Quote:
Originally Posted by Undertoad
I don't know. Sometimes a word will cross over the line and become hurtful and I don't like to be an asshole and I don't want to hurt anyone.
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I agree with this.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Undertoad
On the other hand, retarded is such a useful and colorful term and people should buck up and stop their whining.
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I see truth in this, and yet I think that "retard" has not only crossed over into being hurtful, it was probably hurtful all along, and I think that trumps any literary color the word imparts. I think there are other colorful words that offend nobody.
A quick Thesaurus search:
idiot, blockhead, clod, dunce, fool, imbecile, moron, nincompoop, nitwit, dimwit, bonehead, dolt, dullard, ignoramus, numskull, simpleton, twit, birdbrain, buffoon, donkey, dope, dork, drip, dunderhead, goof, goof ball, half-wit, knucklehead, lame-brain, lightweight, ninny, oaf, pinhead, scatterbrain
well, maybe clodfobble would be insulted by one of those.