NationStates Jolt Archive

Is it just me or does any one else get pissed off at the words :D homophobe/homophobia/homophic etc? Not for any political reason or anything like that, just because its really bad Greek. The literal translation of 'homophobia' is something like 'fear of the same', which quite clearly doesn't fit with the actual meaning of the word. Like i said, i'm really not making a political point here, just ranting about use of Greek :D

Is it just me or does any one else get pissed off at the words :D homophobe/homophobia/homophic etc? Not for any political reason or anything like that, just because its really bad Greek. The literal translation of 'homophobia' is something like 'fear of the same', which quite clearly doesn't fit with the actual meaning of the word. Like i said, i'm really not making a political point here, just ranting about use of Greek :D

It's not bad greek, it's a portmanteau.

Is it just me or does any one else get pissed off at the words :D homophobe/homophobia/homophic etc? Not for any political reason or anything like that, just because its really bad Greek. The literal translation of 'homophobia' is something like 'fear of the same', which quite clearly doesn't fit with the actual meaning of the word. Like i said, i'm really not making a political point here, just ranting about use of Greek :D

I'll take the Oxford English Dictionary over amateur etymology, thank you.

Is it just me or does any one else get pissed off at the words :D homophobe/homophobia/homophic etc? Not for any political reason or anything like that, just because its really bad Greek. The literal translation of 'homophobia' is something like 'fear of the same', which quite clearly doesn't fit with the actual meaning of the word. Like i said, i'm really not making a political point here, just ranting about use of Greek :D
I like that translation. Heh. :D

But since it is actually more a contraption of the words "homosexual" and "phobia", the translation would actually be "fear of the same sex". *Giggles hysterically.*

I like that translation. Heh. :D

But since it is actually more a contraption of the words "homosexual" and "phobia", the translation would actually be "fear of the same sex". *Giggles hysterically.*

Yes, it's a portmanteau of "homosexual" and "phobia". Like how "smog" = "smoke"+"fog"

It's not bad greek, it's a portmanteau.

Hmmmmmm, very good point. :) I choose to remain outraged despite being quite clearly wrong.

Click Click Bloody Click Pancakes!

Is it just me or does any one else get pissed off at the words :D homophobe/homophobia/homophic etc? Not for any political reason or anything like that, just because its really bad Greek. The literal translation of 'homophobia' is something like 'fear of the same', which quite clearly doesn't fit with the actual meaning of the word. Like i said, i'm really not making a political point here, just ranting about use of Greek :D
Its a pet peeve you have to live with, even more so than I have to tolerate people saying "thats so gay" when they mean "thats below standards"

Since I'm so often accused of being a homophobe (which is laughable), I'm going to start running and screaming in utter fear every time I encounter a homosexual.

99% of the time they'll never understand the point I'm trying to make...but it'll at least be amusing. :p

Its a pet peeve you have to live with, even more so than I have to tolerate people saying "thats so gay" when they mean "thats below standards"

They don't mean homosexual, you know :rolleyes: it's a proud tradition of the English language that words have multiple meanings, dontcherknow!

Its a pet peeve you have to live with, even more so than I have to tolerate people saying "thats so gay" when they mean "thats below standards"
Actually I take it to mean that it is overly affectatious(sp) or unneccisarily goofy or campy. And I need a new word for that, because I can understand the gay community not wanting the terms used like that-but dammit I need a word for that...

Its a pet peeve you have to live with, even more so than I have to tolerate people saying "thats so gay" when they mean "thats below standards"
I find it amusing. The original meaning of the word was "happy".

Schoolgirl 1: "OMG! Henry has a crush on Lindy."
Schoolgirl 2: "No friggin' way! That's so gay."

:D Based on an actual conversation I overheard during my many years at public school.

Since I'm so often accused of being a homophobe (which is laughable), I'm going to start running and screaming in utter fear every time I encounter a homosexual.

99% of the time they'll never understand the point I'm trying to make...but it'll at least be amusing. :p

Actually, the word "homophobia" is often used to refer to hatred of homosexuals. This makes sense really. Think stars wars. "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred". I know the line doesnt end their, but the consistent meaning of "X leads to Y" ends there.

Let's find some ancient Greeks and ask them.

Since I'm so often accused of being a homophobe (which is laughable), I'm going to start running and screaming in utter fear every time I encounter a homosexual.

99% of the time they'll never understand the point I'm trying to make...but it'll at least be amusing. :p

Perhaps if you looked up the words you'd see (a) they does not imply you run in fear from homosexuals and (b) they may well fit.

From the Oxford English Dictionary:

homophobia:

Fear or hatred of homosexuals and homosexuality.

969 Time 31 Oct. 61/3 Such homophobia is based on understandable instincts among straight people, but it also involves innumerable misconceptions and oversimplifications. 1971 Gay (N.Y.) 30 Aug. 15/1 A colleague..who read a paper of mine on homophobia, did the first piece of research on homophobia that I [sc. Dr. George Weinberg] know of. 1975 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 4 Sept. 7/3 There is no such thing as the homosexual problem any more than there is a black problem: the problems are racism and homophobia. 1980 Times Lit. Suppl. 19 Dec. 1440/5 Homosexuality does indeed pose serious problems: chief among them is widespread homophobia. 1988 P. MONETTE Borrowed Time vii. 171 It would be harder and harder to be openly gay. For once we would not internalize the homophobia.

homophobic:

Pertaining to, characterized by, or exhibiting homophobia; hostile towards homosexuals. Also occas. as n., a person who displays homophobia.

1971 Psychol. Rep. XXIX. 1091 The 21 highest and 21 lowest scores were designated the Homophobic Group..and Nono-homophobic Group..respectively. Ibid. 1092 Homophobics said ‘yes’ significantly more often than Non-homophobics to the following statements: [etc.]. 1975 Citizen (Ottawa) 5 Sept. 2/3 The prime concern of homosexuals..is..in curing the public's widespread disdain toward gays, dubbed homophobia... A member of Gays of Ottawa called the Christian ethic the most homophobic in history. 1981 Observer 3 May 29/5 Rat-packs of homophobic punks, white or Latino, prowled gay neighbourhoods. 1986 City Limits 15 Jan. 7 A parents' rights group..began..leafletting the area with crude, homophobic literature. 1991 Outrage (Austral.) Feb. 3/1 Remembered for his frankness about his sexuality in homophobic Hollywood, Mineo was acclaimed for his roles in Rebel Without a Cause, Giant and Exodus.

That is so gay...lol ;)

Actually, the word "homophobia" is often used to refer to hatred of homosexuals. This makes sense really. Think stars wars. "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hatred". I know the line doesnt end their, but the consistent meaning of "X leads to Y" ends there.
I neither fear nor hate homosexuals. The world "homophobia" is misused, period. It literally means "fear of the same".

Maybe I should run screaming when I encounter heterosexual white men with goatees, glasses and earrings. :p

Click Click Bloody Click Pancakes!

Some one included a 'Family Guy' in my very first topic post... i'm ... so ... happy
:D

p.s. I think on a subconscious level i probably was thinking of Stewie

I neither fear nor hate homosexuals. The world "homophobia" is misused, period. It literally means "fear of the same".

Maybe I should run screaming when I encounter heterosexual white men with goatees, glasses and earrings. :p

Surely, A word literally means whatever it is supposed to mean? In English, portmanteaus are not considered wrong. They certainly sound stupid, but if people use them, that makes them proper words (thusly language evolves).

I find it amusing. The original meaning of the word was "happy".

Schoolgirl 1: "OMG! Henry has a crush on Lindy."
Schoolgirl 2: "No friggin' way! That's so gay."

:D Based on an actual conversation I overheard during my many years at public school.
"Dude, you where kissing a girl!"
"That's so gay"
One of my favorite Simpsons moments.

Perhaps if you looked up the words you'd see (a) they does not imply you run in fear from homosexuals and (b) they may well fit.

From the Oxford English Dictionary:

homophobia:

Fear or hatred of homosexuals and homosexuality.

969 Time 31 Oct. 61/3 Such homophobia is based on understandable instincts among straight people, but it also involves innumerable misconceptions and oversimplifications. 1971 Gay (N.Y.) 30 Aug. 15/1 A colleague..who read a paper of mine on homophobia, did the first piece of research on homophobia that I [sc. Dr. George Weinberg] know of. 1975 Globe & Mail (Toronto) 4 Sept. 7/3 There is no such thing as the homosexual problem any more than there is a black problem: the problems are racism and homophobia. 1980 Times Lit. Suppl. 19 Dec. 1440/5 Homosexuality does indeed pose serious problems: chief among them is widespread homophobia. 1988 P. MONETTE Borrowed Time vii. 171 It would be harder and harder to be openly gay. For once we would not internalize the homophobia.

homophobic:

Pertaining to, characterized by, or exhibiting homophobia; hostile towards homosexuals. Also occas. as n., a person who displays homophobia.

1971 Psychol. Rep. XXIX. 1091 The 21 highest and 21 lowest scores were designated the Homophobic Group..and Nono-homophobic Group..respectively. Ibid. 1092 Homophobics said ‘yes’ significantly more often than Non-homophobics to the following statements: [etc.]. 1975 Citizen (Ottawa) 5 Sept. 2/3 The prime concern of homosexuals..is..in curing the public's widespread disdain toward gays, dubbed homophobia... A member of Gays of Ottawa called the Christian ethic the most homophobic in history. 1981 Observer 3 May 29/5 Rat-packs of homophobic punks, white or Latino, prowled gay neighbourhoods. 1986 City Limits 15 Jan. 7 A parents' rights group..began..leafletting the area with crude, homophobic literature. 1991 Outrage (Austral.) Feb. 3/1 Remembered for his frankness about his sexuality in homophobic Hollywood, Mineo was acclaimed for his roles in Rebel Without a Cause, Giant and Exodus.
I refuse to debate this because, in all honesty, it's fucking stupid. All it is is someone hijacking a word, changing the meaning and then mainstreaming it.

You can dredge up definitions all you want, but "phobe/phobia" does not mean "hate". All that is is the mainstreamed definition. *yawns*

I think I'll just start attatching the term "heterophobe" to every gay person I hear use the term "breeder" or disparage straight people. I mean, they must HATE us, right? :rolleyes:

They don't mean homosexual, you know :rolleyes: it's a proud tradition of the English language that words have multiple meanings, dontcherknow!
and same goes for the word 'homophobia'. English has a habbit of taking a word and using the wrong meaning. I cant think of one off hand, but I know theres one line from Romeo and Juliet that people use every day and its wrong. Cant remember...and of course old english is still english but hwatever, the meaning isnt the same.

Surely, A word literally means whatever it is supposed to mean? In English, portmanteaus are not considered wrong. They certainly sound stupid, but if people use them, that makes them proper words (thusly language evolves).
Fine. I'll start using the words "fag", "******" and "redneck" as replacements for "my good friend"...because that's what I want them to mean. :rolleyes:

I refuse to debate this because, in all honesty, it's fucking stupid. All it is is someone hijacking a word, changing the meaning and then mainstreaming it.

Hijacking? You assume that the word existed before.


You can dredge up definitions all you want, but "phobe/phobia" does not mean "hate". All that is is the mainstreamed definition. *yawns*

Yeah, and a silverfish isn't really a fish. Oh, and the "mainstream" definition of a word IS the definition. The English language isnt controlled by a minority.


I think I'll just start attatching the term "heterophobe" to every gay person I hear use the term "breeder" or disparage straight people. I mean, they must HATE us, right? :rolleyes:
I never claimed that you hated gays. I was debating language (which is the topic of this thread).

Fine. I'll start using the words "fag", "******" and "redneck" as replacements for "my good friend"...because that's what I want them to mean. :rolleyes:

Go ahead, and if the majority of English speakers follow your example, that will become an accepted definition.

Fine. I'll start using the words "fag", "******" and "redneck" as replacements for "my good friend"...because that's what I want them to mean. :rolleyes:
rofl i approve of your logic!
But its just proof that english is a horribly stlupid language. You'll never see anyone in Hungary doing that, that language hasnt changed in thousands of years.
...falling back on 'but english sais i can do this' is bull.

and same goes for the word 'homophobia'. English has a habbit of taking a word and using the wrong meaning. I cant think of one off hand, but I know theres one line from Romeo and Juliet that people use every day and its wrong. Cant remember...and of course old english is still english but hwatever, the meaning isnt the same.
wherefore? though I don't know anyone who uses that to mean 'where' or 'why'...or at all...

and same goes for the word 'homophobia'. English has a habbit of taking a word and using the wrong meaning. I cant think of one off hand, but I know theres one line from Romeo and Juliet that people use every day and its wrong. Cant remember...and of course old english is still english but hwatever, the meaning isnt the same.

Is it "wherefore" ? ... which doesn't mean where by the way!

I think what you're refering to is "Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo" which in modern English translates to "Romeo, Romeo, why are you Romeo" (she's mad that he's a [Montague?] and she's a [Capulet?]) In other words, she's mad at the fact words have meanings as if they are real things... which happens to tie back to what we're talking about :p

But, most people I know think that sentence means "Romeo, Romeo, where are you, Romeo?" which is just plain wrong.

Go ahead, and if the majority of English speakers follow your example, that will become an accepted definition.
open up the Oxfor dictionary. I watched a bit on in on TV. Somethign has to be an accepted norm for many years before they go in there - and then they never come out. Bling bling took its time getting in there but it made it in.

redneck=friend is not in there
gay=something stupid is not there inthere
homophobic=someone against homosexuals is in there

I refuse to debate this because, in all honesty, it's fucking stupid. All it is is someone hijacking a word, changing the meaning and then mainstreaming it.

You can dredge up definitions all you want, but "phobe/phobia" does not mean "hate". All that is is the mainstreamed definition. *yawns*

I think I'll just start attatching the term "heterophobe" to every gay person I hear use the term "breeder" or disparage straight people. I mean, they must HATE us, right? :rolleyes:

What is stupid is thinking language is frozen in time.

In psychology, phobia means an abnornal irrational fear. Outside that field has been used to mean "fear, horror, or aversion, esp. of a morbid character" for over 200 years. Is that too "modern" for you?

And guess what, the mainstream defines language. You don't.

Again, there is this fun little book called the Oxford English Dictionary. It keeps track of these things a bit better than you do.

Outside that field has been used to mean "fear, horror, or aversion, esp. of a morbid character" for over 200 years.
You forgot "hate" in that description. I mean, that's what this whole retarded "discussion" is about, isn't it?

'Romeo, Romeo, where for art thou Romeo' I think is the line you refer to (don't have it to hand though)....which IIRC was supposed to be asking why he was Romeo, or something like that. Meh, my memory's hazy, and I've not read it for years.
yeah, someone already mentioned it.

open up the Oxfor dictionary. I watched a bit on in on TV. Somethign has to be an accepted norm for many years before they go in there - and then they never come out. Bling bling took its time getting in there but it made it in.

redneck=friend is not in there
gay=something stupid is not there inthere
homophobic=someone against homosexuals is in there

I know this stuff. Are you actually trying to make a point? I said that if his definition was used by the majority it would enter the dictionary. I never said it would have to travel back it time to before he started using it and be already in the dictionaries!

You forgot "hate" in that description. I mean, that's what this whole retarded "discussion" is about, isn't it?

Errr, no. Its about the use of language, not hate. And in case the 'strange clicking' option in the poll failed to give it away - i really wasn't trying to make that serious a point.

Fine. I'll start using the words "fag", "******" and "redneck" as replacements for "my good friend"...because that's what I want them to mean. :rolleyes:


That's fine by me. I'm all for totalfreedom of speech anyway.

You forgot "hate" in that description. I mean, that's what this whole retarded "discussion" is about, isn't it?
Oh, look, you used the word "retarded" in a derrogatory way. Congratulations on that one.

The word's true meaning based on how it is formed, and its definition now are different, and strictly speaking it is not really correct, and can be open to interpretation. But the current definition is how the word has developed, and so that is what it now means, and lots of words are like that, and probably always will be. Meh. An interesting short article about the word homo and it's origins can be found here - http://www.yourdictionary.com/library/homo.html

Oh, look, you used the word "retarded" in a derrogatory way. Congratulations on that one.
*yawns*

But consider this...

Assuming that you are right and homophobia is "fear of [the] same" then that would of course mean that heterophobia is "fear of [the] different." Taking this into consideration, if a heterosexual man was "homophobic" he would be afraid of people the same as him. Well wouldn't heterosexuals be the same as him? Homophobia would make a heterosexual terrified of other heterosexuals! :eek:

On the flip side, homosexuals are "different" from heterosexuals. In this case, a heterosexual heterophobe would be terrified of gays. :D

This thread is happy!

You forgot "hate" in that description. I mean, that's what this whole retarded "discussion" is about, isn't it?

Don't like that a word accurately describes your fear and loathing and has a negative connotation?

Feel free to complain to the OED. They would enjoy laughing at you as well.

Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford University Press
Great Clarendon St.
Oxford OX2 6DP

Tel: +44 (0)1865 353660
Fax: +44 (0)1865 353811
E-mail: oed3@oup.com

-snip-

This thread is happy!
/me falls over laughing. :D

But consider this...

Assuming that you are right and homophobia is "fear of [the] same" then that would of course mean that heterophobia is "fear of [the] different." Taking this into consideration, if a heterosexual man was "homophobic" he would be afraid of people the same as him. Well wouldn't heterosexuals be the same as him? Homophobia would make a heterosexual terrified of other heterosexuals! :eek:

On the flip side, homosexuals are "different" from heterosexuals. In this case, a heterosexual heterophobe would be terrified of gays. :D

That's precisely why the term "homophobe" amuses me, and I try to use it every time I get! :p

/me falls over laughing. :D
Shhh... you're making the ESL student uneasy. ;)

Don't like that a word accurately describes your fear and loathing and has a negative connotation?[/email]
/me laughs hysterically

Nice putting words in my mouth, there. "fear and loathing"?

/me continues laughing hysterically

/me falls over laughing. :D

/em bows :cool:

I'm gay and I could care a less if people say thats so gay or something like that cause I do it all the time.

It's just slang for the day. I honestly don't get why the gay community should care if they know the sense it's being used. I mean, gay didn't always mean homosexual. Language evovls over time, especually with slang.

And again, I'm gay, so don't think I'm being all gay hating or anything, but why do gay people always have to complain about something? It's just a word.

Fine. I'll start using the words "fag", "******" and "redneck" as replacements for "my good friend"...because that's what I want them to mean.:rolleyes:Go ahead, and if the majority of English speakers follow your example, that will become an accepted definition.
...tho' I would give even odds that he'd get the crap beat out of him before he could establish a linguistic trend. ;)

You forgot "hate" in that descriptionPhobia: an aversion. Aversion: a fixed, intense dislike; repugnance. Hate: to feel hostility toward; to detest; to feel dislike for
Why lookee there, phobia doesn't just mean fear. Go figure.

You realize that ****** in the black community isn't even bad and redneck in the rural community is more of a compliment than an insult.

Yes, the grand irony.

"Wazzup mah niggah!" and so forth.

Anyone ever see that skit, "Chinese Breakfast"?

You realize that ****** in the black community isn't even bad and redneck in the rural community is more of a compliment than an insult.In the black community? Last I looked the black community was composed of something more than 18-year-old gangsta wannabes. And I doubt seriously that the appellation "******" is accepted from anyone not of the community.

"Redneck" is similar, although granted not as pejorative. Depending on how it was used, it could still get you a good thumping.

You realize that ****** in the black community isn't even bad and redneck in the rural community is more of a compliment than an insult.

I don't think you should use "redneck" unless you think you are one. The same is true of "******."

Words have meanings and history.

Oxford English Dictionary:

redneck
1. U.S. a. A member of the white rural labouring class of the southern States; one whose attitudes are considered characteristic of this class; freq., a reactionary.
Originally, and still often, derogatory, but now also used with more sympathy for the aspirations of the rural American.

1830 A. ROYALL Southern Tour I. 148 This may be ascribed to the Red Necks, a name bestowed upon the Presbyterians in Fayetteville. 1893 H. A. SHANDS Some Peculiarities of Speech in Mississippi 53 Red-neck,..a name applied by the better class of people to the poorer inhabitants of the rural districts. 1904 Dialect Notes II. 420 Redneck, n., An uncouth countryman. ‘The hill-billies came from the hills, and the rednecks from the swamps.’ 1913 J. DAVIS Life & Speeches iii. 42 If you red-necks or hill billies ever come to Little Rock be sure and come to see mecome to my house. 1936 W. FAULKNER Absalom, Absalom! 122 Rich and poor, aristocrat and redneck. 1959 Times Lit. Suppl. 28 Aug. 491/4 The ugly faces and, under prompting or provocation, the uglier actions of a handful of red-necks, crackers, tar-heels and other poor white trash here and there in the South. 1960 Spectator 15 Jan. 83/2 The old patrician families who are opposed to the graft, blackmail and demagogy by which the Boss, the tribune of the rednecks, keeps himself in power. 1969 Observer 7 Dec. 25/3 They [sc. communes] all shared two experiences: the search for new values, and attention from local rednecks and the police. 1971 J. BISHOP Days of Martin Luther King, Jr. IV. 329 The fearful Southern red-neck, committed to the credo that the black man is a bridge between the animal kingdom and the human, derided the speech as typical ‘coon shouting’. 1973 Black World Mar. 56 Carload of rednecks came with the darkness to Slim's house. Blew the horn until Slim's daddy opened the door. 1975 Daily Tel. 15 Oct. 17/7 Was it because they might think his [sc. Govenor George Wallace's] reputation as a Right-wing ‘red neck’ a political embarrassment? 1976 Time 27 Sept. 47/1 That was the point Carter was attempting to make when he said in 1970 that Maddox ‘has compassion for the little man’, and when he said that a Humphrey-Wallace ticket in 1972 ‘would do well in the South’, and when he called himself ‘basically a redneck’. 1977 D. JAMES Spy at Evening x. 71 Middle-class rednecks like you..get all worked up about it. 1978 J. UPDIKE Coup v. 192 Her momma's a washrag and her daddy's a redneck.



b. attrib. or as adj.

1961 D. ALEXANDER Bloodstain xi. 134 You should never have come out here alone. This is redneck country. Every man in every one of these houses is a Night Rider. 1965 Listener 20 May 730/2 His general manner and accent suggest a person who might hold the racist views of a red-neck Southern bigot. 1971 B. MALAMUD Tenants 60 ‘I’ grows up in redneck Mississippi in pure black poverty. 1972 R. BLOCH Night-World (1974) vii. 43 See how far you can march through Georgia today before some redneck sheriff busts you for vagrancy. 1973 Freedomways XIII. 52 Even Faulkner's ability was distorted by the pervasive racism of his redneck traditionalism. 1974 New Yorker 25 Feb. 102/3 He seems Southern rednecka common man who works outdoors in the sunto the soul. 1976 National Observer (U.S.) 17 July 4/1 Quite possibly Mississippi's only self~avowed redneck Republican. 1979 Arizona Daily Star 22 July 1. 5/4 Carter..ran on a virtually redneck platform for the 1970 nomination... After running a redneck campaign, [he] pledged an end to discrimination in his inaugural address.

Although less derogatory in the present day than ******, the word has ugly origins. Much like ****** is being reclaimed by some blacks, the term has been reclaimed by some whites, particularly Southerners.

******
A. n. I. Senses referring to people.

1. A dark-skinned person of sub-Saharan African origin or descent; = NEGRO n. 1 a.
This term is strongly racially offensive when used by a white person in reference to a black person. In written Black English and written representations of spoken Black English, however, there are usually not the same negative connotations. Recently the term has been reclaimed by some black speakers and used with positive connotations in various senses (esp. in the form nigga: see note in etymology, and senses 1c, 4, and 5). However, even among black speakers, use of the word is problematic because of its potential to give offence, as is clear from the following, from a black speaker:
1995 N.Y. Times 14 Jan. I. 7 The prosecutor, his voice trembling, added that the ‘N-word’ was so vile that he would not utter it. ‘It's the filthiest, dirtiest, nastiest word in the English language,’ Mr. Darden said.See also N-WORD n.

....

2. a. A person who does menial labour; any person considered to be of low social status. derogatory. Cf. (and earliest in) white ****** s.v. WHITE a. 11e.

1835 R. M. BIRD Hawks of Hawk-Hollow I. xi. 154 Wa' to been married soon, but faw the white nigga Gilbert, what cut the Colonel's throat! 1871 E. EGGLESTON Hoosier School-master iv. 52 ‘Ole Miss Meanses' white nigger’, as some of them called her, in allusion to her slavish life. 1883 Cent. Mag. Aug. 571/1, I wasn't born to make a ****** of myself in a free country. 1922 C. T. CAMPION tr. A. Schweitzer On Edge of Primeval Forest x. 164 Without this safeguard he [sc. the missionary] is soon in danger of becoming a ******, as it is called here. 1974 J. WILLWERTH Jones: Portrait of Mugger XII. vii. 177 A ****** around here don't mean a black dude, you dig? It's a low-class dude who ain't going' [sic] nowherethat's the true meaning of the word. 1977 R. P. RETTIG et al. Manny vii. 176 Rettig: Somebody has to wash clothes. Manny: You're right! Society..needs niggers, and they'll take 'em where they find 'em, regardless of color.



b. Any person whose behaviour is regarded as reprehensible. derogatory.

1840 W. G. SIMMS Border Beagles xxv, They're [sc. white officers of justice] afraid of me, the niggers, and you see I ain't afraid of them. [1861 Let. in H. Holzer Dear Mr. Lincoln 361 Abe Lincoln..goddam you..you are nothing but a goddam Black ******.] 1942 Z. N. HURSTON Dust Tracks 49 ‘Don't be a ******,’ he would say to me over and over. ‘Niggers lie and lie.’ [Note] The word ****** used in this sense does not mean race. It means a weak, contemptible person of any race. 1989 Rolling Stone 10 Aug. 44/3 Let's start with one of the verses [of the song ‘One in a Million’], ‘Police and niggers, that's right/Get outta my way.’.. I [sc. W. Axl Rose, songwriter] used the word ****** because it's a word to describe somebody that is basically a pain in your life, a problem. The word ****** doesn't necessarily mean black. 1994 ‘NAS’ in Rolling Stone 19 May 64/2 Like I could tell Mr. Rudy Giuliani, ‘Yo, bitch, fucking bitch-ass ******.’ 1994 G. SMITHERMAN Black Talk 167 ‘A group of Brothas was buggin out, drinkin the forty ounce, goin the nigga route,’ a clearly negative use of the word, meaning, Some Black males were on the street, partying, getting drunk off malt liquor, and acting the loud, vulgar stereotype of a nigga. 1997 C. ROCK Rock This! i. 17 The niggers have got to go. Everytime black people want to have a good time, niggers mess it up. You can't do anything without some ignorant-ass niggers fucking it up... Can't go to a movie the first week it opens. Why? Because niggers are shooting at the screen... I love black people, but I hate niggers.



3. a. A dark-skinned person of any origin. In early U.S. use usually with reference to American Indians. Usu. offensive.

1843 T. C. HALIBURTON Attaché (1846) 180 Heathen Indgean niggers. 1857 LD. DUFFERIN Lett. from High Latitudes 251 This relationship with Polynesian Niggers, the native genealogists would probably scout with indignation. 1869 P. A. TAYLOR Colony of Queensland 11 What can you supply me a hundred niggers [sc. Kanakas] for? 1899 in J. M. Merrill Uncommon Valor 251 We came here [i.e. in the Philippines] to lick the niggers. 1919 P. B. KYNE Capt. Scraggs 119 On the island o' Aranuka, right under the Hakatuea volcano. There was some strappin' big buck native niggers there that would fetch $300 a head. 1934 G. B. SHAW On Rocks II. 70 Pandranath: you are only a silly ****** pretending to be an English gentleman. 1992 N. MORRIS Brothel Boy 9 He's trying to suck up to Veraswami for some reason... He must know we can't let niggers in. 1994 Vanity Fair June 164/2 The tawny sailing bums who frequent the international yachting circuit are known derisively as ‘boat niggers’.

Although blacks have reclaimed the word to some degree, it is an ugly word. Unless you are black, don't use it. Period.

And again, I'm gay, so don't think I'm being all gay hating or anything, but why do gay people always have to complain about something? It's just a word.

Because some of us have self-respect and don't take crap from anyone.

Because some of us have self-respect and don't take crap from anyone.

That's so gay.

That's so gay.

Thank you. It's great, I know.

Again, there is this fun little book called the Oxford English Dictionary.

Ooh! Good read. Plot's a little thin, but the ending rocks.

Hmm... if I'm right, then Oxford is in England and that dictionary is then based mainly on British English (or does anyone expect British language scientists to really dig into American or Australian English?)...

And the Americans care about that why? Or the Australians?

Could the first part come from Latin "homo" (with a micron over the "o"), meaning "man"? So it would be "fear of man"? :)

No, I'm pretty sure homo means "penis".

PH34R T3H P3N11!

Don't like that a word accurately describes your fear and loathing and has a negative connotation?

He might, or he might not.

What I don't like is the common assumption among certain vocal liberals on these boards that because someone disagrees with the idea of homosexual marriage or unions, they must be homophobic. It is true that most people who are against homosexual marriages are homophobic, but it is not true that all people who are against homosexual marriage are homophobic. Some people just hold irrational beliefs due to simple indoctrination or brainwashing, rather than holding them because of a powerful emotional reaction to something they find intrinsically repulsive.

Could the first part come from Latin "homo" (with a micron over the "o"), meaning "man"? So it would be "fear of man"? :)

No. This "homo" is the Greek one (just like "phobos") and means "same".

Is it just me or does any one else get pissed off at the words :D homophobe/homophobia/homophic etc? Not for any political reason or anything like that, just because its really bad Greek. The literal translation of 'homophobia' is something like 'fear of the same', which quite clearly doesn't fit with the actual meaning of the word. Like i said, i'm really not making a political point here, just ranting about use of Greek :D

Latin translations aside, homophobia is defined (clinically) as fear of or contempt for homosexuals. It's a well studied behavior by uhh psychologists and even sociologists. When you get right down to it by stripping away the political inferences down to primal human behavior it's nothing more than sexual aggressivity more often displayed by males... and I don't particularly care if it's written in a Bible or scrawled across a bathroom stall. It's all the same. :)

Latin translations aside, homophobia is defined (clinically) as fear of or contempt for homosexuals. It's a well studied behavior by uhh psychologists and even sociologists. When you get right down to it by stripping away the political inferences down to primal human behavior it's nothing more than sexual aggressivity more often displayed by males... and I don't particularly care if it's written in a Bible or scrawled across a bathroom stall. It's all the same. :)
The bolded part is really humorous since it was these same people that declared that homosexuality was a mental disorder 50-60 years ago.

The bolded part is really humorous since it was these same people that declared that homosexuality was a mental disorder 50-60 years ago.So, doctors bled people two hundred years ago. People and science evolve. Great things happen when Christianity loosens it's stranglehold on science and society.

He might, or he might not.

What I don't like is the common assumption among certain vocal liberals on these boards that because someone disagrees with the idea of homosexual marriage or unions, they must be homophobic. It is true that most people who are against homosexual marriages are homophobic, but it is not true that all people who are against homosexual marriage are homophobic. Some people just hold irrational beliefs due to simple indoctrination or brainwashing, rather than holding them because of a powerful emotional reaction to something they find intrinsically repulsive.

:D

:D

That's pretty much how I feel after viewing my posts too. :)

So, doctors bled people two hundred years ago. People and science evolve. Great things happen when Christianity loosens it's stranglehold on science and society.

Hmmmm. Perhaps we should have gone with the sleeper hold.

The bolded part is really humorous since it was these same people that declared that homosexuality was a mental disorder 50-60 years ago.

You find it humorous only because you do not understand what constitutes a mental disorder. Homosexuality was correctly classified as a disorder and was correctly removed from the DSM and declassified. Why? because by definition a personality or sexual disorder is one where an individual has a personality (or pattern of sexual attraction) that is outside of accepted social norms. Upon gaining acceptance in society, Homosexuality no longer fit the definition of a disorder.

Psychology is not a science that operates in a vacuum. Unlike other sciences where you can isolate all other factors and study only one small feature, psychology requires the presence of society. Psychology simply cannot exist without society and thus society and its views are an integral part of psychology.

Is it just me or does any one else get pissed off at the words :D homophobe/homophobia/homophic etc? Not for any political reason or anything like that, just because its really bad Greek. The literal translation of 'homophobia' is something like 'fear of the same', which quite clearly doesn't fit with the actual meaning of the word. Like i said, i'm really not making a political point here, just ranting about use of Greek :D
Got nothing else to complain about today ;)

The bolded part is really humorous since it was these same people that declared that homosexuality was a mental disorder 50-60 years ago.

Almost as humorous as denying dictionary defintions of words.

Or relying on an allegedly psychiatric meaning of a word but making fun of psychiatry when it is pointed out you were wrong about that too.

:D

The bolded part is really humorous since it was these same people that declared that homosexuality was a mental disorder 50-60 years ago.

That's true. Judeo-Christian morals heavily influenced psychology and psychiatry back then which kinda puts the cart before the horse and is somewhat unscientific. :)

That's true. Judeo-Christian morals heavily influenced psychology and psychiatry back then which kinda puts the cart before the horse and is somewhat unscientific. :)

Psychology has always been more of a pseudo-science. As I stated in my post #67 on this thread, it is an accepted foundational principle in the field of psychology that you cannot separate it from society. Society really does dictate what is considered normal and psychology cannot operate outside of that framework.

Heh, I can see some tourist in Greece telling some middle aged Greek that he has homophobia, and then just to be the smartass that we are, the Greek would prove him/her wrong while looking in a mirror. :D

Actually, I should try that out this summer when I go. :mp5:

Psychology has always been more of a pseudo-science. As I stated in my post #67 on this thread, it is an accepted foundational principle in the field of psychology that you cannot separate it from society. Society really does dictate what is considered normal and psychology cannot operate outside of that framework.


And I'd say there's a whole lotta daylight between society and religion. Still, I'm sure there's equally interesting stuff on the evolutionary behavioral side...

I suppose when you really like something you say " man, that was awful" Because that's what that means?

p.s. Homo is the (3rd Declension) Latin noun for Humanity or Mankind. Homo, Hominis, m.

The word homophobia is fucking gay

It's actually perfectly fine Greek, considering it's not really greek at all. It's using Greek roots to form words in English, and it's been going on for centuries, at least since the Renaissance and likely far earlier. Modern Greek bears a resemblence to ancient and Attic Greek, but they're far from identical.

Point is, it's a psychiatric/medical kind of term, and it's an abbreviation. "Homogametophobia" would be too long and cumbersome to use. So instead of the fair translation "fear of the same sex", we get just "homophobia" or "fear of the same."

Really, picking on a word in order to conceal or excuse your own irrational fear? Your insecurity is beneath you, and thanks to the use of psilocybin, I see through you.

Definition
phobia [Show phonetics]
noun [C]
an extreme fear of a particular thing or situation, especially one that cannot be reasonably explained:


and homo meaning similar or the same....

if i have an uncontrollable fear of say identical twins, then you can call me a homophobe.

if i state my opinion that homosexuality is counter to natural selection and therefore wrong or in error, i am stating an opinion. the right to do so is guaranteed by the first ammendmant of the US constitution. if you call me any such names like "homophobe" even in error of meaning, you are infact trying to curtail my rights by reason of your own, different, opinion.
:D

if i state my opinion that homosexuality is counter to natural selection and therefore wrong or in error, i am stating an opinion. the right to do so is guaranteed by the first ammendmant of the US constitution. if you call me any such names like "homophobe" even in error of meaning, you are infact trying to curtail my rights by reason of your own, different, opinion.
:D

Also, people have the right to show folly in others' opinions.

Homosexuals are not the only ones who engage in acts that are "counter to natural selection," at least in the way that I think you believe natural selection works.

If we go by the true definition of natural selection, and still go by your logic, a stupid heterosexual couple is counter to natural selection, and therefore wrong or in error.

Definition
phobia [Show phonetics]
noun [C]
an extreme fear of a particular thing or situation, especially one that cannot be reasonably explained:


and homo meaning similar or the same....

if i have an uncontrollable fear of say identical twins, then you can call me a homophobe.

Nice try. Already shown to be erroneous.

if i state my opinion that homosexuality is counter to natural selection and therefore wrong or in error, i am stating an opinion. the right to do so is guaranteed by the first ammendmant of the US constitution. if you call me any such names like "homophobe" even in error of meaning, you are infact trying to curtail my rights by reason of your own, different, opinion.
:D

I love this crap. I hear it all the time from people who cannot defend or justify their opinions.

Your freedom of speech is guaranteed by the First Amendment. (And, although the First Amendment does not apply to these forums, the concept of freedom of speech as a good does.) You may speak your opinion.

And my freedom of speech is also subject to the same protections. Thus, I can call your opinion homphobic and asinine.

Freedom of expression protects the free exchange of ideas. It does not protect you from criticism.

What you want is to curtail our right to express our disagreement with you.

Ain't gonna happen, sparky.