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Oct 24, 2009, 06:30 PM
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Member Since: Nov 2002
Location: Mid World
Posts: 18,114
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kim_johnson
What words are 'offensive' or 'friendly' or whatever are defined by our social group. For teens, in particular, they are often trying to develop some kind of 'in group' identity or process of identification that distinguishes themselves (most notably) from older generations and from their parents. Taking something that their parents find offensive and 'reclaiming' it as a term of 'affection' for each other is one thing. Though... I do agree that often people don't seem to speak very fondly to their friends... I guess I think that that is a different issue from language, though.
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Excellent point, Kim! Language evolves and each generation has it's own slang etc. As an example (and moving away from curse words) back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth if someone said "That's sick!" they meant it was gross. Now it means something kewl. The first time a younger person said "Shut up!" to me I was insulted. I thought they were telling me to be quiet in a rather rude way. What were expressing was surprise.
All of this aside. I do find the word that started this whole discussion personally offensive.
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