Anvilicious 0 Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Disclaimer: I'm one of the most non-confrontational people ever. I rarely insult people at all. I hope the fact that I've even made this thread makes it clear I'm not a total ass. I've called people idiots, but that word never feels strong enough. Stupid carries a little more weight, but it isn't nearly enough. I think a hard 'r' is needed in all the words used angrily. Moron feels closest to what I want to use, but it's not quite there yet. My favorite rude thing to call someone is retard. (Actually, 'fucking retard', if you want to be precise, but 'fuck' is a word to talk about another time.) But very recently, someone chewed me out for saying it. Not, mind you, because I was INSULTING someone, but because of the word 'retard' in particular. The argument is thus: using the word retard is insulting to people with learning disabilities and psychological problems. And because I'm particularly sensitive to words like 'fag' and 'tranny', I did some digging to find out if these individuals are helping me to be a better person instead of brushing them off as annoying SJWs. What I've found is that people advocating against 'retard' are those who have learning/intellectual disabilities themselves, who have been belittled and hurt in the past by this word. It's something I feel like can relate to, albiet with different words. But you know what else is or was at some point an word used to insult the mentally disabled? The other three words I listed. As well as 'dumb', 'crazy', and 'psycho'. All of which I can promise I've used. So what makes retard so much worse? Until it was pointed out to me, I didn't even know that the word retard was an once a slur against *googles for politically correct synonyms and finds nothing helpful* certain marginalized groups of people. Nor did I know that 'sucks' was once a homophobic slur. If the origin of the word is offensive, but it no longer carries the original meaning, I see no reason to stop using it. But IS 'retard' no longer connected to its original meaning, or am I clueless? I mean, I'm not going to stop saying things suck. And I also recognize that not using the word as a specific insult towards mentally disabled people doesn't make it automatically okay to use. I anticipate comments about how insulting someone's intelligence is rude. Yes, it is. The question I have is; just how rude is 'retard'? Can I use my favorite intelligence insulting word, or should I find alternatives? Because I'm not going to stop insulting stupid people altogether. Link to post Share on other sites
mde2001 236 Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Personally I wouldn't use the word retard as I have grown up in an environment with severally mentally disabled people around. I'm not completely sure if there is a completely politically correct way to do so. I usually just call people stupid or idiots. I'm not huge on insults though. They aren't really my thing. Link to post Share on other sites
BlueMoonIceCream 9 Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 You could call people clods. It basically means a lump of dirt and is commonly used to refer to someone who is unintelligent. Also the hard C sound at the beginning gives it more of an impact. Link to post Share on other sites
Neo 45 Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 You shouldn't be using any form of ableist language. Find another way to be a dick. Link to post Share on other sites
Felix~ 240 Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Body part + Fashion item. Ex: Asshat Cockwallet AnusScarf Scalpsock Knobwatch Wanktanktop Link to post Share on other sites
Tomas Elliot 1 Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 I've grown up in a place where directing heavy insults at another guy's mother is considered a sign of affection and camaraderie. I don't really think I am the most qualified person to provide advice in regards to politically correct expressions... Link to post Share on other sites
Anvilicious 0 Posted October 10, 2015 Author Share Posted October 10, 2015 Body part + Fashion item. Ex: Asshat Cockwallet AnusScarf Scalpsock Knobwatch Wanktanktop Hmm, I LIKE this alternative. Insulting, and, as Neo pointed out, a non-ableist option. Something I never really could find a better option for in the past. Plus, it forces some creativity. Although I don't think I'm ever going to call someone a scalpsock or wanktanktop... Link to post Share on other sites
zimvader42 5 Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 I've grown up in a place where directing heavy insults at another guy's mother is considered a sign of affection and camaraderie. I don't really think I am the most qualified person to provide advice in regards to politically correct expressions... ^ This... is kinda my case too. It seems southern european countries are quite the same when it comes to these kind of thing, huh? Anyways, the spanish equivalents of son of a bitch, motherfucker, dick.... are kinda used nonchanantly to reffer to close friends and close in general, as a part of the numerous peculiarities of this language when it comes to the colloquial world. My mother calls me the spanish equivalent of bitch and stupid whenever I prank her, and I do the same vice versa. Is like.... just another way of communication, people don't really mind insults, because you learn to use them giving them the effect the situation requires. To put it another way, you don't call "son of a bitch" the same way a person that is a friend and a person you're actually mad at. Leaving my tongue aside, if you really need insults, motherfucker in english seems to have (kinda) the R you're lucking for, and is quite common I believe. Anyways, some guy once told me that language is the best weapon if used right; insulting with swears is mundane, insulting without them is a delicacy. The point is, you should be able to find ways to make your comebacks effective even when no swear words are included. English is quite a rich language, building phrases that insult with no F words is possible and adds quite a lot to discussions: sarcasm, pointing out ironies or loopholes in the "enemy's" point of view, resorting to the reductio ad absurdum... lots of ways to be creative. Anyhow, I'm not one to tell what you do with your language, so motherfucker is still my answer to the question in this case. On a final note, body part + fashion item is quite a creative one. Scarf has a strong R sound, maybe go that direction. Link to post Share on other sites
Felix~ 240 Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 Although I don't think I'm ever going to call someone a scalpsock or wanktanktop... Don't knock it till you try it. Element of surprise. Link to post Share on other sites
BreezyPonie 2 Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 I think I'm going to have to start calling people a knobwatch... that's a good one. I don't really like to call people retarded. I've not met anyone who was super terribly offended by it but it just feels wrong to me. It's not lost it's meaning just yet like "crazy" and "idiot" have for most people. It's pretty much been dropped out of my vocabulary. The worst (IMO) is when people use autism as an insult. People who use that always sound like (and probably are) a douche. Autism doesn't even affect a person's intelligence, it affects their ability to respond to social cues... :/ Link to post Share on other sites
Darvan Korematsu 1 Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 I used to call people I didn't like "cockerspaniels" because they had no clue what I was saying and I'd chuckle as they failed so hard to comprehend that I'd just insulted them. Don't knock it if you don't try it bruh. Link to post Share on other sites
Anvilicious 0 Posted October 10, 2015 Author Share Posted October 10, 2015 I think I'm going to have to start calling people a knobwatch... that's a good one. I don't really like to call people retarded. I've not met anyone who was super terribly offended by it but it just feels wrong to me. It's not lost it's meaning just yet like "crazy" and "idiot" have for most people. It's pretty much been dropped out of my vocabulary. The worst (IMO) is when people use autism as an insult. People who use that always sound like (and probably are) a douche. Autism doesn't even affect a person's intelligence, it affects their ability to respond to social cues... :/ I hadn't realized retard still had such negative connotations. I suppose I should be glad even I was never oblivious enough to call someone autistic. Link to post Share on other sites
dead account 27 Posted October 10, 2015 Share Posted October 10, 2015 The worst (IMO) is when people use autism as an insult. People who use that always sound like (and probably are) a douche. Autism doesn't even affect a person's intelligence, it affects their ability to respond to social cues... :/ As someone who's actually autistic, that irritates me to no end. Not to mention almost all the lads in my secondary school used it as an insult. Link to post Share on other sites
Maelstrom 312 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 Daft, dim, dense, delusional, strawman (wizard of oz reference) You could try using multiple words instead of one: degenerate doucheclown brainless buffoon piss-for-brains witless wonder vociferous vermin Link to post Share on other sites
laggless01 51 Posted October 11, 2015 Share Posted October 11, 2015 As someone who's actually autistic, that irritates me to no end. Not to mention almost all the lads in my secondary school used it as an insult. Yh, its use was in particular on the rise when I was in my last years of high school...especially amongs the, in my opinion 'mentally challenged', phallic personas that made up half of the soccer team I played in. Kinda infuriating when you know people who have to deal with it. EDIT: if English was my mother tongue, I would gladly use 'Wanktanktop', its ring is just great. Link to post Share on other sites
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