# What's up with the language police lately? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 4, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247 "2015-05-04T15:01:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/1 "2015-05-04T15:01:48Z")
In the past few months, people on this board have asserted that: The word “cunt” is double-plus-un-good, and using it is crimethink. The word “retard” and the syllable “tard” are double-plus-un-good, and using them is crimethink. The word “thug” is double-plus-un-good, and using it is crimethink. I am sure that everybody’s motives are pure and noble, but I am not convinced that this road leads to a good end. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/2 "2015-05-04T15:15:54Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > In the past few months, people on this board have asserted that: > > The word “cunt” is double-plus-un-good, and using it is crimethink. > The word “retard” and the syllable “tard” are double-plus-un-good, and using them is crimethink. > The word “thug” is double-plus-un-good, and using it is crimethink. > > I am sure that everybody’s motives are pure and noble, but I am not convinced that this road leads to a good end. Shouldn’t that be “un-convinced” instead of “not convinced”?? ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/3 "2015-05-04T15:21:41Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#): > > Shouldn’t that be “un-convinced” instead of “not convinced”?? Unconvinced. No hyphen. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/4 "2015-05-04T15:25:28Z")
Eh, I’d take it back to “not convinced.” “Unconvinced” is ungood. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/5 "2015-05-04T15:28:05Z")
> [@tapu](#): > > Eh, I’d take it back to “not convinced.” “Unconvinced” is ungood. Wow. You’re, like, a grammar thug! ---
**Author:** ![Turble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8dc957/32.png) [@Turble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turble)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/6 "2015-05-04T15:31:41Z")
Hard to keep up with what is un-good these days. Just heard some TV reporters saying they have been told not to say “paddy wagon” – it is a “police van” … concern about the Irish getting upset??? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/7 "2015-05-04T15:33:33Z")
For the record, I refuse to be bullied into not using the word “thug”. It’s a perfectly fine descriptive, and the argument about it being a substitute for a slur word is just nonsense. ---
**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:** [May 4, 2015, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/8 "2015-05-04T15:37:44Z")
I don’t see a problem with conversations about how the use of certain words will be received by others. That’s how we learn. I didn’t need enlightenment on the word “cunt,” (at least in the U.S., it’s well known to be quite offensive.) “Retard” is easy enough to avoid using if it bothers people, and I see their point. “Thug” is interesting. I’m not yet convinced, as most of us were never aware of racial undertones. I’m willing to keep an open mind, and could certainly accept the fact that the Fox News types have been trying to find a new way to insult young black men. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/9 "2015-05-04T15:39:48Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > For the record, I refuse to be bullied into not using the word “thug”. It’s a perfectly fine descriptive, and the argument about it being a substitute for a slur word is just nonsense. Yeah, not to put too fine a point on it, if someone objects to the word “thug,” it’s probably because they support some group of people who are acting thuggish. Like union organizers, or rioters in an anti-police protest. FTR, if I hear “paddy wagon,” I think of old Dick Tracey comics, not anything modern or serious. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/10 "2015-05-04T15:42:41Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > In the past few months My son is 20. He chided me for using the word “retarded” when he was 8 years old. There was a mainstreamed special-ed student in his class and he felt that my use of the word was offensive to this kid, who my son liked. I acquiesced and stopped using the word. Few months?:dubious: ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/11 "2015-05-04T16:29:20Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Wow. You’re, like, a grammar thug! You say that like it’s an ungood thing. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/12 "2015-05-04T16:41:03Z")
> [@Diceman](#): > > Yeah, not to put too fine a point on it, if someone objects to the word “thug,” it’s probably because they support some group of people who are acting thuggish. Like union organizers, or rioters in an anti-police protest. If certain people only ever use “thug” to describe people with some skin tones, and never use it to describe people with other skin tones, then pretty soon the word becomes a racially charged word. If you use “thug” to describe a guy who got shot while walking down the street, and don’t use the word “thug” to describe the guy who shot him, and there’s a difference in skin tone between those people, then eventually the dots start to connect. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/13 "2015-05-04T16:49:37Z")
Your first two examples have been cycling in and out of board consciousness for years and years and years. Your third example has been prompted by debate on “news” channels and elsewhere because of the recent riots. The more you know… ---
**Author:** ![funky\_little\_lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@funky\_little\_lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funky_little_lee)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/14 "2015-05-04T16:52:15Z")
Wow, I see that people have taken exception to the words that insult people of different mental capacity and different skin color, but no one has mentioned the one that is a huge and vile insult to women. Maybe I shouldn’t be surprised there, but whether or not “cunt” is crimethink, it is definitely not acceptable. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/15 "2015-05-04T16:56:29Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > If certain people only ever use “thug” to describe people with some skin tones, and never use it to describe people with other skin tones, then pretty soon the word becomes a racially charged word. If you use “thug” to describe a guy who got shot while walking down the street, and don’t use the word “thug” to describe the guy who shot him, and there’s a difference in skin tone between those people, then eventually the dots start to connect. You keep track of such things? ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/16 "2015-05-04T16:58:16Z")
Sam from Burn Notice: You know word police. Bunch a whinny little bitches. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/17 "2015-05-04T16:59:15Z")
People are running out of _actual_ offenses to human decency to be outraged by, and thus must invent them. ---
**Author:** ![WOOKINPANUB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wookinpanub/32/132_2.png) [@WOOKINPANUB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WOOKINPANUB)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/18 "2015-05-04T17:01:32Z")
I know \*cunt \*is supposed to be _the_ vilest thing one can say to a woman, but it doesn’t bother me in the least. How it’s any worse than bitch, whore, or anything else is beyond me. I stopped using _retarded_ years ago. I’m by no means sensitive about language but somehow something that hurts people unable to defend themselves just feels gross to me. When I hear other people use it as a pejorative I think it reflects rather poorly on them. I’m not about to correct someone though. Never heard the _thug_ controversy. This one is pretty meh to me. My first thought when I hear it is of a sort of old timey gangster’s bodyguard or something. Obviously it has taken on a new connotation but it hasn’t really pinged my consciousness yet. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/19 "2015-05-04T17:24:52Z")
> [@WOOKINPANUB](#): > > Never heard the _thug_ controversy. This one is pretty meh to me. My first thought when I hear it is of a sort of old timey gangster’s bodyguard or something. Obviously it has taken on a new connotation but it hasn’t really pinged my consciousness yet. A gardening consultant used the word the other day to describe a particularly aggressive plant in our yard. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247/20 "2015-05-04T17:31:00Z")
I think that our culture is changing and people who have traditionally been kept to the margins are starting to assert themselves more. It’s not that retard has just become a hurtful word, it’s that people have recently started to give a shit what people other than white males think. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-language-police-lately/719247.md?page=2)