I was thinking about MGs this morning. The Austin-Healey Sprite was re-badged as the MG Midget. I thought about the name, and then thought amout midget racing. While the MGs are gone these 25 years, we still have midget racing.
Is ‘midget’ an acceptable word (i.e., not offensive) when it does not refer to people?
It was my understanding that the term is only offensive when referring to a person. Dictionary.com seems to agree with that. It only lists that particular usage as Offensive.
One of the many things that baffles me is that “people under a certain height” claim to want to be referred to as “little people.” A more offensive and condescending term I cannot imagine! I wonder who decided on this, and how many people actually prefer the medical terms dwarf and midget, but are out-shouted by the “little people” advocates?
As I understand it, the word “dwarf” is not regarded as offensive. The rationale for excluding “midget,” I think, is that it has been used mainly in the context of describing side-show freaks.