Pub Renamed Following Complaints Over Offensive Car-Related Name

A pub located in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, is scheduled for a name change following objections that its current name, “The Midget,” is offensive. The establishment’s name was originally chosen to honor the MG car model, which was produced at the company’s former factory within the town. However, the word “midget” is widely recognized as a pejorative and insulting term used to describe individuals with dwarfism. A petition garnered over 1,000 signatures, prompting Greene King, the owners of the pub, to consent to rename it “The Roaring Raindrop.” This new designation will commemorate the final record-breaking MG car ever manufactured in Abingdon. The pub, upon its opening in 1974, was initially known as “The Magic Midget,” a reference to an MG-produced car that held a former land speed world record. The word “Magic” was removed from its name in 2002. Dr Erin Pritchard, the individual who initiated the petition, stated: “I have dwarfism and like the majority of people with dwarfism find the word offensive.” She further commented, “I doubt anyone would tolerate a pub with a name containing an equally derogatory slur against another group of disabled people or an ethnic minority.” Zoe Bowley, the managing director of Greene King pubs, indicated that the company had deliberated “long and hard” regarding the name alteration. She added, “We hope that making the change in this way helps to preserve our pub’s historic links to Abingdon’s past while simultaneously ensuring our pub can be a place where everyone feels welcome.” Prior to a significant refurbishment of the establishment, Greene King engaged in discussions with Dr Pritchard concerning her objections, and also consulted with members of the MG Car Club, which is situated only a few minutes from the pub. Dr Pritchard, a senior lecturer in Disability Studies at Liverpool Hope University, expressed that it was “good to see” the brewery’s willingness to be “open to addressing concerns about disablist hate speech.” She concluded, “It is a term that should be consigned to the history books.”