# Euphemism treadmill: why is "\ people" not offensive, but "\" offensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 7, 2017, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemism-treadmill-why-is-adjective-people-not-offensive-but-adjectives-offensive/793044 "2017-08-07T23:31:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemism-treadmill-why-is-adjective-people-not-offensive-but-adjectives-offensive/793044/21 "2017-08-09T15:59:06Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > He’s butt-hurt over your description of Trump supporters in your second comparison. If that’s truly the case, then it’s a shame he didn’t have the courage on an internet message board to say so. “Sad!” ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemism-treadmill-why-is-adjective-people-not-offensive-but-adjectives-offensive/793044/22 "2017-08-09T17:09:47Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > He’s butt-hurt over your description of Trump supporters in your second comparison. Yeah, it should be "“I saw a transgender person being kicked and beaten by people who support Trump yesterday.” ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemism-treadmill-why-is-adjective-people-not-offensive-but-adjectives-offensive/793044/23 "2017-08-09T20:19:09Z")
Problematic people (problematics) talk about “blacks,” “Jews,” and “the gays,” so if you don’t want to associate yourself with them you can do so with somewhat clunkier language. You can save time and just say “whites,” though. I’ve been doing that for years and no one cares. [Example.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20361877&postcount=60) If your sentence is sufficiently radical then you’re unlikely to get pushback, e.g. Blacks should band together to overthrow white oppression. Some people are way behind on the treadmill. I’ve heard plenty of older boomers say things like, “She’s such a sweet colored girl.” I wonder if POC will be similarly out of touch in 50 years. Maybe the zeitgeist will lap itself. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemism-treadmill-why-is-adjective-people-not-offensive-but-adjectives-offensive/793044/24 "2017-08-10T01:33:22Z")
Huh? “Jew” is a noun, not an adjective There is nothing wrong with “Jews.” Except that problematics (heh) tend to use it in a pejorative way. Some sensitivity to context is important. “American Jews hold a range of opinions about Israel.” A-Ok. “Jews moved in next door.” Weird. Normal people would say “A Jewish family moved in” or “My new neighbors are Jewish.” > [@Ambivalid](#): > > “Person who uses a wheelchair/wheelchair user” instead of “wheelchair bound”. Not comparable. “Bound” is inherently non-neutral. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemism-treadmill-why-is-adjective-people-not-offensive-but-adjectives-offensive/793044/25 "2017-08-10T14:12:55Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > Problematic people (problematics) talk about “blacks,” “Jews,” and “the gays,” so if you don’t want to associate yourself with them you can do so with somewhat clunkier language. You can save time and just say “whites,” though. I’ve been doing that for years and no one cares. [Example.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=20361877&postcount=60) If your sentence is sufficiently radical then you’re unlikely to get pushback, e.g. Blacks should band together to overthrow white oppression. > > Some people are way behind on the treadmill. I’ve heard plenty of older boomers say things like, “She’s such a sweet colored girl.” I wonder if POC will be similarly out of touch in 50 years. Maybe the zeitgeist will lap itself. You mean “people who are problematic”. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemism-treadmill-why-is-adjective-people-not-offensive-but-adjectives-offensive/793044/26 "2017-08-10T14:14:45Z")
> [@snoe](#): > > See the concept of “people-(or person-)first language:” [People-first language - Wikipedia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/People-first_language). Avoiding dehumanization is a main goal. Though every rule has its exceptions, as is pointed out in the article: > [@](#): > > In Deaf culture, person-first language has long been rejected. Instead, Deaf culture uses Deaf-first language since being culturally deaf is a source of positive identity and pride.[10] Correct terms to use for this group would be “Deaf person” or “hard of hearing person”. This leads me to conclude it is not simply a matter of rules, but a test of cultural awareness. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemism-treadmill-why-is-adjective-people-not-offensive-but-adjectives-offensive/793044/27 "2017-08-10T14:26:57Z")
Which do you prefer: Offended people -or- Offendeds. that was meant as a joke ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemism-treadmill-why-is-adjective-people-not-offensive-but-adjectives-offensive/793044/28 "2017-08-10T14:35:41Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Which do you prefer: > > Offended people > > -or- > > Offendeds. > > that was meant as a joke “People who are offended” of course. Need to use a “people first” construction. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemism-treadmill-why-is-adjective-people-not-offensive-but-adjectives-offensive/793044/29 "2017-08-10T15:33:48Z")
Oh, sure, after years of “offenderati” being a perfectly cromulent word… > [@marshmallow](#): > > I’ve heard plenty of older boomers say things like, “She’s such a sweet colored girl.”. Og help me, I read that and got an image of a girl who’s light sky blue with an orange medial stripe and hot pink hair. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/euphemism-treadmill-why-is-adjective-people-not-offensive-but-adjectives-offensive/793044.md?page=1)