The word brigade, originally used to describe a military unit, can also be used as a

pejorative A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...

collective noun In linguistics, a collective noun is a word referring to a collection of things taken as a whole. Most collective nouns in everyday speech are not specific to one kind of thing. For example, the collective noun "group" can be applied to people (" ...

to describe an informal group of like-minded individuals with views with which the speaker disagrees. It is used as a mild term of disapproval or contempt, or in an attempt to belittle and ridicule the subject. For example, "PC brigade" is used to describe a supposed group of people who go around enforcing

political correctness ''Political correctness'' (adjectivally: ''politically correct''; commonly abbreviated ''PC'') is a term used to describe language, policies, or measures that are intended to avoid offense or disadvantage to members of particular groups in socie ...

rules. "Green welly brigade" refers in a deprecating way to well-heeled people who find their recreation in the countryside. The term "Hang 'em and flog 'em brigade" is often used in British politics to describe the far right who may support

capital punishment Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...

, corporal punishment and a repeal of certain human rights. The opposing side is often thus referred to as the "Human rights brigade". The term " Nothing to hide, nothing to fear brigade" is used in regards to people who support increased state surveillance - particularly in the UK - with the justification that only people who are willingly committing crimes would need to worry about being under scrutiny. The opposing side is often called the '

Orwell Eric Arthur Blair (25 June 1903 – 21 January 1950), better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English novelist, essayist, journalist, and critic. His work is characterised by lucid prose, social criticism, opposition to totalitari ...

brigade", the "

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

brigade", or the "

conspiracy A conspiracy, also known as a plot, is a secret plan or agreement between persons (called conspirers or conspirators) for an unlawful or harmful purpose, such as murder or treason, especially with political motivation, while keeping their agree ...

brigade". The term "Think of the Children brigade" refers to proponents of the

nanny state Nanny state is a term of British origin that conveys a view that a government or its policies are overprotective or interfering unduly with personal choice. The term likens such a government to the role that a nanny has in child rearing. An early ...

, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It is a reference to a phrase spoken by

The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical depiction of American life, epitomized by the Simpson family, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa, ...

character Helen Lovejoy.

References

Pejorative terms for people {{vocab-stub