# Disgusting euphemisms **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 5, 2004, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682 "2004-03-05T11:41:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/61 "2004-03-06T11:32:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Seriously, how do, say, news broadcasts, etc, who have chosen to use Af.-Am. meaning “black American” describe black non-Americans apart from “African-American whoops”? “African-Briton”, etc would make sense, but I bet they don’t. It’s been mentioned in other threads, but apparently some moron journalists (not myself or anybody else here, of course) are using the term “African-American” to describe black people no matter what country they’re actually from, which is insane. African-American was never a good euphemism because it’s less precise than the word it replaces. It doesn’t just leave out white South Africans, it ignores the Arabs living in North Africa. It’s really pretty ridiculous how nitpicky it’s getting. **Weirddave** , I have a friend in a wheelchair who’s got a similar sense of humor about it. I was so relieved when I first heard him kid about it, I can’t even begin to explain. He sometimes does play-by-play for our sports teams, here’s a great quote he used during a football game: “That hole was so big that I could have [very long pause as he realizes that he can’t run but that people listening on the radio don’t know he’s in a wheelchair and it would take too long to explain and it’s not worth it] . . . run … through it…” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 12:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/62 "2004-03-06T12:35:13Z")
> [@BiblioCat](#): > > [Smart-Ass] > Can I call myself a “Native American”? My family’s been in American for about 150 years. Doesn’t that make me a native of America? > [/Smart-Ass] You’re a native American, but not a Native American. Small difference, but seems to be clear enough to me. > [@rkts](#): > > True, but saying a person “_is_ black” – referring to whole person as simply _black_ – puts no less priority on the color of their skin. Calling them “a black” is simply a shortening. > > The creation of a noun from an adjective is very common and is responsible for countless everyday words: a blond is one who is blond, a president is one who presides (-ent being the equivalent of -ing), an accountant is one who accounts (-ant also), an official is one who holds office. BUT…the _implication_ of “A black” is that this is the most significant thing about the person in question. Which is hardly ever the case. There’s nothing wrong with calling Bush ‘President’, because it IS important. And you were unfortunate in choosing ‘Blond’ for your argument - never heard of Blonde Jokes? ---
**Author:** ![alexandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e68b1a/32.png) [@alexandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alexandra)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/63 "2004-03-06T12:57:53Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > The English perspective: ‘Afro-Caribbean’ is the standard term in Britain to describe black immigrants from that region, and their descendents, who make up the majority of black people in this country. Black Americans are just called American, with black used without capitalisation if relevant. ‘Hispanic’ is hardly ever heard. ‘Black British’ is a standard term, _with_ capitals, generally accepted by the communities in question: [Home - Office for National Statistics](http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=459) > > The other significant difference to American phrases is ‘Asian’ - here it tends to mean Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Sri Lankan. Japanese, Koreans etc are called by their nationalities, or ‘SE Asian’. or Oriental, which seems to be less offensive in Britain than the USA. I find it odd that someone would prefer Afro Caribbean over Black British, it seems to imply that you aren’t as British as white people, that you’re still classed as foreign. Not that there’s anything wrong with being foreign, but you know what I mean. I don’t have a problem with PC, maybe because I never hear objections to the terms black, handicapped, mixed race (in fact it would be nice if some people knew that that was the preferable term to half caste) etc. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/64 "2004-03-06T16:46:42Z")
> [@Chotii](#): > > …differently _orientated_. Get it right. I’ll second that… And when did racialists become racists? Or Peking become Beijing? Or Bombay become Mumbai? It’s the BBC I tell you… ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/65 "2004-03-06T17:12:56Z")
> [@](#): > > The city was called Bombay for much of the last four hundred years. The origin of the name is obscure, but is often said to come from the Portuguese phrase bom bahia meaning “good bay”. The name Mumbai has been used in the main local languages for as long, and is ascribed to the local goddess, Mumba (ai means mother in Marathi). The name of the city was changed to Mumbai by an act of the parliament in 1997. [The Mumbai Pages: The complete guide to the city of Mumbai (Bombay)](http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/) Nowt to do with the Beeb… > [@](#): > > The words are often used interchangeably but a distinction can be made. A racialist is someone who believes in the superiority of one race (usually white) over another (usually black or coloured), and who voices their views when surrounded (and outnumbered) by representatives of the ‘other’ race… > > A racist is more of a theorist, believing that race is what determines a person’s characteristics, so that some races are superior to others So not all racists are racialist, and vice versa. The BBC report correct usage here (had to throw in a Beeb link 😛 ): [BBC NEWS | UK | Fan convicted over racist chant](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2993908.stm) ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/66 "2004-03-06T17:53:09Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > [The Mumbai Pages: The complete guide to the city of Mumbai (Bombay)](http://theory.tifr.res.in/bombay/) > > Nowt to do with the Beeb… > > So not all racists are racialist, and vice versa. The BBC report correct usage here (had to throw in a Beeb link 😛 ): [BBC NEWS | UK | Fan convicted over racist chant](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2993908.stm) OK, I jumped to conclusions with ‘Mumbai’, but after ‘Beijing’… and have you noticed the BBC have started pronouncing ‘Newcastle’ lately? Pandering to the myth that received pronunciation is a southern accent. I look forward to the day when I hear a BBC newsreader say 'Wist ‘am’ or ‘Lu’un’… I won’t hold my breath though, they can’t even say ‘Millwall’ correctly. The BBC link just proves my point… The BBC calls him a racist, the judge called him a racialist… While I can’t imagine him being surrounded and outnumbered by those of another race at Port Vale v Oldham, he didn’t come across as a deep-thinking theorist… Another thing, Beeb lover, You’ll be in Alisdair Campbell’s Black Book - Come The Revolution you’ll be first up against the wall… ---
**Author:** ![rkts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c4cdca/32.png) [@rkts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rkts)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/67 "2004-03-06T18:55:50Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > BUT…the _implication_ of “A black” is that this is the most significant thing about the person in question. No. It is not. It is simply a shortening. > [@](#): > > There’s nothing wrong with calling Bush ‘President’, because it IS important. Again, there is no implication of importance in changing “president” from an adjective to a noun. It was done simply because “President” is shorter than “The one who is President.” > [@](#): > > And you were unfortunate in choosing ‘Blond’ for your argument - never heard of Blonde Jokes? What in the world do you mean by this? Are “blonde people jokes” somehow less offensive than “blonde jokes”? Or do you think there wouldn’t be blonde jokes if we called them “blonde people” instead of just “blondes”? ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/68 "2004-03-06T22:31:26Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > So not all racists are racialist, and vice versa. The BBC report correct usage here (had to throw in a Beeb link 😛 ): [BBC NEWS | UK | Fan convicted over racist chant](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2993908.stm) Huh. I always thought “racialist” was just the UK way of saying “racist.” Like how you guys pronounce “aluminum.” Didn’t realize there was actually a difference between the two. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/69 "2004-03-06T23:23:42Z")
> [@Priam](#): > > And I’m a faggot or a queer. Don’t try to find polite ways to say this fact and sure as fuck don’t tell people I’m “that way”. It’s a technically correct label and the fact that people sometimes use it as abuse isn’t gonna scare this fag off it. Besides, it defangs things so beautifully to just say “Yup!” when someone throws them at you. Well, if you say so, **Priam** , but I’ve learned on this board that for too many people, “faggot” is the last word they hear just before someone smacks the living daylights out of them with a bottle or whatever. So to demonstrate that I’m not wholly incorrigible, and because any putative hatred of gays I might have is far outweighed by the genuine hatred I do have for cruel and senseless violence, I’ve quietly resolved to restrict the use of the word to “a bundle of firewood” or “a delicious savoury English meatball, the composition of which you do not want to enquire too closely into”. OTOH, I understand that, like the N-word, it’s okay to use it if you are one. ---
**Author:** ![Cosmopolitan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/94ad74/32.png) [@Cosmopolitan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cosmopolitan)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2004, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/70 "2004-03-06T23:43:40Z")
Originally posted by **Weirddave** : > [@](#): > > Andy cocked his head back, grinned his biggest grin and said:“Hell, I’m not physically challenged, I’m a fucking cripple!” That sounds like something I’d say; “cripple” is the word I tend to use amongst people whom I know won’t have a coronary upon hearing it. Heehee. I hate “physically challenged” & I loathe “differently abled”. Gimme a fucking break. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/71 "2004-03-07T12:24:03Z")
> [@rkts](#): > > No. It is not. It is simply a shortening. Well, I’ve tried to explain why it can be offensive, but you won’t accept it. Don’t blame me if people take offence at you using that word. > [@](#): > > Again, there is no implication of importance in changing “president” from an adjective to a noun. Yes there is. It becomes a title, which indicates importance. > [@](#): > > Or do you think there wouldn’t be blonde jokes if we called them “blonde people” instead of just “blondes”? I’ve met plenty of people who hate being described as ‘a blonde’. > [@mascaroni](#): > > The BBC link just proves my point… > The BBC calls him a racist, the judge called him a racialist… Should have explained myself better - the magistrate described _his behaviour_, ie the outspoken chanting, as racialist. From this, we can draw the conclusion that the man is racist. ---
**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/72 "2004-03-07T13:41:29Z")
This is about a euphemism I do not like. I have a mental illness. Sometimes I think about hanging myself or electrocuting myself or making a quick left into oncoming traffic. In the past these thoughts have scared me, I have checked myself into a hospital. When they interview you for admission they always ask, “Do you want to hurt yourself?” My reply is, “No, I want to die. I don’t want to hurt anymore, that’s the whole point.” ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/73 "2004-03-07T15:05:42Z")
> [@](#): > > I swear I once overheard someone say that a recently deceased relative had been “taken home by the Lord.” Ohhh, this is really creepy and annoying. If someone said this to me about my husband ( who is in perfect health, TYVM) I would say, " Well You just tell Jesus Christ and his Dad to get Mr. Ujest right back here, I need the screens put in for spring." ---
**Author:** ![Denis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5e9695/32.png) [@Denis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Denis)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/74 "2004-03-07T22:30:29Z")
I’m being treated for depression. Before I was being treated, I was not “metally ill,” I was _crazy_. I wasn’t “self-destructive,” I was _suicidal_. Much that contributed to my latest depression was legal problems. I was cleared. However, I am not left with “issues” about the legal problems, I become _enraged_ when reminded of them, though this happens less and less. (I got better!) My personality impresses some people as “curmudgeonly.” Please, just call me a _prick_ and be done with it. Then decide whether or not you like me. ---
**Author:** ![Lady\_Eboshi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/57b2e6/32.png) [@Lady\_Eboshi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lady_Eboshi)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/75 "2004-03-07T23:26:03Z")
> [@rkts](#): > > The creation of a noun from an adjective is very common and is responsible for countless everyday words: a blond is one who is blond, a president is one who presides (-ent being the equivalent of -ing), an accountant is one who accounts (-ant also), an official is one who holds office. I practice irony. Does that make me an iron? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/76 "2004-03-08T19:05:00Z")
> [@cheddarsnax](#): > > So what are you trying to say, **Priam**? Are you “differently oriented”? Foul! That should be “differently Asianed” ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/77 "2004-03-08T20:00:55Z")
> [@yellowval](#): > > I do agree that African-American is a silly term, especially when used in reference to someone from another country. > However, I do believe that the term “Native American” has merit. The term “Indian,” of course, should be used to refer to someone who’s from India. Calling a Native American an Indian makes as much sense as calling Nelson Mandela an African-American, IMO. Oo! Personal pet peeve! Just let me try and get away with “Indian-American”\* and see what people think. Especially since I’m very fair-skinned. I always use Native American, but I’m tired of having to say “I’m Indian.” (pause, blank look) “From _India_.” Sometimes I’ve even had people jump in the pause and ask me “what tribe?” I’ve resorted to saying “I was born in India.” \*Not that I would call myself that anyway. I’m _American_, goddamnit. ---
**Author:** ![Feit\_C\_Taj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@Feit\_C\_Taj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Feit_C_Taj)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/78 "2004-03-08T21:08:08Z")
> [@Cosmopolitan](#): > > Originally posted by **Weirddave** : That sounds like something I’d say; “cripple” is the word I tend to use amongst people whom I know won’t have a coronary upon hearing it. Heehee. I hate “physically challenged” & I loathe “differently abled”. Gimme a fucking break. The big thing about all these terms is that they were made up, supposedly, to improve the “affected” person’s self esteem, when in actuality, it’s really for the speaker’s. You _know_, deep down, they’re saying to themselves, “Oh I’m such a wonderful person because I’m being nice to the gimp!” ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/79 "2004-03-08T22:15:06Z")
**Doktor Fluff** , DING DING DING!!! You are so right it hurts. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2004, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682/80 "2004-03-08T22:46:32Z")
I’ve never known a person with physical disabilities who didn’t despise the term “differently-abled,” but if you really want to get slammed in the nuts with a wheelchair call them “handi-capable.” 😃 OTOH, I’ve never encountered an African-American who objected to the word “black.” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/disgusting-euphemisms/232682.md?page=5)