Euphemisms

[intpz]

I find them idiotic and pointless. Just another thing to make people feel better about themselves. Today, as a random thought after reading an article about a cripple who was robbed...

Apparently now words like "retard" or "cripple" are considered officially offensive. Since '70s or '80s probably... Although they are enforced more since the 2000s. Though these are just guesses, as I don't like in an English-speaking country, although I still find it stupid.

 

[SpaceYeti]

You don't like euphemisms? How do you talk to ladies?

 

[intpz]

You don't like euphemisms? How do you talk to ladies?

I don't - I don't want nor have the money to go to various events/bars/etc.. However, I wouldn't bullshit someone just to get laid, I'd rather pay for professional services instead. Less hypocrisy.

 

[SpaceYeti]

I don't - I don't want nor have the money to go to various events/bars/etc.. However, I wouldn't bullshit someone just to get laid, I'd rather pay for professional services instead. Less hypocrisy.

Who said anything about events, bars, or bullshitting people to get in their pants? I didn't.

 

[snafupants]

I find them idiotic and pointless. Just another thing to make people feel better about themselves. Today, as a random thought after reading an article about a cripple who was robbed...

Apparently now words like "retard" or "cripple" are considered officially offensive. Since '70s or '80s probably... Although they are enforced more since the 2000s. Though these are just guesses, as I don't like in an English-speaking country, although I still find it stupid.

Since words like retard and cripple are politically verboten, they would perhaps be characterized as dysphemisms. True cultural euphemisms, like African-American for black and learning disabled for mentally retarded, basically serve to obfuscate the public and preemptively disarm conflict, usually for an ilk of economic advantage. Look, according to Terman's philosophy instead of today's descending order of mild, moderate, severe, and profound mental retardation, the accepted terminology was moron, imbecile, and idiot, again in descending order. In some arenas fresh words are clearly a societal improvement. The term moron in some ways enabled Nazism and forced sterilizations. Words matter.

 

[Pizzabeak]

I hate idioms.

 

[Lfnunley]

It's all about the intent of the word. I could easily call an apathetic person "A harbinger of euphoria", and if I say it in a derogatory tone they would interpret it as an insult. The word 'retard' is only offensive if the speakers wants it to be.

 

[nexion]

It's all about the intent of the word. I could easily call an apathetic person "A harbinger of euphoria", and if I say it in a derogatory tone they would interpret it as an insult. The word 'retard' is only offensive if the speakers wants it to be.

Just because a speaker uses a word in a certain way does not mean it will necessarily be interpreted by others in the same way.

 

[snafupants]

It's all about the intent of the word. I could easily call an apathetic person "A harbinger of euphoria", and if I say it in a derogatory tone they would interpret it as an insult. The word 'retard' is only offensive if the speakers wants it to be.

To a degree but I generally disagree with this analysis. What I mean is that calling someone a nazi, retard, bitch, or cunt is basically always offensive, even with a cheery or endearing tone. Cultural tenor takes precedence over individual intent in these special cases; the phrase or word is simply hellbent on being interpreted a certain, sometimes derogatory, way.

 

[EyeSeeCold]

I think you mean political correctness, not euphemisms.

 

[SpaceYeti]

^ That.

 

[Moseley]

I like euphemisms; they're good for humour. If you know what I mean . . .


Idioms are quite terrible though.

 

[Anna Moss]

Sometimes the deliberate refusal to participate in group euphemisms can have a nice, shocking effect on people who are salving their consciences with comforting lies.

 

[snafupants]

I like euphemisms; they're good for humour. If you know what I mean . . .


Idioms are quite terrible though.

Idioms are neither good nor bad. An idiom is an expression whose meaning is often uninterpretable from the sum of its parts. Examples might be think straight and a little birdie told me. Gents from Japan or Indonesia would perhaps have little intimation apropos the meaning of the latter. There's something innately illogical about many idioms, which is perhaps easily assignable to ephemeral denotations, popular usage, and variegated cultures. At any rate, idioms are usually linguistic flourishes peculiar to a particular group or culture or lexicon. Sometimes idioms even break the rules of grammar. The only ways in which an idiom could be justifiably characterized as terrible is via the given group or culture overusing said idiom, and the idiom losing freshness and becoming hackneyed as a consequence, or through a plain lack of intelligence undergirding the provenance, rationale, or usage of the idiom in question. I was flabbergasted in high school when my English teacher, who happened to attend Harvard, conceived of all idioms as intellectually low tier. To the extent that what's demotic is predominately brutish, I concur, but to offhandedly dismiss all idioms is exercising poor judgement. There are some beautiful idioms hailing from antiquity, so idioms are an excellent way to learn about the past.

 

[Moseley]

Idioms are neither good nor bad. An idiom is an expression whose meaning is often uninterpretable from the sum of its parts. Examples might be think straight and a little birdie told me. Gents from Japan or Indonesia would perhaps have little intimation apropos the meaning of the latter. There's something innately illogical about many idioms, which is perhaps easily assignable to ephemeral denotations, popular usage, and variegated cultures. At any rate, idioms are usually linguistic flourishes peculiar to a particular group or culture or lexicon. Sometimes idioms even break the rules of grammar. The only ways in which an idiom could be justifiably characterized as terrible is via the given group or culture overusing said idiom, and the idiom losing freshness and becoming hackneyed as a consequence, or through a plain lack of intelligence undergirding the provenance, rationale, or usage of the idiom in question. I was flabbergasted in high school when my English teacher, who happened to attend Harvard, conceived of all idioms as intellectually low tier. To the extent that what's demotic is predominately brutish, I concur, but to offhandedly dismiss all idioms is exercising poor judgement. There are some beautiful idioms hailing from antiquity, so idioms are an excellent way to learn about the past.

Well explaining idioms doesn't really refute my opinion. But yes, I suppose I really meant the type of idioms that the average person uses everyday, sort of banal and meaningless. Saying all idioms are terrible in all scenarios was probably an overstatement.

 

[snafupants]

Well explaining idioms doesn't really refute my opinion. But yes, I suppose I really meant the type of idioms that the average person uses everyday, sort of banal and meaningless. Saying all idioms are terrible in all scenarios was probably an overstatement.

@Moseley

Is that the only feat I accomplished?

Spoiler

That delusional braggadocio and offhanded dismissal will play well on the forum. Welcome.

 

[Moseley]

@Moseley

Is that the only feat I accomplished?

Spoiler

That delusional braggadocio and offhanded dismissal will play well on the forum. Welcome.

What do you mean?

 

[nexion]

What do you mean?

Hehehehe.

Brilliant show.

 

[intpz]

I love snafupants's posts, they contain all kinds of interesting words - a non-native speaker can expand his dictionary greatly.

Anyway, what I meant wasn't words used in an offensive manner - calling someone nazi, or retard, etc., but using them on people who really are that way - mentally retarded instead of mentally disabled, mentally handicapped, mentally handicapable, a person with special needs etc.. Another example: a cripple instead of physically handicapped, physically challenged, etc.. Oh, and here's a funny one: vertically challenged.

The first part is directed mostly towards @snafupants.

The second part: I do hate most idioms as well, mostly those that are used every day, of which most are pointless, or a "nice" (annoyingly idiotic!) way to tell someone to fuck off about the subject and move onto some other subject - appear too mysteriously stupid if you will.

I do hate a lot of non-usually used idioms as well though, mostly because they don't make any sense, and I'm looking for logic in things, including language. Even if it sounds nice, I don't like someone using it when I'm conversing with him...

 

[snafupants]

I love snafupants's posts, they contain all kinds of interesting words - a non-native speaker can expand his dictionary greatly.

Anyway, what I meant wasn't words used in an offensive manner - calling someone nazi, or retard, etc., but using them on people who really are that way - mentally retarded instead of mentally disabled, mentally handicapped, mentally handicapable, a person with special needs etc.. Another example: a cripple instead of physically handicapped, physically challenged, etc.. Oh, and here's a funny one: vertically challenged.

The first part is directed mostly towards @snafupants.

The second part: I do hate most idioms as well, mostly those that are used every day, of which most are pointless, or a "nice" (annoyingly idiotic!) way to tell someone to fuck off about the subject and move onto some other subject - appear too mysteriously stupid if you will.

I do hate a lot of non-usually used idioms as well though, mostly because they don't make any sense, and I'm looking for logic in things, including language. Even if it sounds nice, I don't like someone using it when I'm conversing with him...

@intpz

Vertically challenged is positively a head-scratcher. Yes, as regards euphemisms, there's usually a fine line between precision of language, and therefore thought, and tactfulness. Mostly I would prefer to employ less exacting terminology granted it meant keeping the peace. There's is a tug of war there. Let me add, as basically a random point, that I must have expanded my vocabulary almost accidentally through GRE preparation. This company named Barron's used to put out GRE prep books with three thousand or more esoteric words in what they termed a word bank. I catch myself using words from that word bank (e.g., tendentious, variegated, ablution, abnegation) that I wouldn't have implemented otherwise, pretty often. Anyway, it might be something to check out, or purchase cheaply on Amazon, provided you didn't mind expending some effort in bolstering your walking lexical fund.

Spoiler

As a little coda, usually I detest idioms, unless they happen to be distorted and melded into a crafty pun. Words should enliven, yet cliches deaden; overused idioms are ultimately lazy.

 

[intpz]

If only people could understand that I don't want to insult them when I use the terms that are considered insulting... I absolutely decline to use certain politically correct language or euphemisms - it sounds awful. If I would be one of these guys who can't stand looking at blood or a dead guy, I would vomit when I hear some of them...