4 ms·

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if every use of language that can somehow be etymologically linked to a questionable cultural norm is worth expunging. Human

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure if every use of language that can somehow be etymologically linked to a questionable cultural norm is worth expunging. Human languages are such that many expressions mutate to points where they entirely shake off original meanings. For instance, in some Slavic languages to this day it is perfectly normal and mundane to refer to Germans and the German language as "nemci," which literally means "mute people". It might have been intended derogatorily, but after centuries of use it has become neutered and most people don't even realize the etymology, nor do they say the word with any negative intent. To tilt too much in the other direction is to preemptively assume the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis as an objective reality, when it is nowhere near that strong.

exodust 11y ago
Exactly. When the negative intent is absent or entirely of a casual "in fun" nature, our language and meanings can flex, borrow and outright steal for the occasion at hand. For the context at hand. Timing is everything though. Where and when words are used matter a lot. Not everyone will always agree on that. Dare I say it, but this happens with the word "faggot" in certain places such as violent online game chat. Terrible word in almost all circumstances. But in some violent action games where all the virtual characters are male, you may wish to sledge an opponent with something stronger than "sissy". Suggesting the opponent does not meet the standards of the male gender role, requires a word fit for that occasion. "Faggot" steps up, phonetically punchy, scalding, indecent, it is for a moment free from the usual derogatory swipe against homosexual men, and for a second inspires fun and laughs. It can't be over-used however. But with the right timing and placement, it can be used by all in the game, male, female, gay or straight, without repercussion or the burden of having done a bad thing.
- vezzy-fnord 11y ago
  I suppose it reflects just what a desensitized and putrid person that I am when I find the words "fag" and "faggot" so mundane due to their highly frequent usage that has eroded them to the point of being akin to grunts. I've seen a lot of usage by openly gay and trans individuals, as well. (Fun fact: Faggots are a traditional British dish made from meat offal. Its existence frequently horrifies Americans when they first learn of it.)
  - lexcorvus 11y ago
    Brits are also less shocked by "fag" because of its use to mean "cigarette." In college I had a French teacher who scandalized her American class by casually dropping the word into conversation. Turns out she had learned English in England, and was unaware of the American usage.
ryandvm 11y ago
I can't count the number of times in a public conversation I've heard people say, "well maybe I'm just being anal." Gah. That isn't a homonym people. You are literally referring to your asshole - or more precisely, a post-infantile stage of your development in which you developed a predilection for holding your shit in because you experienced conflict during toilet training. Which, for the record, has pretty firmly been debunked as some of Freud's more ridiculous "pop" science. It drives me nuts, but I'm well aware of how deeply that idiom has sunk its fangs into the English language. So I subconsciously roll my eyes and make a little wish that we could come up with a better idiom for describing fastidiousness and move on. Some things in life are not worth protesting...
- dragonwriter 11y ago
  > I can't count the number of times in a public conversation I've heard people say, "well maybe I'm just being anal." Gah. That isn't a homonym people. You are literally referring to [...] Er, no. I'm pretty sure most people using that phrase are not using it literally, and I don't think any honest listener ever confuses the usage for a literal one.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- exodust 11y ago
  While not a homonym, it's still an effective word because of it's less than tasteful association. I don't think it's used often, but when it is, everyone knows what is meant. Perhaps the distastefulness of the word might even encourage us to improve upon the character traits of "anal", so that we may avoid hearing the word. It's an ugly word. But that's the point. The behaviour it refers to is ugly.

exodust 11y ago

Exactly. When the negative intent is absent or entirely of a casual "in fun" nature, our language and meanings can flex, borrow and outright steal for the occasion at hand. For the context at hand. Timing is everything though. Where and when words are used matter a lot. Not everyone will always agree on that. Dare I say it, but this happens with the word "faggot" in certain places such as violent online game chat. Terrible word in almost all circumstances. But in some violent action games where all the virtual characters are male, you may wish to sledge an opponent with something stronger than "sissy". Suggesting the opponent does not meet the standards of the male gender role, requires a word fit for that occasion. "Faggot" steps up, phonetically punchy, scalding, indecent, it is for a moment free from the usual derogatory swipe against homosexual men, and for a second inspires fun and laughs. It can't be over-used however. But with the right timing and placement, it can be used by all in the game, male, female, gay or straight, without repercussion or the burden of having done a bad thing.

vezzy-fnord 11y ago
I suppose it reflects just what a desensitized and putrid person that I am when I find the words "fag" and "faggot" so mundane due to their highly frequent usage that has eroded them to the point of being akin to grunts. I've seen a lot of usage by openly gay and trans individuals, as well. (Fun fact: Faggots are a traditional British dish made from meat offal. Its existence frequently horrifies Americans when they first learn of it.)
- lexcorvus 11y ago
  Brits are also less shocked by "fag" because of its use to mean "cigarette." In college I had a French teacher who scandalized her American class by casually dropping the word into conversation. Turns out she had learned English in England, and was unaware of the American usage.

ryandvm 11y ago

I can't count the number of times in a public conversation I've heard people say, "well maybe I'm just being anal." Gah. That isn't a homonym people. You are literally referring to your asshole - or more precisely, a post-infantile stage of your development in which you developed a predilection for holding your shit in because you experienced conflict during toilet training. Which, for the record, has pretty firmly been debunked as some of Freud's more ridiculous "pop" science. It drives me nuts, but I'm well aware of how deeply that idiom has sunk its fangs into the English language. So I subconsciously roll my eyes and make a little wish that we could come up with a better idiom for describing fastidiousness and move on. Some things in life are not worth protesting...

dragonwriter 11y ago
> I can't count the number of times in a public conversation I've heard people say, "well maybe I'm just being anal." Gah. That isn't a homonym people. You are literally referring to [...] Er, no. I'm pretty sure most people using that phrase are not using it literally, and I don't think any honest listener ever confuses the usage for a literal one.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
exodust 11y ago
While not a homonym, it's still an effective word because of it's less than tasteful association. I don't think it's used often, but when it is, everyone knows what is meant. Perhaps the distastefulness of the word might even encourage us to improve upon the character traits of "anal", so that we may avoid hearing the word. It's an ugly word. But that's the point. The behaviour it refers to is ugly.