BS: offensive words

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: michaelr
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 01:37 PM

This line is from a song by Gerry O'Beirne:

In the land of the Patagarang, the murkies are dreaming

Is it offensive to refer to Aborigines as "murkies"?

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Ebbie
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 01:36 PM

"As for the term "coloured", a related word n****r I hear being used.
But, most of the time when I hear it used, it's not meant for African
people. It's used to describe someone who is lazy, dumb, and ignorant.
I referred to a white man as a n****r before, because he was lazy
and stupid. I hope no one takes that as an offense." maple_leaf_boy

Well, yes. I would take offense at it. Think of it as 'circular'.

Black people used to be called that and the implied meaning was that they were 'lazy and stupid (and worse).

So, if I call a white man by that word implying that he is lazy and stupid, I am applying a word that *used* to mean a lazy and stupid people. I am going along with the original meaning, saying that he is no better than they.

I'm not sure I'm making my reasoning clear. Suffice it to say that yes, I would find it offensive whether or not the speaker meant it so.

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Jack Campin
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:54 PM

The BBC's official list of offensive words:

http://www.badscience.net/2006/03/cunt-fuck-wanker/

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: bobad
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:46 PM

I find "gas fracking" offensive.

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: maple_leaf_boy
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:45 PM

I don't like the terms "jock", "mick", or "papist." I've heard these
terms used.
As for the term "coloured", a related word n****r I hear being used.
But, most of the time when I hear it used, it's not meant for African
people. It's used to describe someone who is lazy, dumb, and ignorant.
I referred to a white man as a n****r before, because he was lazy
and stupid. I hope no one takes that as an offense.

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Uncle_DaveO
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:42 PM

Well, as to "retarded", I say that my son Hans, who is a 36 year old Down's Syndrome individual, is retarded, with nary a blush nor a hesitation. But don't you call him "a retard"!

Dave Oesterreich

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:41 PM

So you can no longer retard the spark when starting an antique vehicle? If you don't it will stall and not run.

Personally, I find all language offensive. Please communicate in mathematical statements.

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Jack Campin
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:36 PM

Is "coloured" still used in South Africa?

The term itself wasn't necessarily racist, though what apartheid did to people labelled as such obviously was.

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:36 PM

I think some of the words used in an I am superior to them manner quite often on this forum are redneck, trailer trash, wannabe, Plastic Paddy...I find all of them offensive especially when the intention seems to be to want to insult...which is not always the case of course. Sometimes words just creep into our vocabulary and we have social permission to use them. mg

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: kendall
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:24 PM

It's impossible to go through this life without stepping on someones toes.

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:17 PM

And now I'm not overweight anymore, I'm under tall, for my weight I should be 6ft 9ins

Dave H

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Ed T
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 12:08 PM

Personally, I liked the English language better, when "fuck" was considered a bad word...and, used broadly in other languages, and often used most effectively (by most males and the more daring females). It's now so mundane and accepted that one can selectively use it in Mudcat, without even getting Joe O upset:(

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Ed T
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 11:59 AM

Article related to the topic:

http://aggslanguage.wordpress.com/2010/03/30/political-correctness-euphemism-with-attitude/

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: michaelr
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 11:43 AM

It's offensive to call someone short-sighted when they're in fact near-sighted. ;-)

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: artbrooks
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 10:56 AM

Well, once the words of preference were such things as "idiot", imbecile" and "moron", and there were great debates on the appropriate dividing line between them. Those were abandoned for the then politically-correct term, "retarded", meaning delayed. That was abandoned when it (or its derivatives) became terms of abuse (normally not directed toward those who didn't fit the medical definition). The newer expression "developmentally disabled" is being replaced with "developmentally delayed"...and that is being overtaken by "intellectually disabled".

Jumping into this with both size 13 boots (and I think this is principally a US issue), we once used the word Negro (with or without capitol letter) to describe any person who had one ancestor of African origin, regardless of how far removed. The word, with a slight noun shift, is the Spanish word for black. Polite people said "Colored" instead - and we know what impolite people used. Both of these were replaced at the beginning of the PC era with Black, which was then replaced by African-American. Strangely enough, during the last presidential election, there was some discussion on whether or not Mr. Obama, with one American parent of Northern European descent and one African parent, was entitled to be called an African-American!

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Phil Cooper
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 10:45 AM

In the Ask Amy column a couple weeks ago, when discussing parents coming out with a stream of invective in front of their children, someone said they suffered from vehicular turrett's syndrome. That was in reference to swearing in traffic in front of the kids. A lot of people liked the phrase. A couple weeks later someone wrote in that it was offensive to turrett's sufferers. I thought it just means almost anything will be offensive to someone. You can't cover all the bases. I would not intentionally say something I knew someone else thought was offensive. But sometimes things can be done unintentionally, and I don't worry too much about that.

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: GUEST,Silas
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 10:33 AM

Blind people are not Blind anymore, they are 'visually impaired' and a thousand more ridiculous PC definitions. Personally, I am a fat, balding, short sighted loudmouth. (And that's the way I like it)

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Will Fly
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 10:26 AM

If the woman didn't like the concept of adopting a stream, then she might not be very pleased with:

adoptabook.bl.uk/

www.adoptabeach.org.uk/

WWF-Adopt-a-Animal.co.uk

The concept of "adopting a road" in the UK is where a local council has accepted responsibility for the maintenance of what was formerly a private road.

Language and its changing use has become a minefield - and it's not always easy to know what is acceptable and unacceptable in different societies. I recall, at a work meeting in a university, being told that the term "Third world" was not acceptable. I was told that "Global South" should be used instead - which was news to me.

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Jack Campin
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 10:24 AM

"Asian" in the UK almost always means somebody from the Indian subcontinent, you wouldn't ordinarily use it to describe a Chinese person. I'd probably use "Oriental" to describe somebody who might equally well be Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese or Korean and when I have no additional information to decide where they come from - what other word covers that situation?

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Ed T
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 10:19 AM

Oposing views on using "retard or retarded", ("you are retared, or your a retard") when intending to mean something like "your stupid".

http://www.helium.com/debates/111682-is-the-slang-use-of-the-word-retard-or-retarded-discriminatory/side_by_side?page=13

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: Ed T
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 10:13 AM

We all remember some of those really hurtful...and some racial...terms used (sometimes innocently)when we were young.
As a caution, let's try and keep away from those, as it serves no purpose.

Subject: RE: BS: offensive words
From: GUEST,Silas
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 10:07 AM

'Retarded' is not offensive.

'Retard' is.

Subject: BS: potentially offensive words
From: Ed T
Date: 17 Jul 10 - 10:06 AM

I noted in a recent thread, a poster used the word "retarded", and was taken to task for it. I never use the word in the context it was used. But, do hear it used that way now and then, mostly from folks that don't intend to offend anyone associated with a mental issue.

That got me thinking. Many of us could be unknowingly using one or two words that are considered inappropriate, if only in certain societies, countries or locals...or by particular groups.

I recall being taken to task for using the words "girls" and "ladies", when I should have been saying women. I was told to be careful when using the word "adopt" by a woman who had just adopted a young child....she was taking issue with the word in a community project called "adopt a stream". (I have made adjustments with using words, when told they should not be used, or should be used differently).

I noted a word issue yesterday on CNN, where someone used the term "coloured", intending to say black. I also came accross folks saying Oriental, when they meant Asian, and Eskimo, when they meant Inuit.

So, got any words (or wisdom) to share that we should be careful of, when posting or speaking?