Politically correct English words.

[magnabash]

This thread is inspired by the thread, The English Grammar and Usage Tutorial Thread

I have a small book regarding, on the tutorial of English.

On this book, there's a section called Politically Correct Words.

For example, instead of fireman, it is firefighter.

[magnabash]

I forgot to include this post.

Which is politically correct?

Washboard abs, or surfboard abs?

[ЅUX2BÜ]

What's pejorative about 'washboard' or 'surfboard'?

[gene69]

is "pulchritudinous" politically correct?

[TTJ]

^ i think so.good-looking should be okay,though and is easier to spell.

[jielun]

Ano yung gender-neutral na term for ombudsman/ombudswoman?

[magnabash]

Ano yung gender-neutral na term for ombudsman/ombudswoman?

Ombudsperson?

Correct me if I'm wrong.
Tulad ng chairman at chairwoman, andyan yung chairperson.

[jielun]

I checked google at meron din naman palang word na ombudsperson, hindi nga lang ganun ka-gamit dito sa Pinas.

persons with disability
specially-abled
persons with special abilities

Don't you think political-correctness is a bit overrated?

[Lady Chablis]

Political correctness has gone too far. If only we treated everyone equally with respect and dignity there wouldn’t be any need for politically correct words. There would be no need to substitute sanitation engineer for garbage collector, custodial artist for janitor or domestic engineer for housewife.

[neinsager]

ombudsman is a swedish word. do swedes say "ombudswoman"? it sounds more like an affectation than a real word. do you think conchita carpio-morales would take offense if she's called the ombudsman?

[R3'91]

policeman - police officer
fireman - firefighter
chairman - chairperson or chair

IMHO, these are gender-neutral terms and not really politically correct terms. I find these acceptable because it does away with the problem of mislabeling a female as a policeman etc. They are more convenient so we no longer have to have the "he/she" problem when writing or speaking.

Politically correct terms such as "vertically challenged person" (dwarf), "differently-abled" (disabled), "sight-impaired individual" (blind) are unecessary, clumsy and sometimes confusing.

Why not stick to the original terms? Because they are derogatory? What is so derogatory about being a dwarf? Or disabled? Or blind? Aren't they a simple description of what a person is? Using the original terms eliminates confusion.

Take "dwarf", for example. Most people would clearly visualize a person if described as a dwarf. There are medical characteristics that would qualify one as such (i.e. a person of less than 147 cm height). For a 6-foot Filipino, nearly everyone shorter than him is "vertically challenged". In this context, the PH national basketball team, compared to the European or American teams, is "vertically challenged".

How about "differently abled"? When you say "disabled", then you already know that a person is a PWD (Person With Disabilities - a UN term). Labeling someone as "differently abled" may not even refer to a PWD. With each of us being unique individuals with our own strengths and weakness, we are all "differently abled".

"Sight impaired individual" basically means everyone who does not have 20-20 vision. It may even include those who are color blind. "Blind" pretty much says it clearly. Whether you are partially blind, blind in one eye, totally blind or even color blind, at least it is a specific label for a specific condition.

These politically correct terms are so OA.

[jielun]

Okay heto ang ultimate na tanong ko.

Ano ang politically-correct term sa taong pang*t?

[elhy]

ef political correctness

[jielun]

I suppose its not a big issue in languages where nouns have gender.

[Lady Chablis]

Okay heto ang ultimate na tanong ko.

Ano ang politically-correct term sa taong pang*t?

Aesthetically challenged.

[elhy]

Okay heto ang ultimate na tanong ko.

Ano ang politically-correct term sa taong pang*t?

mabait
as attested by my anthro prof