Fugitivus Discussion Forum

So, because this is Educate Me 101, and we could all stand to learn something from someone else, how about if we start posting the slurs we don't like to see used, and follow that up with a more appropriate word?

For example: Instead of saying someone is crazy which is used as a negative term for mental illness by many, you could say: Off-kilter. Left of center.

"She's a little off-kilter today. He's slightly left of center in his thinking."

Or, instead of saying "blind as a bat" (which I frequently use, because, well I'm legally blind!), I should say:

"I've got poor visual acuity. I should be utilizing sonar in order to find my way around."

(Admit it. You laughed.)

I don't like 'bitch'. I didn't start disliking it until I read about it being misogynist, but now every time I hear it or read it, I cringe. So instead I unimaginatively substitute it with 'jerk' or 'asshole'.

And for retarded, I use 'fuckstupid' or 'fuckwit'. *Is sort of big on cussing.*

I'm a fan of 'turd' as a sort of all-purpose substitute insult. To me, it's more gender-neutral than many of the alternatives. I'm also a fan of working in the odd Shakespearian insult, especially in written arguments, excepting the 'whore'-based ones.

I try to avoid gendered insults or slurs. I'm a big fan of feckless, meaning lacking in efficiency, or unthinking/irresponsible. I often call people/myself feckless wonders. Smeg as a prefix; mainly as a substitute for shit. That's due to a love of Red Dwarf more than anything else. Also tool/spanner, to mean sycophant/clumsy.

I'm totally working more Shakespearian insults into my vocab, thanks for the link.

I use "douchebag/douche-baggery" a lot. Not only are they satisfying to say, but they refer to a harmful tool of the patriarchy, which is often also an apt descriptor of the people I'm describing with the terms

I also enjoy "Fucknut", because it brings to mind the image of a squirrel frantically humping a walnut - the sort of ultimate in misguided, futile activity.

"Asshat" is currently my favourite substitute-word. It just conjures such a comical image. :3

Most hated slurs for me are probably the slang words for the female anatomy, as in "stop being such a p____/c___."

"Quit your whining" is much more effective, and doesn't try to imply that women are lesser.

I am a fan of calling people doorknobs. It has such rhythm, and it's absolutely free of unfortunate implications!

As I mentioned in the ableist slurs thread, I've been training "lame" out of my head in favour of "mediocre", "uninspired", and "lamentable".

I do like thinking about this. Also a fan of 'knob,' 'tosser' and 'prat' for the milder instances of stupidity. 'Dimwit' and 'dipshit' have replaced things like 'retarded', 'moron' and 'cretin'.

I would argue that "dimwit" is in the same category as the words you're replacing. Dimwittedness describes/described the same sorts of mental disability as retardation. As I understand it, that is. I'd be happy to be corrected.

(Edited to correct a typo.)

...Good point. Not sure how I missed that one! P'raps I should replace it with 'muppet'.