Conan the Uncouth Pugilist
Story on Yahoo has it that the Global Language Monitor has released it's top 10 most politcally correct phrases of 2004. And the winners are the award goes to:
Their website details the uses of each. But here's where I take exception to a few on the list. Progressive for classical liberal? Modern libertarians are a kind of classical liberals. They don't even know the meaning of these terms and they're complaining about how others use it? Here's a suggestion for 2005: conservative *cough cough* compassionate conservative for reactionary. Insurgents for terrorists. Terrorists? So like they'd blow up the Iraqi Federal building in Basra even if the US wasn't occupying the country? This brings up more suggestions for 2005: North Vietnamese Army, Viet Cong, or Charlie for terrorists; Nazis, fascists, Japanese for terrorists; Communists, Reds, Ruskies for terrorists; Progressives for terrorists...
Then we have baristas rather than waitrons. I've noticed this too. I mean just because you don't wait on me doesn't mean you're not a waitron ok? In fact, why do we use butcher instead of waitron? Grocery store clerk instead of waitron? Police and firefighters instead of waitrons? Baristas work behind a counter you idiot and most often serve you drinks. Regardless, I can't stand the waitrons at starbucks.
Which brings us to First-year woes. This Freshman law student can't add anything.
The Top Politically Correct Words and Phrases for 2004:
1. Device for master and captured device for slave in computer networking terminology.
2. Non-same sex marriage, for marriage used in Democratic Presidential Primaries
3. Waitron for waiter or waitress
4. Red Sox Lover for Yankee Hater during the ALCS playoffs
5. Higher Power for God
6. Progressive for classical liberal
7. Incurious rather than more impolite invectives for President Bush (such as idiot or moron)
8. Insurgents substituting for terrorists in Iraq
9. Baristas rather than waitrons
10. First year student rather than Freshman, though Frosh is still acceptable
Their website details the uses of each. But here's where I take exception to a few on the list. Progressive for classical liberal? Modern libertarians are a kind of classical liberals. They don't even know the meaning of these terms and they're complaining about how others use it? Here's a suggestion for 2005: conservative *cough cough* compassionate conservative for reactionary. Insurgents for terrorists. Terrorists? So like they'd blow up the Iraqi Federal building in Basra even if the US wasn't occupying the country? This brings up more suggestions for 2005: North Vietnamese Army, Viet Cong, or Charlie for terrorists; Nazis, fascists, Japanese for terrorists; Communists, Reds, Ruskies for terrorists; Progressives for terrorists...
Then we have baristas rather than waitrons. I've noticed this too. I mean just because you don't wait on me doesn't mean you're not a waitron ok? In fact, why do we use butcher instead of waitron? Grocery store clerk instead of waitron? Police and firefighters instead of waitrons? Baristas work behind a counter you idiot and most often serve you drinks. Regardless, I can't stand the waitrons at starbucks.
Which brings us to First-year woes. This Freshman law student can't add anything.
Labels: Grammar Snarks
posted by Armen Adzhemyan at 5:39 PM
1 Comments:
Undergrad Nostalgia Edition:
The only place I've heard "waitron" is in a song called Cradle of Democracy, at the end of the chorus, "You gotta' tip your waitron, keep your shirt on, and drive real careful going home."
"First year," on the other hand, has been used at UVA since Jeffersonian times, or so they claim; that TJ didn't like the traditional terms because they implied that one's education ended upon graduation. Also, it is a convenient terminology when one takes longer than 4 years to finish a degree. "I'm a fifth year" is more graceful than "I'm still a senior."
-- PG
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