Ahmadinejad: 'The Bogeyman Snatched The Boob'

That's an expression that Ahmadinejad used to describe the US--and he's getting flack:

In a harangue delivered to Iranian expatriates visiting Tehran last week, Mahmud Ahmadinejad resorted to an odd turn of phrase to describe the futility of Washington's use of threats and allegations against Iran.

"The bogeyman snatched the boob," the Iranian president declared.


The expression is one used by mothers in Iran when they are weaning their children off breast milk. But "mameh," slang for breast in Persian, is not often uttered publicly in a country where words and expressions of even the slightest sexual nature are considered taboo and commonly censored in books and publications.

Apparently Ahmadinejad is known for these sorts of crude and vulgar remarks--

Ahmadinejad didn't stop at the breast reference. Addressing the United States, he alluded to another phrase that describes angry people as having "burning asses."

"Pour the water where it burns," he said, "why are you wetting other parts?"

Ahmadinejad appeared to be enjoying himself, as was his audience, which cheered for the Iranian president and responded with laughter.

The reaction to Ahmadinejad's use of crude language has been mixed--some seeing it as shameful and degrading, while others seeing the use of that kind of language as appealing to the masses:

Ahmadinejad has previously come often under criticism for his coarse language, particularly among reformist political figures, intellectuals, and members of the educated middle class who are more apt to pepper their language with passages from poets such as Ferdowsi, Saadi, Hafez, and Khayyam.

But the president's rhetoric has struck a chord among supporters and allies, including former government spokesman Gholam Hossein Elham, who appreciate the dropping of formalities that impede easy communication with the common man.

Ali Akbar Mahdi, a professor of sociology at Ohio Wesleyan University, says Ahmadinejad's language does have some political appeal. "The repeated use of this language and how he's being welcomed demonstrate that some segments of society are happy that this kind of language is being used, particularly against foreign governments," Mahdi says.

Not surprisingly, the 'boob' comment has become the center of a number of jokes:

Jokes are circulating that speculate about the whereabouts of the mysterious "boob" Ahmadinejad mentioned. One joke says state television will from now on air Ahmadinejad's comments only after midnight to make sure children are sleeping. Revolutionary slogans and famous quotes have been changed to include the slang word "mameh."

Bottom line though, when it comes to Ahmadinejad, the question is not so much where is the boob.
The question is who is the boob.

Hat tip: Laura Rozen

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