Bile: A Personal Objection

bile
–noun

1. Physiology. a bitter, alkaline, yellow or greenish liquid, secreted by the liver, that aids in absorption and digestion, esp. of fats.
2. Ill temper; peevishness.
3. Old Physiology. either of two humours associated with anger and gloominess.

Now I don't claim to be a linguist or much of a wordsmith—I enjoy writing the odd article here and there and sometimes wish my grasp of the English language was better. Sometimes I wish I'd paid more attention in high school.

But there is the use of one word that keeps floating to the surface when our club, our supporters and our own internet football communities are called into question. And it doesn’t half make my blood boil.

"Bile".

It's a vulgar word if you ask me, and I suppose quite rightly too, especially when what it means is considered.

This is especially true if the first definition and the origin of the use of the word is invoked. It's "bitter", "alkaline" and aids in the "absorption and digestion of fats". Not the most pleasant word is it?

It's something that conjures up bubbling pots filled with colourful liquids with noxious gases steaming from the top. It’s something that gets the job at hand done, this is something I’d like to refer to again later. Yet it is natural, it’s something that is of vital importance in our anatomy.

We need our bile to digest our food. Simple.

Yet it's when the word is attributed to the texts or ideologies of a vast array of honest football supporters that rankles with me.

Yes, Mr Murray attributed it to fans who spout their "sectarian bile" on websites and to some degree this is when in part the second definition of the word can come to the fore—"ill temper and peevishness"—is sectarian abuse ill tempered and peevish?

I suppose it is and there is no doubt in my mind at least that a lot of fans and supporters take things too far. Of course they do, they always have, they always will: there are idiots in every walk of life.

But this phrase used by Murray seems to have invaded the lexicons of most in the country—media tout about the 'bile being sang in the stands at Ibrox"—opposition fans claim "all Rangers fans are nothing but bigots spouting their bile" and even some of our own fans have started to use it as a go-to phrase when they are offended by someone's opinion that disagrees with their own discourse.

I don't think I'm being a pedant when I say I despise the use of this word. It seems to have become a buzz word for all Rangers negativity. It's all too simple to use and it allows the user to lean on the fact that it was sourced from the current head of the Rangers family—love him or hate him.

But what of this final definition of the word—"associated with anger and gloominess"—does this give hope for the way in which it has been used? Has the media latched onto the use of the word and is merely atoning it to the anger and gloominess that is prevalent amongst a large section of our fans? Are they that smart? I think not.

Like I said earlier, I hate the word. There are so many better ones that could have been used. But I suppose the overriding factor here is not the word itself, it's the way in which its use has been bastardised from Murray using a vulgar word to describe a "backwards" element within our supporters, to it being connected with anyone or anything negative that is associated with Rangers.

For me this is when I’d like to return to the notion that "bile", gets the job done. In the eyes of the media and many football and lifestyle commentators, being able to label us with a phrase that sounds so negative is getting their job done.

It gives them an easy catchphrase they can simply place after a description of our fans or the views they uphold. I simply despise this. We as supporters hold a much more diverse, educated breadth of opinion than to be simply lumped together for ease.

Does this make me an optimist? Someone who likes to see the best in everything and everyone associated with our great club? If so, then I’m proud.

There is no summary for this article I'm afraid. There is no hope. It's a buzzword that is here to stay for the long-term. The sad thing about it is that it came from within. Until something else is written about us that the media vultures can ingest and regurgitate this phrase will continue to be used.

Does this then make me easily offended? A MOPE? A hand wringer? Perhaps in many people’s eyes it would—but I will not stand for a word with such horrible attributes being allowed to represent the wholesome, honest views of so many.

Ultimately I can do nothing about it. This is my vent; my personal objection to "bile". As an internet poster, in the eyes of so many I am a propagator of bile—yet my distain for the word leaves me nothing but feelings that I can define as "anger and gloominess".

"Bile".

Isn't the word an ironic place sometimes?