Tales in Etymology

[jackshoegazer]

I was reading an article about how U2's Bono recently called Elvis a "white nigger" which is pretty fucking racist no matter how he meant it.  In the article, it mentions that in the poem that Bono read, there are offensive words like "nigger" (obviously) and "spastic".

HUH?  Spastic is an offensive word?  So I looked it up.  I had no idea that the word had its origins with cerebral palsy, the main symptom of which is spasticity.  Growing up, I knew that words like nerd, geek, spaz, dweeb, et cetera... all had original and quite specific meanings, but they sort of homogenized into rather bland slang insults meaning roughly the same thing.

Now my vocabulary is better and more specific and now I will only use spastic in proper context.  (Though, I never ever called anyone a spaz.)  However, I still have a hard time not saying "retarded" as a pejorative.
 

Comments

[sasha-feather.livejournal.com]

That is a great deconstruction! *thinks* It's clarifying for me when and why "lame" is derogatory... a lame excuse is a feeble excuse, a lame leg is a lame leg, (and it's a common term for horses), and those are accurate terms. But when someone says, "Oh, you're so lame for not coming out with us tonight and doing X instead," which has become very casual and accepted speech, it seems like the underlying subtext is-- "you are weak and feeble, therefore unacceptable/uncool". It creeps in.

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

Yes! The derogatory use is insidious - it does creep in! I'm trying to think of what might be a better phrase than "You're so lame for not coming out" because I use it in that context all the time.

[jackshoegazer.livejournal.com]

How about, "I am moderately disappointed that I will not be enjoying your exuberant company this fine evening."

[antarcticlust.livejournal.com]

"You're so disappointing!"