# The shifting tides of racist language **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 7, 2023, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shifting-tides-of-racist-language/977841 "2023-01-07T16:08:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 14
**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:** [February 6, 2023, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shifting-tides-of-racist-language/977841/261 "2023-02-06T15:11:16Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > > [@thorny\_locust](#): > > > > I think the “crippled software” use may be for that field, and not commonly run into outside it. I’ve never heard somebody refer to a crippled car part, or tractor part, or hand tool, or garden hose valve. And outside this board I don’t all that often hear people talk about software, except occasionally in the sense of complaining that it’s not working right, and they use laymen’s terms to do so; I don’t think I’ve heard anybody say “crippled”. > > > > (I will now wait for multiple people to tell me they hear it all the time in multiple contexts; or used to until recently.) > > OK, here you go. In high tech hardware we sometimes will have a version with fewer features but it’s basically the same thing with different firmware. Putting in the alternate firmware is referred to as crippling the part. This can be done to have two price points or because it would be illegal to have certain features in certain regions. That’s apparently still a high tech context, though. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Punchline there being that “crippled”, “nerfed”, etc. are standard terms in many flavors of engineering, both hard & soft. But are not terms much used by ordinary citizens going about their daily lives. Yup. I meant, for instance, that one wouldn’t expect to hear it in the hardware store, or a car repair shop, or whatever. Apparently it is a bit more widespread than I thought; but it still appears to be a technical term used in a limited number of areas. (Though somebody may come in any minute to tell me that they hear it at their hardware store/mechanic’s shop all the time.) ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2023, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shifting-tides-of-racist-language/977841/262 "2023-02-06T17:52:00Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > But I bet some would take offense to any reference to cotton picking whatsoever. This has happened in my mother’s hometown of Robstown, TX. The high school mascot is the Cotton Pickers. Sometimes people not from this area try to stir up problems and bring up the subject of changing the mascot because they think it’s racist, even though most locals (including myself and my mother - who picked cotton when she was young) actually take pride in the mascot and feel it honors the local heritage. > **[Hispanic Heritage Month: Why the city of Robstown call themselves 'Cotton...](https://www.kristv.com/news/hispanic-heritage/hispanic-heritage-month-why-the-city-of-robstown-call-themselves-cotton-pickers?_amp=true)** > > But during this Hispanic heritage month, we visit the city of Robstown to tell us why people in the city are proud to call themselves "Cotton Pickers." ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2023, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shifting-tides-of-racist-language/977841/263 "2023-02-10T22:21:34Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I don’t recall ever hearing it used in those senses. Powwow to me is a summer gathering of a First Nation, with dancing, drumming and get-togethers. Bump. A First Nations powwow dancer from Saskatchewan is going to be dancing at the Super Bowl. > **[Sask. world champion powwow dancer to perform, represent Canada at Super Bowl ...](https://globalnews.ca/news/9478291/saskatchewan-world-champion-powwow-dancer-super-bowl/amp/)** > > A world champion powwow dancer from northern Saskatchewan will be representing his cultural Indigeneity through his performance on Sunday's Super Bowl LVII in Arizona. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-shifting-tides-of-racist-language/977841.md?page=13)