Talk:Badger (disambiguation)

Please use this page for the animal, which is the most common meaning, and move all other links to Badger (disambiguation). Any objections?? 66.245.6.21 01:31, 28 May 2004 (UTC)


 * No objections here; I'll move the page tomorrow if nobody else speaks up. -- Hadal 03:53, 22 Jul 2004 (UTC)

The connection between Norman Lamont and "Badger" doesn't seem to be explained. --Big_Iron 22:54, 24 Nov 2004 (UTC)
 * His nickname in The New Statesman was Badger Lamont, because he looks like one. --Jirate 02:37, 2004 Nov 25 (UTC)

So what about its use as a verb?

Disambiguation page, not directory
Reading the guidelines about disambiguation pages at WP:DAB, I think this page needs some serious pruning. Does anyone typing in "badger" into the search box really expect to be taken to a page about dachshunds, the University of Wisconsin-Madison or Norman Lamont? That should be our criterion, surely.

After looking at WP:DAB, I see no reason to keep anything except:
 * the animal (and types, since apparently Americans and Europeans expect different animals);
 * badger (person);
 * the various "Badger, placename" places;
 * Badger (comics);
 * possibly the beer/brewery?

I definitely think that these should go:
 * link to Wisconsin (there's already a list of U.S. state nicknames);
 * link to University of Wisconsin-Madison;
 * First Badgerline;
 * Norman Lamont (no idea how often The New Statesman used this, but it didn't become exactly mainstream);
 * badger to mean a dachshund (??) ;
 * Badger badger badger (someone keeps adding this back into badger and getting reverted anyway);
 * NATO reporting name;
 * Breezy Badger (nothing to link to);
 * Wind in the Willows character, much as I love the book (ditto);
 * The Badger whilst it remains a redlink.

Comments? Too wholesale? Too anti-Wisconsin? :) I do think that disambiguation pages on Wikipedia tend to need regular pruning, because people just add more and more to them without realising that they are not supposed to be collections of anything with the word in.

--Telsa 15:18, 16 January 2006 (UTC)

I admittedly have some bias, but anyone from WI who encounters the word "Badger" will automatically think of the University. If the disambiguation pages for things like "Wolverine" and "Hawkeye" can have links to the state they're associated with, I don't see why the Wisconsin Badger links can't stay here.

sam 08:01, 19 January 2006 (UTC)

I do take your point, and I hope you won't be too offended with what I have done. To me, the question is: would someone looking for the university type "badger" into the search box? Would you argue that a sizable proportion of people who type in "badger" are looking for the university? I really have my doubts, and that's why I am taking it out for now. Once I have disambiguated the badgers, I am happy to continue on to wolverine and hawkeye if it will maintain your sense of university fair play, because I don't think those should be listed either, no :)

--Telsa 15:49, 30 January 2006 (UTC)

The link between badgers and dachshunds is that dachshunds were bred to hunt badgers; "dachs" is (I think) German for "badger". DS 17:42, 8 March 2006 (UTC)

As it was said before, most people in Wisconsin will think of the Wisconsin Badgers or Bucky Badger when the word "badger" is mentioned. My personal vote is to have one link to either University of Wisconsin-Madison, Wisconsin Badgers, or Bucky Badger. Also, I believe that someone could easily type "badger" into the search box expecting to find "Bucky Badger," and the same with the Wolverines and Hawkeyes. – Lordmontu  (talk) • (contribs) 16:33, 5 April 2007 (UTC)

Canadian police slang
Badger might be Canadian police slang for a person police are interested in. "OK, Badger's at the back of the bus, hacking off pieces and eating it," —Preceding unsigned comment added by Geo8rge (talk • contribs) 00:58, 4 August 2008 (UTC)