Bucket, Porridge, Farage
| Porage or Porridge Oats |
I think Matthew Parris may just have stumbled upon Nigel's Achilles Heel - the use of humour to poke fun at people who behave in this ridiculously pompous way - instead of coming across all red faced, angry and po-faced.
Come to think of it, the 'Farridge versus Faraage' debacle may help to explain why UKIP has failed to ignite in Scotland - since we Scots are so generally very disapproving of people with affected airs and graces.
And in support my theory, I just remembered that I was at college and university with a chap called Neil Farage - and Farridge is how he and we pronounced his name. I wonder where he is now?
So if UKIP's poll ratings begin to drop like a heavy stone - remember, you heard it here first.
"Farage disparaged"
"A number of voices are this week calling the UKIP leader “Nigel Farridge”. This is to be encouraged. It is almost four years since, in this Diary column (September 10, 2009) I deplored Mr F’s poncified pronunciation of his own name, as in “massage” or “entourage” rather than the good old English forage, cribbage or cabbage. Like the way Hyacinth Bucket switched to Bouquet, and pretentious nitwits are now pronouncing “homage” as om-ahge.
And this from a professed Europhobe! Nigel Farage responded with good humour in our Letters column, confessing that his family name used to be pronounced and spelt “Farridge” — but that someone wrote “Farage” on a marriage certificate in 1890 and “Farage” it stayed. Mr F went on to accuse my ancestors of “Frenchifying” our own name, Parris, but this is the opposite of the truth: the double “r” distances us from Paris. Anyway, he concluded: “I suspect it is a little too late for rebranding.” Oh no it isn’t, Mr Farridge."
