When insults make naughty list

‘‘His brains could revolve inside a peanut shell for 1000 years without touching the sides.’’

That retort, from 1949, is one of the more colourful barbs thrown across New Zealand’s parliamentary debating chamber. More direct insults include half-pie wowsers, packs of dingos, and dirty little squibs.

Victoria University researcher Ruth Graham has spent six years trawling through pages of parliamentary debates for her PhD research to analyse what language was ruled as unparliamentary, and when.

Her research spanned 1890 to 1950 – taking in the heyday of Labour MP Bob Semple, a prolific user of unparliamentary language. The Australian-born politician liked to insult people by calling them kookaburras, or dingos.

‘‘I found that comparing someone to an animal was very commonly reprimanded by the speaker,’’ Graham said. ’’’Poodle’, ‘political magpies’, ‘human muckworms’, and ‘modest as a codling moth’ were other creative, animal-inspired terms I found.’’

The peanut shell barb was thrown by Frank Langstone, Labour MP for Roskill, at Ronald Algie, the National MP for Remuera. The complete phrase was: ‘‘So far as his knowledge of the Labour movement is concerned, his brains could revolve inside a peanut shell for 1000 years without touching the sides.’’

Throwing out insults or outrageous phrases was not just for fun, Graham said. ‘‘There’s a whole variety of reasons ... some of them were independent members who might just literally be trying to make their voice heard.’’

In some cases it was used as a tool, and she pointed to Richard Seddon, the country’s longest serving prime minister, as an example: ’’Seddon used it strategically. When things weren’t going his way, he might throw something in or he might target an MP.’’

When it came to discerning what was unparliamentary and what could slide, there were common themes.

‘‘There’s a core group of concepts that are always ruled to be unparliamentary ... calling someone a liar, saying they lack courage, or showing a lack of respect.’’

The use of words and phrases that could get a politician into trouble arose around the time of the Great Depression, when Labour was in Opposition and trying to get into power.

When it was voted in, in 1935, party members’ use of unparliamentary language didn’t drop, as Labour ministers continued to use it, and the practice became more common inside the chamber.

Graham will graduate this month with a PhD in applied linguistics.