If you use the word 'idiot' you can't get offended by the word 'moron'

85 replies

ImMoId · 05/07/2024 06:45

Moron IQ 51-70
Imbecile IQ 25-50
Idiot IQ under 25

The hypocrisy is hilarious!

OP posts:

Butchyrestingface · 05/07/2024 07:03

I’m Scottish so I say ‘eejit’. <smug>

DinnaeFashYersel · 05/07/2024 07:02

Eejit is a wonderful replacement word word for all 3.

GiveMeMySoddingCokeZero · 05/07/2024 07:01

There is a difference between the two words' histories.

"Idiot" predates its use in that categorisation system by several hundred years — it's been used in English to mean someone of low intelligence for a very long time, back well before Shakespeare.

"Moron" was coined about a century ago to be used as a pseudo-medical descriptor, at a time when eugenics was very popular.

If you think the history of words is important, then you have to take those other parts of their histories into account, not just the little bit of history that they share.

I prefer not to use either word, but I admit that "idiot" occasionally slips out, as it's a deep-rooted part of the English language and much more difficult to excise from my vocabulary than apparently similar insults like moron. I try not to let it, but I'm imperfect.

FawnFrenchieMum · 05/07/2024 06:59

I can’t imagine many people are referring to a scale they have likely never seen.

Generally I would use idiot in the terms of someone doing something ‘silly / stupid / unthought through’. I might say - they are behaving like idiots occasionally when doind something daft. I wouldn’t use the term moron though.

ThatEdgyOliveFox · 05/07/2024 06:58

Historically they were all medical diagnoses.
That is now totally irrelevant and they are all offensive. Interestingly not as offensive as ‘the R word’ which according to the historical scale is not as low.
Its funny how language develops - but we all know what words are unacceptable in modern times.

MichonnesBBF · 05/07/2024 06:55

I'm partial to "you absolute plum pudding".
Wonder where that would sit on the scale.
😁

Billyballyboo · 05/07/2024 06:54

This comes from another thread doesn't it, where the poster objected to one term and the used cretin and moron.

BiscuitsForever · 05/07/2024 06:53

When I'm being polite I like to go for the term 'donut'.

Yerroblemom1923 · 05/07/2024 06:52

I didn't even realise there were on the IQ scale, assumed they all meant the same thing! Who knew? Is there a longer list?

BingoMarieHeeler · 05/07/2024 06:50

What a peculiar sense of humour.

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