(This is a post I wrote on another board in response to an appalling programme about Irish travellers called 'My Big Fat
Gypsy Wedding'

All Romanies are travellers but NOT all travellers are Romanies.

A bit like all Native Americans are Americans but not all Americans are Native Americans, or all English are British but not

all British are English.

The traveller community consists of several sub-groups, only ONE (or, if I'm generous, two) has the right to be called 'gypsies.'

The largest component (at least in the British Isles) is Irish tinkers. They speak English and Shelta Thari (a kind of debased
Gaelic), do NOT live by the leis prala and do NOT observe our rituals about cleanliness.

One of the worst insults in Romani is caling someone mokardi or marime. The words mean specifically 'unclean' or 'dirty.'

Another thing that is very important to a true Roma is chachimos - . truth. ... Read more »