# People aren't Aspergers! They HAVE Asperger's! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 13, 2011, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288 "2011-06-13T04:27:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2011, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/61 "2011-06-14T20:19:44Z")
> [@Lasciel](#): > > If there is a medical condition that you are worried about, it seems to me that you would bother to find out the correct definition, pronunciation, and spelling of said condition in standard English usage, in order to find the best and most reliable information about it. I agree that some people sometimes don’t _know_ certain words. No doubt some people don’t actually know “diabetes” and “library.” But your characterization of “DIE-beetus” for example makes me think that you’re identifying a certain pronunciation which includes all the right letters in the right places–the word is _known_ perfectly well–but in which the sound of the _A_ recedes and may seem to disappear to people who personally say it differently. I don’t believe in “standard” pronunciations, just correct ones. Since the word “diabetes” doesn’t belong to any particular set of people (the way, say, a place or personal name does) there can be multiple pronunciations which are equally correct; incidence of each will vary by circle, but the less common ones (again, _with knowledge_ of the word) aren’t _wrong_. (This is the same thing I was talking about with respect to [the word “anesthesia” and its derivatives](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=612000), in which some pronunciations allow the _H_ to recede. And again with the first _R_ of “library.”) Just because your speech may conform to a majority group’s patterns in a particular place doesn’t mean that yours is the only correct. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2011, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/62 "2011-06-15T05:45:15Z")
Dr. just told me I’m depression. Now I has a sad. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/63 "2011-06-21T18:30:24Z")
Another example, from the hold message at my health insurance company: “If you experience dizziness, nausea, headaches, or _lightheaded_, contact your doctor immediately.” And from a roller coaster at the local amusement park (paraphrased): “If you have diabetes, motion sickness, _pregnant_, or other medical conditions, do not ride the GutTwister 2000.” Fucking morons. ---
**Author:** ![tnetennba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7993a0/32.png) [@tnetennba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tnetennba)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/64 "2011-06-21T18:53:21Z")
That kind of bad grammar makes me a headache. ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/65 "2011-06-21T19:09:00Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > the term “aspie” makes me think of baby talk People who use the term “aspie” should be locked in the fucking closet to starve to death with the people who use the term “sammy” for sandwich. ---
**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:** [June 21, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/66 "2011-06-21T20:33:48Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > It’s not any shorter to say you are something than to say you have it. And it’s a fundamentally different paradigm. In general, it’s an unhealthy attitude to have, as it implies you believe you are defined by your medical disorder, and treatment requires you not to accept that. > > I have OCD. I am not OCD, as that would imply that I have no other qualities whatsoever. > > And, sorry, but Aspie is the accepted term. It was created by those with Asperger’s to create a little subcommunity. :rolleyes: I’m guessing the self-diagnosed and their “Aspies Are Actually Indigo Children” friends. Quit presuming to speak for everyone. Fuck that that shit. I say I’m OCD all the time. People know what I mean. It’s called _slang_. I once read an article from the Epilepsy Foundation complaining about people who call themselves “epileptics”. You should say you ARE epileptic, or you have epilepsy. Screw that. I’m an epileptic and I’m OCD. > [@neuroman](#): > > People who use the term “aspie” should be locked in the fucking closet to starve to death with the people who use the term “sammy” for sandwich. What about sammish? ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/67 "2011-06-21T20:49:03Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I once read an article from the Epilepsy Foundation complaining about people who call themselves “epileptics”. You should say you ARE epileptic, or you have epilepsy. Screw that. I’m an epileptic and I’m OCD. I suppose I can understand why people do this with the acronym disorders. You really should say “I’m OC” (“I’m obsessive-compulsive”), but that is a little confusing (You’re a crappy TV show?) So I understand the need for “I’m OCD”, as there is no correct adjective to use that is not unwieldy. However, “epileptic” is the correct adjective. What bothers me are people who say “She’s epilepsy” instead of “She’s epileptic”, because they’re too stupid to know the proper word. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/68 "2011-06-21T22:22:43Z")
One can have schizoid personality disorder. And they can also be described as schizoid. (Same with schizotypal). Just an example of how sometimes it depends on the word. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/69 "2011-06-21T22:25:52Z")
> [@monstro](#): > > One can have schizoid personality disorder. And they can also be described as schizoid. (Same with schizotypal). > > Just an example of how sometimes it depends on the word. I remember reading a review for one of the _Lord of the Rings_ films, where they described Gollum as “schizoid.” :smack: No, if you’re talking about schizophrenia, then you should at least used “schizo.” Gollum isn’t schizoid as he didn’t live alone in a cave by choice. And even then, he’s not schizophrenic, I think they meant to use it to refer to Dissociative Identity Disorder, aka “Multiple Personality Disorder.” ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/70 "2011-06-21T22:45:10Z")
People aren’t PhDs! They HAVE PhDs! The entire Academo-American community is probably outraged at such inconsiderate usage and lack of sensitivity. > [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Us crazy. That’s “Youse crazy.” I’m offended you didn’t use the proper spelling. That is so disrespectful of the Western New York culture, and all those of Western New Yorkian descent. I’ll see you in the Pit. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/71 "2011-06-21T23:00:30Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > I remember reading a review for one of the _Lord of the Rings_ films, where they described Gollum as “schizoid.” :smack: > > No, if you’re talking about schizophrenia, then you should at least used “schizo.” Gollum isn’t schizoid as he didn’t live alone in a cave by choice. And even then, he’s not schizophrenic, I think they meant to use it to refer to Dissociative Identity Disorder, aka “Multiple Personality Disorder.” “Schizoid” gets misused almost as much as “schizophrenic” does. “Schizoid” is not short-hand for “schizophrenic”–it’s something all-together different. Fortunately I’ve only see this mistake on the internet. And I bet the people using the word in this way don’t even pronounce it correctly. But when people misuse “schizophrenic”–as in “The weather has been quite schizophrenic lately”–I don’t bother correcting them. “The weather has been quite MPD lately” just doesn’t have the same ring to it and I know what they’re trying to say anyway. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/72 "2011-06-21T23:04:16Z")
Yes, in my experience, people **have** Aspergers. Come to think of it, I haven’t had Aspergers in a long time. I like it _al dente_ with a little butter and maybe some Parmesan. “Quick as boiled Aspergers,” as the Emperor Augustus used to say! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/73 "2011-06-22T13:31:57Z")
As long as I’m here already, does anybody else get as irritated as I do about hearing people described as “wheelchair-bound?” How rude. ---
**Author:** ![Elret](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Elret](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elret)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/74 "2011-06-22T13:49:49Z")
I try to use whatever phrasing will make people most comfortable, because why wouldn’t I, but I do have some trouble getting behind the concept that saying “He’s diabetic” as opposed to “He has diabetes” is offensive, due to it defining someone. Nobody minds if you say “He’s blonde” or “He’s blue-eyed” or “He’s thin” or “He’s short-tempered”. Nobody feels like those phrases define a person, they’re clearly just part of the overall description of a person. Why when it comes to illnesses or disabilities is it different? I’m not worked up over it or anything, and like I said, I try to use whatever the accepted phrasing is, but I just have trouble understanding the logic. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/75 "2011-06-22T14:09:13Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > [Huh.](http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nauseous) Oh well, looks like the barbarians are winning another round, then. It happens. I recently read a newspaper article about how two women fell from a hotel room when they “busted through a window” during horseplay. I was all set to get righteously indignant and write my email to the editor about how it should be “burst through a window,” then I looked it up and found that “busted” is apparently accepted usage in that context these days. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![phouka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/c5a1d2/32.png) [@phouka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phouka)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/76 "2011-06-23T00:47:38Z")
Well, sure, **Spoke**. “Burst” implies that the internal pressure of an object overcame the tensile strength of the object’s surface, and as a result, the entire object ruptures and loses integrity. Balloons burst. Bubbles burst. People burst with [insert some random non-concrete noun]. Busted has a more colloquial tenor to it, less formal than broke. It’s a transitive noun and requires agency. I busted my elbow once, falling off a bike. The firefighter busted the door down to rescue the child. The women busted the window when they fell onto it during horseplay. “The women burst the window” doesn’t make sense, because it’s an intransitive verb. You have to throw in a preposition and create a prepositional phrase “through the window” to make it work. I like busted because it has a sense of Wild West brawling that the women in question were probably not far from. (Um . . . the fact that I wrote the above is evidence that there is something seriously wrong with me. Maybe I need to kidnap a class of 11-year-olds and give them grammar lessons. Just now, I think I’ll have a little lie-down.) ---
**Author:** ![rhubarbarin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb9ed0/32.png) [@rhubarbarin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rhubarbarin)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/77 "2011-06-23T02:15:48Z")
It’s almost always more efficient/less annoying to type or say things like ‘Asperger’s kid’ , ‘diabetic’, or ‘I’m OCD’ than ‘the kid who has Asperger’s’, ‘a person who has diabetes’, or ‘I have a diagnosis of OCD’. Especially when the main point you’re making hinges on their disorder/diagnosis in particular. ETA: Although I do always say ‘I have ADD’ rather than ‘I’m ADD’, for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/78 "2011-06-23T02:45:42Z")
> [@phouka](#): > > “The women burst the window” doesn’t make sense, because it’s an intransitive verb. You have to throw in a preposition and create a prepositional phrase “through the window” to make it work. Both the original (“the women busted through the window”) and my suugested replacement (“the women burst through the window”) included the same prepositional phrase. So I guess I don’t see what you’re saying. My 6th grade English teacher would have had an aneurism if we had used “busted” in that context. “Bust” was regarded as a corruption of “burst.” And “bust_ed_” was just beyond the pale. ---
**Author:** ![Truman\_Burbank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@Truman\_Burbank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truman_Burbank)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/79 "2011-06-23T17:26:12Z")
My neice finally got dx’d with Asperger’s Syndrome. She’s about 15, and will proudly explain to you that she is an ‘Aspie’. You can want to lock her in a closet if you want to, but _sheesh_. Oh, BTW, she’s smarter than you are, too! ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2011, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288/80 "2011-06-23T18:37:17Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > What about sammish? Locked in the basement and fed a diet of thin gruel. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/people-arent-aspergers-they-have-aspergers/585288.md?page=5)