# Is the term "master bedroom" offensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 14, 2021, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001 "2021-04-14T20:50:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/121 "2021-04-16T00:08:01Z")
Yeah, that. šŸ„“ ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/122 "2021-04-16T00:13:29Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > Iā€™ve also heard ā€œprinciple bedroom.ā€ Is that better??? It seems likeā€¦ maybe not. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/123 "2021-04-16T00:23:08Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > [@carrps](#): > > > > Iā€™ve also heard ā€œprinciple bedroom.ā€ Is that better??? > > Principal bedroom might be even better. Itā€™s a principle of mine (and, I believe, of the NYState Building Code) that a residence ought to have at least one bedroom. (Though I think, if you go in for tiny houses, that sometimes it can just be a loft.) ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/124 "2021-04-16T00:26:19Z")
Hey, did anyone watch the Masterā€™s tournā€¦ I mean, the Primary tournament? Hidecki Matsuyama is the new Primary champion. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 2:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/125 "2021-04-16T02:07:35Z")
What about ā€œJedi Masterā€? Is that outdated, or sexist? šŸ˜‰ ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/126 "2021-04-16T02:11:42Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > Organized legal chattel slavery ended well over a hundred years ago. Even if we look past concentration/labor camps in Russia and Nazi Germany that existed considerably more recently than ā€˜well over a hundred years agoā€™, do you really think that just because legal slavery ended, illegal slavery hasnā€™t continued on? That no one has been forced to work, against their will, for no pay? That humans arenā€™t still bought and sold on the black market? > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Principal bedroom might be even better. Thatā€™s really going to play into the whole schoolgirl (or schoolboy) kink. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/127 "2021-04-16T03:19:20Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Hey, did anyone watch the Masterā€™s tourn You mean the [Augusta National Invitation Tournament](https://www.visitaugusta.com/the-masters/history-and-info/)? > [@](#): > > Roberts proposed the event be called the Masters Tournament, but Bobby Jones objected thinking it too presumptuous. The name Augusta National Invitation Tournament was adopted and the title was used for five years until 1939 when Jones relented and the name was officially changed. Such a pity that those hucksters pressured the laudably modest Jones to endorse the change from the original dignified and impressive title ā€œAugusta National Invitation Tournamentā€ to the braggy pompous name ā€œMastersā€. Maybe now that the word ā€œmasterā€ is getting somewhat deprecated, theyā€™ll consider returning to the original name. Or maybe not, since most people do perceive a difference in the connotations of the word ā€œmasterā€ as used to mean ā€œmaster of other peopleā€ā€”e.g., ā€œmaster of the houseā€ and especially ā€œmaster and slaveā€ā€”and ā€œmasterā€ as used to mean ā€œmaster of a craft or skillā€. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/128 "2021-04-16T03:28:32Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Hey, did anyone watch the Masterā€™s tournā€¦ I mean, the Primary tournament? Hidecki Matsuyama is the new Primary champion. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > What about ā€œJedi Masterā€? Is that outdated, or sexist? And then thereā€™s **[loadmaster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loadmaster)**, an air crew member responsible for loading, placing, and securing air cargo. Must be a holdover from the days of slavery. šŸ™„ , ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/129 "2021-04-16T03:36:41Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > And then thereā€™s **[loadmaster](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loadmaster)** , an air crew member responsible for loading, placing, and securing air cargo. Must be a holdover from the days of slavery. No, [late 1940s, apparently](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loadmaster#Late_1940s,_Korean_War,_and_the_1950s). I havenā€™t heard of anybody suggesting a replacement for the term ā€œloadmasterā€, but I guess you woke folks are more au courant with these developments than I am. ---
**Author:** ![Princhester](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3e96dc/32.png) [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/130 "2021-04-16T03:38:47Z")
Master Bates, however, is not actually a character in the UK Childrenā€™s TV show Captain Pugwash, despite rumours to the contrary. ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 9:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/131 "2021-04-16T09:41:20Z")
So what is going to replace master/slave in the technical world? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/132 "2021-04-16T12:00:44Z")
Iā€™m not sure there is a consensus, but some examples are controller/agent, controller/responder, primary/secondary, primary/replica. In just ā€œmasterā€ terminology, Github itself is changing over the default branch from ā€œmasterā€ to ā€œmain.ā€ ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/133 "2021-04-16T13:46:25Z")
> [@Princhester](#): > > Master Bates, however, is not actually a character in the UK Childrenā€™s TV show Captain Pugwash, despite rumours to the contrary. You mean the masterā€™s mate? šŸ™‚ As far as I know, academic masterā€™s degrees are still offered, as are master marinerā€™s licenses. On the technical side, I had some issues the other day with an audio ā€œslave driverā€. Thatā€™s what the documentation calls it. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/134 "2021-04-16T14:08:39Z")
Or master servant in the legal. IMO, an unfortunate result is that such silly word play as this tends to make me less sympathetic to what I consider to be the very real issues related to discrimination/prejudice/unequal opportunity. I realize that is not fully rational and that there can be merit in addressing injustices both large and small. But a part of me feels like, ā€œFine! Iā€™ll call it the principal bedroom. Weā€™re all good now on race issues, right?ā€ ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/135 "2021-04-16T14:32:48Z")
Using ā€œcontrollerā€ is confusing because these devices are controllers anyway. Primary and secondary is neutral, but does not express how certain devices work. Likewise,I am sure there are cases where a slave device is not just a replica. Ah well, PC runs riot once again. ---
**Author:** ![Ann\_Hedonia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ann_hedonia/32/319_2.png) [@Ann\_Hedonia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ann_Hedonia)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/136 "2021-04-16T15:00:10Z")
I spent 30 years working in residential construction, and I reviewed several dozen plans for high end end custom residences every year. I have seen the term Primary Bedroom exactly once, about 20 years ago. The client was British and he had brought over his own project managers, which was not typical. At one point I had a conversation with them about the Primary Bedroom terminology, asking them if it was a common term in England. They told me it was also the first time they had encountered the term and they had assumed it was an American thing. Until I stumbled on this thread, I never realized that the term might have been used because someone found the word ā€œmasterā€ offensive. Over 95% of the plans I reviewed used the term Master Bedroom. The ones that didnā€™t just numbered it . Typically, the ā€œnon-masterā€ bedrooms were labeled Bedroom 1, Bedroom 2, etc. Every now and then, someone would number the larger bedroom intended for the owner(s) of the home in the same way, usually (but not always) it was Bedroom 1. The homes I worked on usually had two bathrooms adjacent to the Master Bedroom and they were typically referred to as His Bath and Her Bath. I remember the conversations about master-slave equipment configurations (which figured prominently into the technical aspects of my work). I agreed that terminology was problematic, but it wasnā€™t the word ā€œmasterā€ that presented the problem, it was the other one. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/137 "2021-04-16T15:12:34Z")
> [@Ann\_Hedonia](#): > > Typically, the ā€œnon-masterā€ bedrooms were labeled Bedroom 1, Bedroom 2, etc. Every now and then, someone would number the larger bedroom intended for the owner(s) of the home in the same way, usually (but not always) it was Bedroom 1. This was where my head was going: why not number the bedrooms in order of the square footage _of_ the room. Largest = Bedroom #1 (ā€œEn suite,ā€ if it has one) Next largest = Bedroom #2 Wash. Rinse. Repeat. If more than one bedroom is the exact same square footage (not at all unusual), then you can number them 3a and 3b. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/138 "2021-04-16T15:17:50Z")
> [@DavidNRockies](#): > > If more than one bedroom is the exact same square footage (not at all unusual), then you can number them 3a and 3b. If youā€™re going to prioritize (a) and (b) you might as well just call them 3 and 4. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/139 "2021-04-16T15:21:26Z")
I first heard en suite on HGTV shows - many of which are/were filmed in Canada. Always struck me as European, and affected in the US. I never thought American language so impoverished that we needed to directly import a French term. And hell, enough Amurricans refer to a bedroom SUIT! If I were in the business, I could imagine referring to a bedroom with attached bath. Maybe a primary bedroom with attached bath. Our house has 3 bedrooms on the same level. One is clearly larger than the other 2. There are 2 bathrooms on the same floor, but neither is directly connected to the largest bathroom. When we remodeled, we didnā€™t see the need to change that. So - is the largest bedroom the master/principal/primary? Next up - we need a new term for ā€œJack and Jillā€ bathrooms! What if a family has only 1 gender kids? Or what if the kids donā€™t identify as binary? šŸ˜ƒ ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001/140 "2021-04-16T15:24:30Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > If youā€™re going to prioritize (a) and (b) you might as well just call them 3 and 4. The implication of my proposed taxonomy [pretentious douche mode OFF] is that 3a and 3b _are_ the same size. When it comes to, for example, parents trying to decide if theyā€™ll have to figure out who gets the larger bedroom, theyā€™d know at a glance that two of them are the same size. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-the-term-master-bedroom-offensive/940001.md?page=8)