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This thing about the most shocking things on TV
Some guy talking about what words are offensive. It is my view that no word in itself is offensive, but the meaning behind it that causes the offence.
Now, the words they are using as examples are "wog, n****r, p**i, c***k" and so on. Are these words offensive straight away just because of past contexts in which they have been used, or does it need the feeling behind it?
I could use the example of black people referring to each other as "my n****r"
No offence between black people, (from what I’ve seen personally), and yet people that are not black seem to cause offence immediately. Just watch Rush Hour.
So, what are your thoughts on this potentially lockable topic?
Some guy talking about what words are offensive. It is my view that no word in itself is offensive, but the meaning behind it that causes the offence.
Now, the words they are using as examples are "wog, n****r, p**i, c***k" and so on. Are these words offensive straight away just because of past contexts in which they have been used, or does it need the feeling behind it?
I could use the example of black people referring to each other as "my n****r"
No offence between black people, (from what I’ve seen personally), and yet people that are not black seem to cause offence immediately. Just watch Rush Hour.
So, what are your thoughts on this potentially lockable topic?
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One thing we did at training school, (we used our time well), was to list all the names we could for the male genitals, female genitals and sex.
Do it and see which holds the more ‘offensive’ names.
Do it and see which holds the more ‘offensive’ names.
Well, take them both literally, and one is a general gender-free, broad term for a certain act.
And the other is a specific reference to a specific part of a specific gender. Bound for feminist back-lash. It does, of course (they cry) degrade women and make them an offense and a taboo. Never!
Actually, once upon a historical time, c*** was used medically with no reprimands.
Spot the English Language student.
And the other is a specific reference to a specific part of a specific gender. Bound for feminist back-lash. It does, of course (they cry) degrade women and make them an offense and a taboo. Never!
Actually, once upon a historical time, c*** was used medically with no reprimands.
Spot the English Language student.
The word means nothing to me now, but I used to have a loathing for it.
I don't understand how one word can sound harsher then another. Both four letters. Both one syllable. But one causes more offence to some people.
Why?
I don't understand how one word can sound harsher then another. Both four letters. Both one syllable. But one causes more offence to some people.
Why?
History, primarily.
I can't say n************* won't be acceptable in a hundred years time - if it falls out of use, or the reclaimation goes so far, if might well be. But it's been used so recently as extremely offensive, and times have changed so suddenly, it's kind of a reminder of how stupid things were - and you're basically endorsing that.
Perhaps 'nitty-gritty' was an extremly offensive term back in the days. But it obviously fell out of use in that way pretty quickly - as do thousands of phrases you have no idea what they literally mean. Over time, people forget.
As for (god, I hate saying this) "The C-Word", I have no idea.
To me, it's just like every other swear word. I don't think it'll last long before it's just another f***.
Perhaps it's just the sound of it - it's pretty harsh, pretty vulgar.
Perhaps you just haven't heard it in everyday conversation much. I use it just as much as f*** in conversation with mates, and it has about as much power - it's a non-word to me, meaningless, just for emphasis.
Or perhaps you're just a middle-class whiny nancyboy.
I can't say n************* won't be acceptable in a hundred years time - if it falls out of use, or the reclaimation goes so far, if might well be. But it's been used so recently as extremely offensive, and times have changed so suddenly, it's kind of a reminder of how stupid things were - and you're basically endorsing that.
Perhaps 'nitty-gritty' was an extremly offensive term back in the days. But it obviously fell out of use in that way pretty quickly - as do thousands of phrases you have no idea what they literally mean. Over time, people forget.
As for (god, I hate saying this) "The C-Word", I have no idea.
To me, it's just like every other swear word. I don't think it'll last long before it's just another f***.
Perhaps it's just the sound of it - it's pretty harsh, pretty vulgar.
Perhaps you just haven't heard it in everyday conversation much. I use it just as much as f*** in conversation with mates, and it has about as much power - it's a non-word to me, meaningless, just for emphasis.
Or perhaps you're just a middle-class whiny nancyboy.
FinalFantasyFanatic wrote:
> This is all PC toss, though.
I know, but that has caused no end of stress for people working in an already stressful job. It's pap, and pishing off pap at that.
> This is all PC toss, though.
I know, but that has caused no end of stress for people working in an already stressful job. It's pap, and pishing off pap at that.
But what is it that makes one swear word more taboo then another in the public's eyes?
I myself found myself with a dislike for "the C word"....but why?
I myself found myself with a dislike for "the C word"....but why?
English_Bloke wrote:
> I had a mate at work that got in trouble for saying "nitty
> gritty" once because apparently it refers to black slaves on
> ships. Getting down to the nitty gritty means going down to the
> bottom of the ship where the slaves slept.
>
> He got an official warning for saying it when someone took offence.
> He meant it in no way to be offensive, so is it the words or the
> meaning?
>
> Same as someone for asking for their coffee 'white with one'.
> Apparently we must say 'milk with one' so as not to cause offence....
This is all PC toss, though.
> I had a mate at work that got in trouble for saying "nitty
> gritty" once because apparently it refers to black slaves on
> ships. Getting down to the nitty gritty means going down to the
> bottom of the ship where the slaves slept.
>
> He got an official warning for saying it when someone took offence.
> He meant it in no way to be offensive, so is it the words or the
> meaning?
>
> Same as someone for asking for their coffee 'white with one'.
> Apparently we must say 'milk with one' so as not to cause offence....
This is all PC toss, though.
niggaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa what?
I've got no problem with regular swear words.
Not even c***, which is probably 'the last taboo' in swearing terms for some odd reason. It means nothing to me.
But with the strongest racist terms I do think they're automatically offensive ... because they are racist terms - that's what they were made up for. You can't really use them in any other kind of context - the history puts the brakes on it, and it seems pointless.
Of course the whole black guy to black guy thing you can't complain about. Reclaimation of language and all that. Same thing happened with 'gay' which is now the accepted term for it, despite once being an insult.
Although I doubt 'n*****' (swear filter works now - I forgot you can actually post what the hell you like in new topics. No rules apply) will come that far (pardon the expression) into acceptability, purely because of the word's history.
Not even c***, which is probably 'the last taboo' in swearing terms for some odd reason. It means nothing to me.
But with the strongest racist terms I do think they're automatically offensive ... because they are racist terms - that's what they were made up for. You can't really use them in any other kind of context - the history puts the brakes on it, and it seems pointless.
Of course the whole black guy to black guy thing you can't complain about. Reclaimation of language and all that. Same thing happened with 'gay' which is now the accepted term for it, despite once being an insult.
Although I doubt 'n*****' (swear filter works now - I forgot you can actually post what the hell you like in new topics. No rules apply) will come that far (pardon the expression) into acceptability, purely because of the word's history.
I had a mate at work that got in trouble for saying "nitty gritty" once because apparently it refers to black slaves on ships. Getting down to the nitty gritty means going down to the bottom of the ship where the slaves slept.
He got an official warning for saying it when someone took offence. He meant it in no way to be offensive, so is it the words or the meaning?
Same as someone for asking for their coffee 'white with one'. Apparently we must say 'milk with one' so as not to cause offence....
He got an official warning for saying it when someone took offence. He meant it in no way to be offensive, so is it the words or the meaning?
Same as someone for asking for their coffee 'white with one'. Apparently we must say 'milk with one' so as not to cause offence....
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