# PC terms taken to new heights of stupidity. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 30, 2005, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499 "2005-06-30T12:51:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/1 "2005-06-30T12:51:54Z")
> **[Brainstorms turn to showers](https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/jun/26/henrymcdonald.theobserver)** > > 'Brainstorming', the buzz term used by executives to generate ideas among their staff, has been deemed politically incorrect by civil servants because it is thought to be offensive to people with brain disorders. > [@](#): > > ‘Brainstorming’, the buzz term used by executives to generate ideas among their staff, has been deemed politically incorrect by civil servants because it is thought to be offensive to people with brain disorders. > > Instead staff at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (DETI) in Belfast will use the term ‘thought-showers’ when they get together to think creatively. Now I don’t mind PC terms at all. Why the hell not call people what they want to be called. But this. This is ridiculous. Brainstorm doesn’t have a history of being associated with epilepsy! Hey guys, let’s all get together and take a thought shower! As a dilletante meteorologist I find this term perjorative. I suggest Cerebral Sleeting. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/2 "2005-06-30T12:56:12Z")
Thought showers? How much longer must cultures who cannot bathe every day endure this harassment? ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/3 "2005-06-30T12:57:49Z")
I think if I were to come to work and find that I must replace “brainstorm” with “thought shower,” I would have to question either my sanity, or everyone else’s. ---
**Author:** ![Liz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/liz/32/17737_2.png) [@Liz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liz)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/4 "2005-06-30T12:58:50Z")
> [@KidCharlemagne](#): > > I suggest Cerebral Sleeting. My mother was almost killed in a sleet storm, you insensitive _bastard!_ We should have Synergy Blizzards. Just because it sounds like something you’d get at Dairy Queen. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/5 "2005-06-30T12:59:16Z")
Thought-showers? Sounds like a philosopher’s fetish ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/6 "2005-06-30T12:59:59Z")
> [@Liberal](#): > > Thought showers? How much longer must cultures who cannot bathe every day endure this harassment? Actually, the term is most offensive to those that think, which explains why the people who use it find it unoffensive. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/7 "2005-06-30T13:18:26Z")
_Brainstorm_ has been an informal term for seizures in the medical community since at least the 70’s. At least that’s when I first encountered it. I expect it pre-dates my era. ---
**Author:** ![Clothahump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Clothahump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clothahump)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/8 "2005-06-30T13:18:44Z")
> [@](#): > > PC terms taken to new heights of stupidity. That’s not really possible, because Political Correctness _IS_ the height of stupidity. Or depth, depending on mood… ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/9 "2005-06-30T13:19:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Instead staff … will use the term ‘thought-showers’ when they get together to think creatively. Thinking creatively is offensive to stupid people. They should drop this bigoted activity right away! ---
**Author:** ![DeadlyAccurate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@DeadlyAccurate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadlyAccurate)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/10 "2005-06-30T13:23:37Z")
> [@From the article](#): > > The move follows that of the Welsh Development Agency, responsible for promoting business in Wales, which ran a series of courses last year to teach staff to be more politically correct. ‘Brainstorming’ was on its list of banned words, **as well as ‘nit-picking’ and ‘manila’, because of their origins in the slave trade.** (bolding mine) Could someone explain this? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/11 "2005-06-30T13:24:10Z")
Okay, speaking as someone who is actually brain damaged.[1] I find this whole “thought shower” thing to be a welcome relief to the oppression I have felt whenever I hear someone use the term “Brainstorming.” I’m sorry, that was a typo. I meant stupid. [1] Seriously. Apparently, my sister was the only one who was not surprised by the diagnosis. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/12 "2005-06-30T13:27:29Z")
That article quote sounds like a spoof to me. Are you sure the date wasn’t April First? ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/13 "2005-06-30T13:35:09Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > That article quote sounds like a spoof to me. Are you sure the date wasn’t April First? Could be. Let’s have a synaptical tsunami and figure it out. ---
**Author:** ![Metacom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecae2f/32.png) [@Metacom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Metacom)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/14 "2005-06-30T13:40:05Z")
> [@Slacker](#): > > Could be. Let’s have a synaptical tsunami and figure it out. Please don’t make light of tsunami victims. ---
**Author:** ![The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_King\_of\_Soup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_King_of_Soup)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/15 "2005-06-30T13:44:59Z")
That use of brainstorm is archaic now, but it _was_ once used, commonly if not scientifically, to describe epilepsy and other disorders resulting in seizures. You can still find the terms associated, for example here: [http://hum-molgen.org/NewsGen/07-2003/msg15.html](http://hum-molgen.org/NewsGen/07-2003/msg15.html) and here: [http://www.usc.edu/hsc/info/pr/hmm/98winter/brainstorm.html](http://www.usc.edu/hsc/info/pr/hmm/98winter/brainstorm.html) . I think it surprising that anyone would find the term offensive when it is used in its more common current sense, but frankly “thought shower” is neither less nor more silly a phrase than “brainstorming” to describe what might be more plainly called “thinking.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/16 "2005-06-30T13:49:45Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Thought-showers? Sounds like a philosopher’s fetish Only if they’re golden. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/17 "2005-06-30T14:58:51Z")
How about instead of brainstorming or any of the other offensive terms you people have come up with, we just call it DOING YOUR FUCKING JOB! ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/18 "2005-06-30T15:13:56Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > How about instead of brainstorming or any of the other offensive terms you people have come up with, we just call it DOING YOUR FUCKING JOB! Someone need an inspirational poster in his/her office. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/19 "2005-06-30T15:20:12Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > How about instead of brainstorming or any of the other offensive terms you people have come up with, we just call it DOING YOUR FUCKING JOB! That would be insensitive to the unemployed. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2005, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499/20 "2005-06-30T15:22:19Z")
> [@DeadlyAccurate](#): > > Could someone explain this? Sort of. What you do is, you get a bunch of time-wasting morons with no real work to do to go through the whole dictionary looking for words for people to be virtuously offended by, devise suitably sanitised alternatives, wait for the alternatives to catch on and then rinse and repeat because by now the alternative is itself offensive. _I_ always thought “nit-picking” was a hangover from the days when just about _everyone_ was permanently lousy, not just slaves; and I also had the weird impression that “manila” had something to do with a place in the Phillipines. But then, I also think “rule of thumb” related to any rough estimate involving the human anatomy as a measuring instrument, and is nothing to do with legalised wife-beating, so what do I know? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pc-terms-taken-to-new-heights-of-stupidity/310499.md?page=2)