.htm
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

"Self-Loving"

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