slag off
英国留学中のOthelloからの通信です。英語にエラーがありますが、Interlanguageと考えそのまま掲載します。これからの変化が楽しみです。（UG）
The world is facing the same problem about today’s youth. Some lecturers, senior businesspersons, or perhaps parents and so on and so forth in Japan despair over their ability to tolerate. This seems to be true with their British counterparts as well. Jamie Oliver, a well-known TV chef in Britain, “launched scathing attack on” British youths about their ethics for work as reported in The Independent.
What I would like to take up this time is “slag off”, PV. According to LDOCE, it is defined as “to criticize someone in an unpleasant way, especially when this is unfair”; Kenkyusha's English-Japanese Dictionary for the General Reader carries such translation as "ののしる", "けなす", "おとしめる" and "こきおろす". However, this expression is considered informal as both dictionaries explain, is he criticizing immigrant workers?
It can be pointed out that he consequently gives support to immigrants; he takes to attack immigrants using this expression. There is a certain reason he used this (strong) expression that is related to a recent rising criticism of immigrants from another European countries on account of the Euro crisis. As Oliver states, European immigrants in his restaurant work twice as hard as young British people (c.f. the article) i.e. immigrants are broadly stronger and tougher than them, on the one hand; and, on the other hand “Immigrants have unfairly replaced British people’s working opportunities” is one of the frequent discourses on immigration issues. Yet, he scorns on British youth saying, “The young will be better at different things … long hours in hot kitchens is not one of them”. Hence, using this expression, slag off, accordingly works as criticizing young British people, whilst it taking European hard works under Oliver’s wings. (Othello)
Jamie Oliver slams 'wet behind the ears' British youth who don't work as hard as Europeans
Mr Oliver added: “It's all very well when people are slagging off immigration and I'm sure there are problems. Older people always complain about youth and I think it's a good thing because it is always changing. The young will be better at different things. But long hours in hot kitchens is not one of them.”（Othello）
P.S. Expression ‘wet behind the ears’ is already introduced by Shou-VR. Check it out.
(still) wet behind the ears - 田邉祐司ゼミ 常時英心：言葉の森から
