Derogatory terms for skilled jobs

[steveindenmark]

You are all upsetting me with all these references to the police. I would go and tell my dad, if I knew who my dad was. He was not married to my mum, allegedly. You know what that makes me?. I have been told that he was the guy who slept with that cheap prostitute down the road. That was my mother. Judging by others opinions, my mother then got my wife into the family business and if rumours are to be believed, my wife and Victoria Beckham have something in common when it comes to favourite sexual positions.

I may be wrong on some of this as I found sound does not travel through police cell doors very well.

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

I'm surprised 'Trumpton' (also 'Water Squirters'/'Human Drip-stands') haven't been mentioned yet!!

For those, who surprisingly, may not know

 

[Supersuperleeds]

Bean Counters

By professional qualification I'm one of them

Another bean counter here.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

Within the airline industry, pilots are usually referred to as tech crew, as distinct from the cabin crew (flight attendants in the US), and collectively they are all aircrew.

I do work in the industry, flight crew is the common one in my experience when referring collectively to the better paid ones at the pointy end. Maybe it's just the companies I've worked for, but I can't say I've really heard "tech crew".
Flying spanner is of course pretty universal.

 

[Salad Dodger]

When I worked in a bank, many years ago, we all referred to HR as "human remains".

 

[Richard A Thackeray]

Firearms are Gun Monkeys. Sometimes they're called Rug or Carpet Carriers, because some of them get a bit carried away and walk about with their arms splayed out to look 'ard, as if they had a rolled up carpet under each arm. Really bad offenders will be nicknamed Mr Tickle.

The inspector will be The Boss, sometimes gaffer or guvnor to an older serving copper.

Have heard, at work, through talking to Officers when they're with the 'Arrest Avoidance Syndromers'. RTC interviews, or returning absconders, of Inspectors being called 'Gadget'
Not sure if it's after the cartoon, or the author of the excellent book?; 'Perverting The Course Of Justice'

 

[Brains]

I've been in IT for 30 years too and have never heard of 'code monkey'. I would call them 'techies'.

I've also been in IT for 30 odd years, and have heard the term used usually by Lead Developers usually referring the eastern European, Indian, Vietnamese contract software houses who do the background coding for big projects.

 

[screenman]

Anybody asking my wife what I do gets told he bodges, in 46 years of working I have still not managed to find the correct title.

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I've also been in IT for 30 odd years, and have heard the term used usually by Lead Developers usually referring the eastern European, Indian, Vietnamese contract software houses who do the background coding for big projects.

And yet I have a friend who's a senior software developer for a company who designs in car entertainment/ navigation systems, and he calls himself a code monkey. Perhaps he says it with his tongue firmly in cheek, I can't be sure as it's not my industry.
On the same theme another friend is now senior management in an airline, but she started out many years ago as cabin crew and at some point in the past became a cabin manager before moving to Head Office. She fondly tells people she is a former "aisle donkey" which i quite like. She sometimes says "former cart tart" too.

 

[Cuchilo]

Not a trade as such but anyone annoying on site gets the nick name splinter by the carpenters . (An annoying little prick that you cant get rid of .)

 

[RWright]

bonedigger - archaeologist.....I think it can also refer to a grave robber

 

[Piemaster]

I've always thought that "sparky" was a bit rude for an electrician. I've never seen one make any sparks, either by accident or otherwise.

You've not come across the right guys then
Term used to be applied mostly to ships Radio Officers, but as it's pretty much an extinct job now the Electrical Engineers have been awarded the term. Theres a few I know used to refer to themselves as 'sparks' so not really derogatory.

 

[Levo-Lon]

Best i heard was a "Paddy " on a building site calling the Architect "the c%&t on a bike" made me chucckle as i was a lowly Flagger

 

[Alan Frame]

"Merchant banker."

' Nuff said.

 

[Shut Up Legs]

Not quite the same but the best I heard a few years ago that someone in HR was called a Human Performance Architect