Endymion
Spring and Roses.
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Codename 'smart alec': British police label Obama with 'mildly offensive' Punjabi word for visit to UK
More than one person has wanted to call Barack Obama a 'smart alec', and now British police will get the chance to do so without getting reprimanded.
That's because Scotland Yard has tapped the codename 'Chalaque' to refer to the U.S. president for security reasons during his upcoming state visit to the United Kingdom May 24-26.
Indarjit Singh, a Punjabi speaker in the UK who is director of the Network of Sikh Organisations, told the Sunday Times the word 'is sometimes used when we want to denigrate someone who we think is too clever for their own good'.
Royal reception: Barack and Michelle Obama are heading back to Buckingham Palace this week, where they met the queen in 2009. Codename: Chalaque
Greeting allies: Mr Obama speaks with Andrew Marr of the BBC at the White House on May 19, ahead of his state visit to the UK
Another Punjabi speaker told the paper the word Chalaque is 'not considered rude', but could be 'mildly offensive'.
It is also said to mean 'cheeky, crafty and cunning'.
With his leadership of the recent successful raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, the president certainly showed himself to be the latter two.
More than one person has wanted to call Barack Obama a 'smart alec', and now British police will get the chance to do so without getting reprimanded.
That's because Scotland Yard has tapped the codename 'Chalaque' to refer to the U.S. president for security reasons during his upcoming state visit to the United Kingdom May 24-26.
Indarjit Singh, a Punjabi speaker in the UK who is director of the Network of Sikh Organisations, told the Sunday Times the word 'is sometimes used when we want to denigrate someone who we think is too clever for their own good'.
Royal reception: Barack and Michelle Obama are heading back to Buckingham Palace this week, where they met the queen in 2009. Codename: Chalaque
Greeting allies: Mr Obama speaks with Andrew Marr of the BBC at the White House on May 19, ahead of his state visit to the UK
Another Punjabi speaker told the paper the word Chalaque is 'not considered rude', but could be 'mildly offensive'.
It is also said to mean 'cheeky, crafty and cunning'.
With his leadership of the recent successful raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, the president certainly showed himself to be the latter two.