White Van Man and a Biased Dictionary Definition
White van man is a common expression in the UK, nearly always mildly abusive, referring to someone who has driven like an idiot.
There are plenty of other terms for idiot drivers, often referencing the model. BMW, Audi, Volvo, and now Tesla all convey an instant, and often unwelcome, status. This is part of the casual use and abuse of language to pigeonhole people. A shorthand in common use which does little real harm.
White van man used to be one of those terms.
Inspiration for this piece came from the description I read in a dictionary. It got me thinking.
There are plenty of other terms for idiot drivers, often referencing the model. BMW, Audi, Volvo, and now Tesla all convey an instant, and often unwelcome, status. This is part of the casual use and abuse of language to pigeonhole people. A shorthand in common use which does little real harm.
White van man used to be one of those terms.
Inspiration for this piece came from the description I read in a dictionary. It got me thinking.
The new definition
Here is the Cambridge dictionary definition: a man who is thought to be typical of drivers of white vans by being rude, not well educated, and having very strong, often unpleasant opinions.
Wow. There’s a lot to unpack in that dismissive and divisive commentary from one of the leading dictionaries, and Universities, in the UK.
Firstly, it barely mentions the white van at all. Surely that’s the key part of the term that is in common use? Instead, it attacks the character, education, and political leanings of the person likely to be driving it.
Whoa there. I am almost certainly older, wiser, and more experienced than the compiler of that description. I am shocked by the level of attack employed to make a political point, in a dictionary of all places.
The more I read it, the less it sounds like a detached observation. Here’s what it should be:
White Van Man — a gently derogatory expression used to describe white van drivers who drive without regard for other road users.
Compare the two.
The Cambridge definition drips with the typical liberal language that is common in our current world. The sneering, nasty tone condemning a whole section of society. The new world talks of inclusivity, fairness, and equality — and it delivers this.
Let’s unpick it in more detail.
A man — the point has to be made that it is men the author is talking about.
Rude — I’ll agree with that definition, it is sloppy but close to the real meaning.
Not well educated — there’s the sneering tone. How often are voters dismissed for being uneducated? Not everyone goes to university. They still manage to be productive, vital members of our shared society. It is a given that the dictionary compiler went to university.
Having very strong opinions — I’ll split this down further. So, strong opinions are bad? Surely we all have strong opinions, particularly the dictionary compiler.
And finally — unpleasant opinions. Because this appallingly stuck-up, sure-of-themselves compiler has slammed a label on a whole class of people, dismissing their right to think differently about certain political topics. For all they know, our inconsiderate white van man driver may have identical opinions to them. And who has the right to say unpleasant, in a dictionary of all places?
Here is the Cambridge dictionary definition: a man who is thought to be typical of drivers of white vans by being rude, not well educated, and having very strong, often unpleasant opinions.
Wow. There’s a lot to unpack in that dismissive and divisive commentary from one of the leading dictionaries, and Universities, in the UK.
Firstly, it barely mentions the white van at all. Surely that’s the key part of the term that is in common use? Instead, it attacks the character, education, and political leanings of the person likely to be driving it.
Whoa there. I am almost certainly older, wiser, and more experienced than the compiler of that description. I am shocked by the level of attack employed to make a political point, in a dictionary of all places.
The more I read it, the less it sounds like a detached observation. Here’s what it should be:
White Van Man — a gently derogatory expression used to describe white van drivers who drive without regard for other road users.
Compare the two.
The Cambridge definition drips with the typical liberal language that is common in our current world. The sneering, nasty tone condemning a whole section of society. The new world talks of inclusivity, fairness, and equality — and it delivers this.
Let’s unpick it in more detail.
A man — the point has to be made that it is men the author is talking about.
Rude — I’ll agree with that definition, it is sloppy but close to the real meaning.
Not well educated — there’s the sneering tone. How often are voters dismissed for being uneducated? Not everyone goes to university. They still manage to be productive, vital members of our shared society. It is a given that the dictionary compiler went to university.
Having very strong opinions — I’ll split this down further. So, strong opinions are bad? Surely we all have strong opinions, particularly the dictionary compiler.
And finally — unpleasant opinions. Because this appallingly stuck-up, sure-of-themselves compiler has slammed a label on a whole class of people, dismissing their right to think differently about certain political topics. For all they know, our inconsiderate white van man driver may have identical opinions to them. And who has the right to say unpleasant, in a dictionary of all places?
Old Labour vs New Labour
A while back, a Labour politician visited a council estate in run-down England. It was their constituency, and they were paying a visit prior to an election — the only time they ever visit. She was appalled by the number of England flags flying from windows and the number of white vans parked outside the houses.
The traditional Labour party represented the working class of Britain. The estate contains largely working-class people. They work in trades, which is why they have white vans. They are largely patriotic and were supporting England in an important football tournament. Hence the flags everywhere.
So our Labour politician, from the party that used to represent the working class, is appalled. Pictures in the media reflect these appalling scenes — patriotic flags and white vans.
How terrible.
The people who live in these estates have no real representation anymore. They didn’t change. The Labour party moved away from them.
A while back, a Labour politician visited a council estate in run-down England. It was their constituency, and they were paying a visit prior to an election — the only time they ever visit. She was appalled by the number of England flags flying from windows and the number of white vans parked outside the houses.
The traditional Labour party represented the working class of Britain. The estate contains largely working-class people. They work in trades, which is why they have white vans. They are largely patriotic and were supporting England in an important football tournament. Hence the flags everywhere.
So our Labour politician, from the party that used to represent the working class, is appalled. Pictures in the media reflect these appalling scenes — patriotic flags and white vans.
How terrible.
The people who live in these estates have no real representation anymore. They didn’t change. The Labour party moved away from them.
In Praise of White Van Man
Let me tell you what I think of white van man, when I bother to think, rather than use it as a casual term of irritation because one has just driven in front of me on a roundabout.
The white part of white van is because it’s a standard color — easy to put writing on for advertising. It is not some kind of white supremacy thing, not at all. The man part is because mostly they are driven by tradesmen, and for the most part, they were men. There are women tradespersons too, and they can drive equally as badly.
I will pigeonhole white van man like this: he is probably a tradesperson or delivery driver — or some other manual worker. He may well be self-employed, running his own business. The van may contain tools which are hugely expensive.
If he is self-employed, he will be in a hurry from one job or quote to another. You get paid for work — not sitting around in a Cambridge office writing snide remarks about people who keep the country functioning.
White van man is probably, although not exclusively, working-class. He is probably, although not exclusively, not university-educated. He will probably have gone to trade college and learned to do something useful, something real — plastering, decorating, building, electrics, plumbing — all the services we need from time to time.
I don’t ring dictionary compilers in an emergency. I do ring a plumber.
Which serves the more important function, I wonder?
White van man used to be a solid Labour voter, like his father before him, and his father before that. His party is now embarrassed by his ‘outdated’ views. His opinions on subjects such as immigration may differ from the preferred narrative, but it is more likely he works with black, gay, and all manner of people. That’s called genuine inclusivity, which we had before the current attempts to create division.
He sees his world being turned upside down. Why can’t the government support his old Gran as she rots in a rundown house, unable to pay her heating bills? Yet they have money to spend on painting rainbows pointlessly on roads in their never-ending charade of gesture politics. No one benefits from these government actions, especially those they are pretending to help.
White van man has no one to represent him in the mainstream. The news, TV, his government don’t care about him. They dismiss his concerns; they despise him from their comfy chairs as they chat about inclusivity.
Let me tell you what I think of white van man, when I bother to think, rather than use it as a casual term of irritation because one has just driven in front of me on a roundabout.
The white part of white van is because it’s a standard color — easy to put writing on for advertising. It is not some kind of white supremacy thing, not at all. The man part is because mostly they are driven by tradesmen, and for the most part, they were men. There are women tradespersons too, and they can drive equally as badly.
I will pigeonhole white van man like this: he is probably a tradesperson or delivery driver — or some other manual worker. He may well be self-employed, running his own business. The van may contain tools which are hugely expensive.
If he is self-employed, he will be in a hurry from one job or quote to another. You get paid for work — not sitting around in a Cambridge office writing snide remarks about people who keep the country functioning.
White van man is probably, although not exclusively, working-class. He is probably, although not exclusively, not university-educated. He will probably have gone to trade college and learned to do something useful, something real — plastering, decorating, building, electrics, plumbing — all the services we need from time to time.
I don’t ring dictionary compilers in an emergency. I do ring a plumber.
Which serves the more important function, I wonder?
White van man used to be a solid Labour voter, like his father before him, and his father before that. His party is now embarrassed by his ‘outdated’ views. His opinions on subjects such as immigration may differ from the preferred narrative, but it is more likely he works with black, gay, and all manner of people. That’s called genuine inclusivity, which we had before the current attempts to create division.
He sees his world being turned upside down. Why can’t the government support his old Gran as she rots in a rundown house, unable to pay her heating bills? Yet they have money to spend on painting rainbows pointlessly on roads in their never-ending charade of gesture politics. No one benefits from these government actions, especially those they are pretending to help.
White van man has no one to represent him in the mainstream. The news, TV, his government don’t care about him. They dismiss his concerns; they despise him from their comfy chairs as they chat about inclusivity.
Summary
That’s what I think. Went on a bit of a rant after reading a dictionary definition. That’s why I spend so much effort avoiding the mainstream media. I simply can’t stand the lies and division anymore.
Perhaps if the higher-ups in our lives — the fancy college-educated middle class, so eager to show their caring credentials — actually cared about people, we could build a genuinely inclusive society.
One that includes white van man.
That’s what I think. Went on a bit of a rant after reading a dictionary definition. That’s why I spend so much effort avoiding the mainstream media. I simply can’t stand the lies and division anymore.
Perhaps if the higher-ups in our lives — the fancy college-educated middle class, so eager to show their caring credentials — actually cared about people, we could build a genuinely inclusive society.
One that includes white van man.