Okay, first we have the idiots who got up in arms over the use of the term “niggardly”.
Now we have this:
So, can somebody explain to me how such incredible levels of inarticulation have become so popular among the “educated”?
Is that really true? If so, then it is hilarious. Just another example of the general dumbing down of society, I guess.
Why is this an example of the “dumbing down” of society? Because one idiot can’t understand the diference between two similar sounding words and has a temper tantrum?
He “stormed out of the room?” Doesn’t that make him a “storm trooper?”
Nazi! Nazi!!!
Post a link maybe you could?
Great OP, Dogface!
I suspect many of these people dropped out of school when they heard that they’d have to matriculate.
And they’re opposed to women actors, who, everyone knows, are all Thespians.
God forbid they ever hold hearings on medicine – self-proclaimed pediatricians might testify!
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/op-ed/perkins/20030829-9999_mz1e29perkin.html
Different account, same story.
Mind you, this doesn’t make Hanson any less the fearmonger and nutbar, but it’s still pretty stupid behavior on the part of de Jesus. One would have hoped that they who style themselves the forces of “reason” and “tolerance” would be a bit brighter than that.
Anyone wanna chip in to get de Jesus a “Word-a-Day” calendar?
This is a good idea for me…
I would like to have “a word a day” calendar.
And then I come to this board to bring the word of the day in practice.
That would make my posts understandable for the readers, no?
Salaam. A
“Oh, I conquer.” (Simpson’s reference)
It’s pretty ridiculous. I think it shows that people tend to look for the worst - and find it, albeit incorrectly.
When I first read the word “niggardly”, I did a double-take. But I looked at the context - and eventually a dictionary - and now I like the word. This, mainly because it infuriates people who are too careless to figure out what it means, and take it as a racial slur.
Well, I’m as un-PC as you can get, but I can see why some black people don’t like the word niggardly. Even though it doesn’t have anything to do with race, it still kind of sticks in their craw a little bit. The “n-word” has been made so taboo and so powerful that you can’t expect it not too.
White people seeing it would probably think it’s a little strange but kind of funny, but from a different perspective, it probably makes them feel a little uncomfortable, like “what are you really trying to say!”.
No, for goodness sake, the word ‘niggardly’ has no racist connotations.
As demonstrated by Polycarp’s brilliant post, a word that sounds a little (or maybe even a lot) similar to an offensive term is not automatically a reference to that term, or an attempt to make a veiled racist comment.
Anyway, bet de Jesus felt like a right muffin
Won’t someone think of the children?!
Well, two posts up, TonyJ says:
So he goes out the way to use the word “niggardly”, not because it’s a useful word, but just to rouse “ignorant” people who might mistake it as a racial slur. That’d make me wonder “what are you really trying to say”.
Reminds me of a cow-orker of mine. A few of us were talking and she said something that I didn’t catch so I said “What?” and she answered “If you said “what” than you must have heard me.” and I answered “I heard something, but it was unintelligible.”
Well, this woman went on a 10 minute tirade about how I called her stupid. I let her go on and on, saying once “if the shoe fits.” Another co-worker explained what “unintelligible” meant.
If you live long enough, all sorts of things will “stick in your craw a little bet.” Learn to deal with it, or don’t live so damned long.
This kind of idiocy is not unique to the US. I remember an occurrence in Germany that was widely reported on at the time (sorry, no cite - it was circa twenty years ago, before the advent of the Web).
A Berlin alternative paper mentioned that “it is an open secret in Berlin society that [name of a conservative city councillor] is heterosexual”.
The politician had his lawyer make the paper publish a rebuttal in the paper, under his legal right of reply. Which made people doubt the education of the councillor and his lawyer, of course.
Way back in junior high school I asked a female classmate, “So, are you heterosexual?”
With much indignation she retorted, “No!”
It was quite funny.
Poly, I surprised you missed this one.
cunctipotent
The difference in demagogue and demigod has led to some red faces.