Help, Politically correct terms list
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Hi folks please help,
I quickly (like in 2 days) need quite a big list of politically correct terms to be used in the English speaking world. For example: Physically challenged instead of handicapped. African-American instead of you know what.... thanks a lot in advance for your contributions. |
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Mentally Challenged instead of Retarded / Retard
Little person instead of Midget Jewish Person instead of Jew Native American instead of Indian Inuit instead of Eskimo Homeless Person instead of Bum There is also the word niggardly" which means stingy or cheap. Although it is not considered offensive by definition, it sounds way to close to the racial slur for blacks. You should probably avoid using it. Chink is another word tht means a crack or chip. It is also a slur for a Chinese person. I'd avoid using it. |
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<<Jewish Person instead of Jew >>
"Jew" is not an offensive word. |
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| Most don't consider it offensive, just as most don't consider 'handicapped' offensive. In today's world though, any word that might have a chance of offending someone is usually deemed Politically Incorrect. |
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Asian-Americans - Orientals
Senior citizens – the elderly Indigenous citizens – Indians, Native-Americans Asylum seekers – refugees Flight attendant – steward, stewardess Law inforcement officer – policeman, policewoman Parking enforcer – meter maid Food server – waiter, waitress Peacekeeper, patriot – war-monger Pro-life, prolifers – anti-abortion, anti-abortionists Humankind - mankind Sex worker, sex surrogate – prostitute Differently sized - fat Unsavory character – a criminal Financially challenged - poor Shellshocked – battle fatigued Involuntarily leisured - unemployed |
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Many new place names used in the American Media are an attempt to be politically
correct:
Beijing = Peiking Ho Chi Minh City = Saigon Kiribati = Gilbert Islands Moldova = Moldavia; Bessarabia Myanmar = Burma Namibia = Sudwest Afrika ; Southwest Africa Tuvalu = Ellice Islands Zimbabwe = Rhodesia ; Southern Rhodesia However, even the Media found "Kampuchea" for Cambodia hard to swallow and eventually dropped it. Ditto "Afhanistan" (pronounced off-hahn-ee-stahn) for Afghanistan. On the other hand, they have come close to adopting "The Malvinas" for The Falkland Islands several times. |
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Political correctness is a form of neurosis and a curb on free expression in a world
of hyper sensitivity and over reaction. Have you noticed that in many instances
it operates on a one-way basis only?
PC? To me PC is a guy in a uniform carrying loads of operational hardware on his person and wears either a helmet or a flat cap and big boots and rides around in a marked vehicle, and if you hear a wailing siren and see a flashing blue light then you know he is hurrying back to the station through the traffic because he is late for his tea break. |
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| In The United States PC is clearly against the 1st Amendment of the Constitution which guarantees unabridged freedom of speech. However, as someone recently pointed out, it hasn't been government which has placed restrictions on free speech but rather businesses and employers and this is where the problem lies. |
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| What's interesting to me is that words can go thru semantic change pretty fast...for example, while "mentally challenged" is now considered more politically correct than "retarded", the phrase "retarded" was originally a completely inoffensive politically correct term itself, since all it literally means is "slowed-down". I'm not sure when it was first used to describe mental conditions but by now "retarded" usually has a negative connotation. |
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<<Native American instead of Indian >>
How's calling someone by their correct name "politically correct"? How would an Italian, French etc.. react if he/she is referred to as Indian? |
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"Many new place names used in the American Media are an attempt to be politically
correct"
Those are the official names now, I think it's more that the media wants to sound up to date, not just Politically Correct. On that note though, there's also: Thailand instead of Siam "PC? To me PC is a guy in a uniform carrying loads of operational hardware on his person and wears either a helmet or a flat cap and big boots and rides around in a marked vehicle, and if you hear a wailing siren and see a flashing blue light then you know he is hurrying back to the station through the traffic because he is late for his tea break." To me PC is usually personal computer, but I see it used for Politically correct as well. What does PC stand for when referring to a Policeman. Police-Cop? :p I assume youre from England if the cops take a tea break. They all drink coffee here. |
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PC can either be:
Personal Computer Political Correctness or in respect of my last post: POLICE CONSTABLE .....lowest rank in the British Police Service..the beat bobby. aka Mr Plod; copper (or cop in Americaland); the Bill (esp. London coppers); the Fuzz; scuffers or busies (Liverpool coppers); Pigs (very derogatory and invariably a term used by people on the wrong side of the law). <<<I assume youre from England >>>> Eeeeeks!!! :-( Try a wee bit further north, laddie! :-) |
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| In Scandinavian style welfare state Norway we always find it hilarious that although Americans TALK very politically correctly about minorities and weak groups in society, they actually DO very little to helpt them get a decent life. It's like: Hey, I killed you, but at least I never called you a ****! |
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(In Canada)
The First Nations = Native Canadians a letter carrier = a postman a newcomer = an immigrant Canada works = welfare (I find this one hilarious) employment insurance = unemployment insurance However, "refugee" is ok. |
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| The American obsession with PC is seen as typical American hypocracy, like getting really terrified when Janet Jackson shows her breast or a mother breast-feeds her baby in public, while you have no problem showing kids tons of violence on TV! |