Current Events > Have you eliminated the "R word" from your vocabulary?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Not at all, things like "fire retardant" for example still exist.
---

It was never in my vocabulary or a go-to thought or insult for me
---

Believe it or not... (song stuck in your head?)

The term in the sector now, in 2019 is differently-abled.

Which is a mouthful, but saying special needs I guess is now a no no.

Personally, I just call them by their first name.
---

Stop using it? Nah that's [redacted].
---

Twin3Turbo posted...

It was never in my vocabulary or a go-to thought or insult for me

It's a really dated word. Coupled with people becoming more aware, it seems almost prehistoric.
---

Around other people, yes.

Nah. I don't eliminate words from my vocabulary. I may not say it as much around certain people but nah, I'll always say words.
---

No. I see no reason to
---

EvalAngell posted...

The r word of course being slang for "mentally handicapped" in the form an insult

Right-wing
---

It's a word with no positive connotations and that greatly offends some people. There's no real reason to keep saying it.
---

I haven't regularly used it in a long time. There's no need for the word imo.
---

I've never used it and I've only heard one person use it in my presence since middle school. Dude is a tool though.
---

Thrillwell posted...

Believe it or not... (song stuck in your head?)

The term in the sector now, in 2019 is differently-abled.

Which is a mouthful, but saying special needs I guess is now a no no.

Personally, I just call them by their first name.

Whats wrong with saying special needs?
---

jpenny2 posted...

It's a word with no positive connotations and that greatly offends some people. There's no real reason to keep saying it.

when this is the goal it suffices.
---

Ive never used it as an insult. Even if youre okay with swearing, there are some lines you shouldnt cross.
---

No, I love it, there are so many life situations it applies to. Same with gay.

The intent behind the use is what matters, not the word.
---

ThanksUglyGod posted...

Around other people, yes.

And no wonder you get beat down so often.
---

I try to not use it, especially around my kids, but I'll readily admit that it sometimes slides out just out of an ingrained 90's kid vocabulary habit.
---

my youngest brother is like 20 and he still says it and every time i hear him do it im like lol wow youre how old and still saying that? how embarrassing
---

Hairistotle posted...

No, I use it all the time

---

Yes. It rarely fully encompasses my impression of the person anyway. The specificity brings catharsis.
---

Hairistotle posted...

No, I use it all the time

---

No, I still use it when its appropriate
---

No, although I use it in less situations than I would have in the past.

If you're in any kind of field involving mental health or function, or even know someone who is, then you know about the "acceptable term cycle":

1. x describes mentally handicapped
2. x gains popular usage in a derogatory manner
3. x is deemed offensive
4. "that's not acceptable anymore, we have new term y now."
5. y describes mentally handicapped.

I've sat in on classes where the professor and students joke about how much of a pain it is. And if you didn't know, outside of public earshot, they all still use the "r word".

I'd say this is the one good case for people who cry 'bout "muh censorship", but this cycle has been going on since before the internet. Somehow no policy has caught on.
---

EffectAndCause posted...

No, I love it, there are so many life situations it applies to. Same with gay.

The intent behind the use is what matters, not the word.

---

I always thought it was kind of an angsty teenager type word and so was too proud to stoop that low to actually use it past when I was an angsty teenager.

I don't think it's as offensive as it's made out to be, but in general it falls under "unpleasant" speech.

Lol no.

I work commercial construction. These PC fuckwits would collapse if they came near me on a day when I'm dealing with idiot subtrades or local labour.
---

Not at all, but I have a tendency to adjust my speech based on who I am around, so I am pretty good at not offending people.

Edit: by not offending people I mean based on my vocabulary, I am terribly offensive because I have a very dark sense of humor.
---

Nope, the sensitive sallys need to get the fuck over it.
---

I try not to use it.

But sometimes it slips and I usually apologize for it.
---

Pretty much. I think the only time I've used it over the past 7 years or so is towards completely asinine things or processes. For example there was an extremely frustrating insurance issue I had to help my mom out with where the process was completely ass backwards and made no sense, but you had to do it that way. Something like that I might call the r word, but I try not to. No way have I used it towards someone since high school.

Calling bad or dumb stuff gay is completely out (other than for blatant satirical uses) since that's just fucking stupid. I know that neither my close friends or I were homophobic in high school or had anything against gay people, but we used it all the time. There were openly gay students in school too we were friends with and even they used it in a negative way. Just weird for how a time period it was interchangeable with bad or dumb without any homophobic intentions. It was the exact same thing with the f word being used against someone annoying. Only difference is that the f word evolved into a slur directed at gays while the word gay is just straight up a sexual orientation.

Is it weird that in the future I kinda hope the r word eventually is so dissociated with the mentally disabled that it becomes used exclusively as a synonym dumb? It's a strong curse word that sounds harsh on pronunciation alone (plus I've got a Boston accent so it sounds hilarious), but more importantly it'd stop having power over people with mental disabilities. I've always been fascinated with how the meaning to words change over time, but I've wondered if the internet would slow that process down somehow.
---

Feline_Heart posted...

Thrillwell posted...

Believe it or not... (song stuck in your head?)

The term in the sector now, in 2019 is differently-abled.

Which is a mouthful, but saying special needs I guess is now a no no.

Personally, I just call them by their first name.

Whats wrong with saying special needs?

IKR... it's confusing for people who used the term for years.
---

No. Id never use it around someone who I know would be offended by it, but its not the major social taboo that some people make it out to be.

Nope, its alive and well in the younger generation too I've seen
---

No.

Did we stop using idiot and moron after they were used to describe the differently-abled? Obviously not.

Why bother? We'll just keep cycling through new words to be offended by every decade or so.
---

Yeep.
---

Yes I still use it and I have an uncle who is literally mentally r****. I don't give a damn. This is definitely one of those "people getting offended on behalf of other people" things. They aren't actually offended.

Gamefaqs rules continue to be mind blowingly awful. R word is unacceptable but fuck dick asswipe cumguzzler shithead are all ok? Nice

Never.

I never used it as an insult against some thing living. Might have used gay, but that's mostly due to my own bullying and being confused when young. I've definitely insulted inanimate objects that have astronomically stupid or question requirements when angered by it, because some are pretty daft and why I've officially retired for a second time from a game after 5 years.

I still use it though in my vocabulary, but that's mostly to do with mechanical reasons. Such as engine/throttle advance and R. It's just how it's always been, the problem is those terms got applied to humans... and that's where it got messy. I can't think of any applications outside of engine/throttle controls where it's needed. To be fair even automobiles that have a lever for advance and R are usually pre 1940's, so it's limited. Unless you count a semi's engine brake.

Since gamefaqs won't even let me post it I'm gonna make it a literal hard R out of spite. *squints*

Why does it not surprise me that a sizable part of CE hasn't moved past a middle school mentality yet
---

Yeah, of course. I think it's been awhile since I've implied someone was the "r" word, but I use the "r" word to harshly describe very stupid actions.

TiamatNM posted...

fuck dick asswipe cumguzzler shithead

Those are all things you do or behaviors you engage in not things you are. And a lot of those don't carry any negative connotations with them beyond what you'd see in words like 'asshole.'

You'd still get modded for some of those words too on this site, but on flaming grounds, not offensive ones.
---

hollow_shrine posted...

TiamatNM posted...

fuck dick asswipe cumguzzler shithead

Those are all things you do or behaviors you engage in not things you are. And a lot of those don't carry any negative connotations with them beyond what you'd see in words like 'asshole.'

You'd still get modded for some of those words too on this site, but on flaming grounds, not offensive ones.

oh look I can still use the word "fat" though

looks pretty fucking arbitrary to me

TiamatNM posted...

hollow_shrine posted...

TiamatNM posted...

fuck dick asswipe cumguzzler shithead

Those are all things you do or behaviors you engage in not things you are. And a lot of those don't carry any negative connotations with them beyond what you'd see in words like 'asshole.'

You'd still get modded for some of those words too on this site, but on flaming grounds, not offensive ones.

oh look I can still use the word "fat" though

looks pretty fucking arbitrary to me

The rudeness of the word 'fat' is way more contextual and even at it's most aggressive carries much less negative baggage than many of the slang words we use to refer to people with mental handicaps/disabilities.
---

hollow_shrine posted...

TiamatNM posted...

hollow_shrine posted...

TiamatNM posted...

fuck dick asswipe cumguzzler shithead

Those are all things you do or behaviors you engage in not things you are. And a lot of those don't carry any negative connotations with them beyond what you'd see in words like 'asshole.'

You'd still get modded for some of those words too on this site, but on flaming grounds, not offensive ones.

oh look I can still use the word "fat" though

looks pretty fucking arbitrary to me

The rudeness of the word 'fat' is way more contextual and even at it's most aggressive carries much less negative baggage than many of the slang words we use to refer to people with mental handicaps/disabilities.

People who get called R are almost never actually R. Fat people who get called fat tend to be actually fat, so you'd think they'd have more reason to be offended if it was based on real stuff. I see you're a fan of fake nonsense though. Kudos.

Yes, but I also don't use any slurs in my speech. Most slurs dont offend me, but they are just too tacky and teenage edgy.

The R word is a bit different for me, tho. People in my personal life have had severe mental compromises, so the word actually does have a bit of sting to it. To me, it's even more cutting than the N word.
---

Nope. Not gonna.

Anyone who uses words like dumb or imbecile or idiot and has an issue with the r word is a hypocritical dimwit at best.
---

I still use it, it's funny.
---

Dyinglegacy posted...

Yes, but I also don't use any slurs in my speech. Most slurs dont offend me, but they are just too tacky and teenage edgy.

The R word is a bit different for me, tho. People in my personal life have had severe mental compromises, so the word actually does have a bit of sting to it. To me, it's even more cutting than the N word.

My stepdad works with people whove had life altering brain injuries. His whole job is about helping those people or just spending time with them. Id never use that word to refer to his clients or other people of lesser mental capacity. To do that is to be a true dick.

But my buddy who has the common sense of a toilet brush half the time? Yeah imma use that word in regards to him. Language is ever changing.

And the fact people focus so much on that word vs other words that have similar origins and meaning is just dumb and nonsensical.
---

Immediately when I went into education.
---