Should we stop using certain words?

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Seeing Saxi's thread about political correctness in Washington reminded me.
It’s bit odd, but it seems that when I’m not consciously choosing my words, I tend to occasionally use uncommon or archaic language. Typically it’s no big deal, sometimes I might say “dost” or “pray tell”, but lately listening to my family, I have become a bit concerned over the potential for misunderstanding.
I have no freaking idea why some of my family members pepper their talk with Shakespearean terms, but they sometime say things like “Oh, you seem to be in a gay mood today.” or “His behavior was very queer.” I don’t think they are being at all ironic either, though I’m wondering if these terms are unacceptable in this day and age due to the connotations they have gained as slurs.

Should we stop using the classic definitions of certain words, and/or stop using them all together?

PS: Before you ask; I am unfortunately not trolling or joking about this.

[rishaed]

I see no problem with it. Used in context they still should have the same meaning as previously, and when asked said user may respond with the correct definition of what they are saying.

[Dukasaur]

I'm totally in with creative linguology! So wearisome it is, repeating the same tired old words for the same tired old concepts. By all means, pepper your speech with words that you have found off the beaten path, my droogie!

Sometimes misunderstanding results, but I blame the addlepated moth-brains that prefer a canned bromide to an adumbration!

[DoomYoshi]

Just use the Jesse Helms approach:

"I don't understand why we call these people gay, there's nothing gay about them"

Ah, Jesse Helms, the last American politician. The founder of the Reprocratocracy too, though.

[Woodruff]

Seeing Saxi's thread about political correctness in Washington reminded me.
It’s bit odd, but it seems that when I’m not consciously choosing my words, I tend to occasionally use uncommon or archaic language. Typically it’s no big deal, sometimes I might say “dost” or “pray tell”, but lately listening to my family, I have become a bit concerned over the potential for misunderstanding.
I have no freaking idea why some of my family members pepper their talk with Shakespearean terms, but they sometime say things like “Oh, you seem to be in a gay mood today.” or “His behavior was very queer.” I don’t think they are being at all ironic either, though I’m wondering if these terms are unacceptable in this day and age due to the connotations they have gained as slurs.

Should we stop using the classic definitions of certain words, and/or stop using them all together?

PS: Before you ask; I am unfortunately not trolling or joking about this.

It seems to me that it would normally be VERY clear if someone were using one of those terms in a pejorative sense, based on other clues/indicators like tone of voice and such.

[Army of GOD]

if we stop using words like "gay" and whatnot, then it's only logically sound if we remove any word that can possibly be deemed offensive to any group. "Fat", "short", "blond", "blue-eyed" etc. And I think we can all agree that that is fucking ridiculous.

"We must all be alike. Not everyone born free and equal, as the Constitution says, but everyone made equal. Each man the image of every other; then all are happy, for there are no mountains to make them cower, to judge themselves against. So! A book is a loaded gun in the house next door. Burn it. Take the shot from the weapon."

[john9blue]

use whatever words you want as long as they effectively convey your ideas

nobody can tell you what words you "should" use

[Lindax]

use whatever words you want as long as they effectively convey your ideas

nobody can tell you what words you "should" use

Mmmm.... Here on this site they certainly tell which words one cannot use.

Lx

[Army of GOD]

use whatever words you want as long as they effectively convey your ideas

nobody can tell you what words you "should" use

shut your filthy mouth

[john9blue]

use whatever words you want as long as they effectively convey your ideas

nobody can tell you what words you "should" use

Mmmm.... Here on this site they certainly tell which words one cannot use.

Lx

no they don't. i never said that certain words wouldn't have consequences...

[Frigidus]

Very few words have one and only one meaning. As long as the person you're talking to understands what you mean you're fine. A lack of understanding will eventually filter things out of use without any need for discussion.

[Woodruff]

use whatever words you want as long as they effectively convey your ideas

I think that's what he's saying...can those words still effectively convey his ideas (outside of his family).

[Woodruff]

use whatever words you want as long as they effectively convey your ideas

nobody can tell you what words you "should" use

Mmmm.... Here on this site they certainly tell which words one cannot use.

Lx

no they don't. i never said that certain words wouldn't have consequences...

Isn't that effectively telling you what words you SHOULD use...if there are negative consequences to using some words?

[john9blue]

use whatever words you want as long as they effectively convey your ideas

nobody can tell you what words you "should" use

Mmmm.... Here on this site they certainly tell which words one cannot use.

Lx

no they don't. i never said that certain words wouldn't have consequences...

Isn't that effectively telling you what words you SHOULD use...if there are negative consequences to using some words?

if the negative consequences are outweighed by the benefits (e.g. you were going to leave this site anyway and wanted to go out with a bang) then those negative consequences don't succeed in dictating what you should do.

[Woodruff]

use whatever words you want as long as they effectively convey your ideas

nobody can tell you what words you "should" use

Mmmm.... Here on this site they certainly tell which words one cannot use.

Lx

no they don't. i never said that certain words wouldn't have consequences...

Isn't that effectively telling you what words you SHOULD use...if there are negative consequences to using some words?

if the negative consequences are outweighed by the benefits (e.g. you were going to leave this site anyway and wanted to go out with a bang) then those negative consequences don't succeed in dictating what you should do.

Incorrect - they don't succeed in dictating what we CAN do. But they absolutely are telling us what we SHOULD do.

[john9blue]

Isn't that effectively telling you what words you SHOULD use...if there are negative consequences to using some words?

if the negative consequences are outweighed by the benefits (e.g. you were going to leave this site anyway and wanted to go out with a bang) then those negative consequences don't succeed in dictating what you should do.

Incorrect - they don't succeed in dictating what we CAN do. But they absolutely are telling us what we SHOULD do.

you're assuming that the CC mods know better than me what words are inappropriate in a given situation. i refute that assumption how very authoritarian of you.

[Juan_Bottom]

I'm done calling people retarded, which happened because of CC. And I would never in a million years use the N word.

My language also changes with whatever literature I am reading. When I read Don Quixote, I spoke like Don Quixote. When I read A Connecticut Yankee, I spoke like Mark Twain.

Once, I had a very long and hilarious conversation with my mother and our Mexican-American neighbors where we argued about whether or not it was correct to call white Americans from South Africa -- "African Americans" -- or not. Could they just tick that box on a college application form? Somehow Die Antwoord got mixed in there, and now everybody here calls black people Ninjas.

[Woodruff]

Isn't that effectively telling you what words you SHOULD use...if there are negative consequences to using some words?

if the negative consequences are outweighed by the benefits (e.g. you were going to leave this site anyway and wanted to go out with a bang) then those negative consequences don't succeed in dictating what you should do.

Incorrect - they don't succeed in dictating what we CAN do. But they absolutely are telling us what we SHOULD do.

you're assuming that the CC mods know better than me what words are inappropriate in a given situation.

On this site? Do you understand the CC mods role on this site?

i refute that assumption how very authoritarian of you.

I don't make the rules on this site.

Do you understand the difference between the words "can" and "should"? I ask because they're critical to the disagreement we're having, and it doesn't seem as though you're willing to recognize the difference between the two.

[Gabriel13]

Well.. Technically, you can use any word you want, as long as it isn't being used in an offensive manner.

[Woodruff]

Well.. Technically, you can use any word you want, as long as it isn't being used in an offensive manner.

That's really not true, or at least hasn't been in the past. People have recieved punishment for the use of a particular word IN AN EXPLANATION that was not in any way offensive. I don't recall the specific instance, but I do definitely remember it happening.

[Agent 86]

Is this appropiate, I say f*ck yeah!!

I got avatared by some lame shit. Change it wanker Yeah it's not me but looks like it. I got pissed off with you freemium..cough up $25 bucks and I might forgive you

I'll give you chilli peppers where you have to breath through your penis!!. Yep I said it Pirlo would be so proud of me..Penis, penis, penis...

So spam away my friends, I think it's appropriate when someone starts a thread which is meaningless

[mordigan]

the word 'idiot' was originally a term for a mentally ill person. it became an insult through being used as an insult.

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Well.. Technically, you can use any word you want, as long as it isn't being used in an offensive manner.

That's really not true, or at least hasn't been in the past. People have recieved punishment for the use of a particular word IN AN EXPLANATION that was not in any way offensive. I don't recall the specific instance, but I do definitely remember it happening.

That is true, there was the incident over a southwest employee reciting a nursery rhyme, and several incidents over the word "niggardly".

The word "niggardly" of course simply means "miserly". I not personally think that anyone is wrong in using it as it was intended, though on the other hand, it way not be worth including a word in one's vocabulary if it has the potential to get one fired, albeit due to the second party's ignorance.

[Woodruff]

Well.. Technically, you can use any word you want, as long as it isn't being used in an offensive manner.

That's really not true, or at least hasn't been in the past. People have recieved punishment for the use of a particular word IN AN EXPLANATION that was not in any way offensive. I don't recall the specific instance, but I do definitely remember it happening.

That is true, there was the incident over a southwest employee reciting a nursery rhyme, and several incidents over the word "niggardly".

The word "niggardly" of course simply means "miserly". I not personally think that anyone is wrong in using it as it was intended, though on the other hand, it way not be worth including a word in one's vocabulary if it has the potential to get one fired, albeit due to the second party's ignorance.

Actually, I was just referring to here on this site. And the word was close to one you used there.

[john9blue]

i refute that assumption how very authoritarian of you.

I don't make the rules on this site.

Do you understand the difference between the words "can" and "should"? I ask because they're critical to the disagreement we're having, and it doesn't seem as though you're willing to recognize the difference between the two.

the words one "should" use are dictated by morality. whatever moral system you follow will tell you what words you believe "should" be used. my moral system is not "whatever the CC mods say is right" and therefore i don't think they can tell me what words i "should" use.

simple enough?