use Perl

• Meh (Score:1)

  by educated_foo (3106)

  Think of it like "retarded" in the US -- it's used as a generic insult, but also describes a particular set of people (those with mental disabilities). Whereas "bloody hell," "son of a bitch," and "shithead" don't denigrate any particular people.
  • Re: (Score:2)

    by jdavidb (1361)

    Think of it like "retarded" in the US

    Yeah, I sort of realized it must be an insult like that. But honestly prior to last night I didn't notice the word "spastic" had a prior meaning referring to people with a particular disability. :) That's just not how it's used over here.

    Of course, we also insult each other with "retarded" a lot. And I guess the same could be said for most of our insults that denigrate intelligence: "idiot," for example.

    --
    J. David works really hard, has a passion for writing good software, and knows many of the world's best Perl programmers
  • Re: (Score:2)

    by TeeJay (2309)

    It's pretty offensive in the UK because Spastic refers to 'spacticity' i.e. uncontrolled, feeble movements and associated problems or serious illnesses like cerebral palsy.
    
    read the wikipedia page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spastic) for more info - quite why americans don't consider using serious medical conditions as insults offensive I don't know - particularly when the the nation/media get's so worked up over perfectly natural stuff like nipples, sexual organs or fairly tame sex acts.

    --
    
    @JAPH = qw(Hacker Perl Another Just);
    print reverse @JAPH;
    • Re: (Score:2)

      by jdavidb (1361)

      quite why americans don't consider using serious medical conditions as insults offensive I don't know

      Perhaps because Americans have never heard of the serious medical condition known as "spacticity"? I'm 29 years old and never had a clue until Friday that the word "spastic" had something to do with a disability. And I thought that was pretty clear from my post.

      Do you use the word "idiot" in your vocabulary? Are you aware of its etymology?

      Americans do not, in fact, refer to people as "palsied" or anything like that.

      particularly when the the nation/media get's so worked up over perfectly natural stuff like nipples, sexual organs or fairly tame sex acts.

      Ah; yes, all our problems come from our sexual repression.

      --
      J. David works really hard, has a passion for writing good software, and knows many of the world's best Perl programmers
• it varies... (Score:2)

  by jhi (318)

  But if is "retaahded" in a Saturday Night Live skit, then it's okay.
  
• BEP (Score:2)

  by bart (450)

  You know the hit song "Let's Get It Started" by the Black Eyed Peas [wikipedia.org]? It is recorded as "Let's Get Retarded" on the album.
  
  Apparently, somebody thought that line was too offensive, indeed.