A Very English Scandal

[horseshoes]

Would the word gay have been used at that time? (In the context of homosexuality).

[vetuste_ennemi]

Recorded, but not yet watched.

"Gay" is a gross anachronism (where do they get the script-writers from?).

It would be nice to see the disclaimer "No animals were hurt in the making of...".

Sadly, if I remember correctly, lover boy lost his Alsatian, didn't he?

[Jackdaw33]

I beg to differ, v-e. The Gay Liberation Front was founded in 1969. When I was at university 1972 - 1975 the word was widely used. The Thorpe scandal did not break until 1976 so the word would have been very familiar.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Defer to your familiarity with the gay scene, Jackdaw.

When did "dogging" enter the wider vocabulary?

[Mamyalynne]

The Sunday Herald of Scotland wrote in 2003, "The term dogging originated in the early 1970s to describe men who spied on couples having sex outdoors—these men would 'dog' the couples' every move and watch them.

[Davemano]

In 1967 when Parliament were discussing the topic, a question to Harold Wilson was, ' What are we going to do about the homosexual bill', The reply was 'We're just going to have to pay '.

[Quizmonster]

The earliest recorded use of the word to mean exactly what we are discussing in this thread was in 1951, according to The Oxford English Dictionary. 'Gaycat' had been prison slang for a young homosexual as early as 1935. So, yes, 'gay' had been in use for decades prior to the Thorpe case.

[Cloverjo]

In the mid 70s I had a classmate named Gay. Our teacher used to call the register by saying surnames first, so there was always a bit of a titter round the room when he said 'Watts Gay'.

[Jackdaw33]

It is a pity that the misappropriation of the word has led to its disuse as a girl's name. I recall a few Gays from my childhood.

[EDDIE51]

The headmaster at my primary school was called My Gay ,but we did not think the name was funny in any way. But I did leave there in 1962.

[hc4361]

I definitely remember 'gay bashing' in the 70s and everyone laughed when Larry Grayson said 'what a gay day', also in the 70s.

[10ClarionSt]

Who would sing this song now? The words give a very different meaning to the word "gay".

[KARL]

Larry Grayson had the word as his catchphrase but he came along in the 70s - I cannot recall the word being used in its present context in the 60s, at least among the wider public I was exposed to at that time.

[zebo]

I thought that it sounded wrong too. The case might have been tried mid '70s but the events were from the '60s, a lot of the early part was flash-back when he was talking to a friend, Bissell? We watched Midsomer and recorded this, Midsomer seems very tired now.

[maggiebee]

Funny how words change in meaning over the years. In Glasgow, "dogging" was bunking (or plunking) off school. Don't think it will be used these days.

[gness]

Maggie....I had completely forgotten that we used dogging for skipping off school..... :-)

[aelmpvw]

'dogging' ... peter kay's car share passenger thought it meant taking your canine for a walk ...

[sunny-dave]

Dogging off for a bunk-up ... ?

[sunny-dave]

[Bathsheba]

Myself and friend went to Gay Court holiday flats in Torquay in 1970/71, and there was no giggling and such then.
~Baths~

[melv16]

I can remember around about that time you could be charged for trying to commit suicide. Thankfully, times have changed.
A big surprise was the acting of Hugh Grant. He usually plays himself... An ex public school, bumbling fop. I thought he was excellent.