Quote:
Originally Posted by blueash
Does the speaker even know that his words are offensive? The seller "gypped" me. The buyer jewed me down. He was an Indian giver. All words that are fortunately becoming less commonly heard as all are highly offensive if you know the history of the words. But if a speaker is unaware of the derivation... Do I correct her, do I judge her, do I walk away? See it is never easy.
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A very thoughtful post, blueash (the entire post, that is); thank you very much. I am focusing here on the incredible number of people who use words and expressions like these without having a clue that they are being offensive, because "they have always heard them used like this." How many people know, as another example, that the phrase "rule of thumb," so commonly used in many different ways, pertains to wife beating?... Whether to correct that person or to walk away would, for me, depend on my relationship with that person. If it were a stranger, I probably would not get into it, whereas if it were someone I knew and cared about, I would discuss it. In all likelihood I would not judge that person, even though I wouldn't appreciate the phraseology being used.