moronic colleague

[zara020]

My colleague is an odd one at the best of times but she's just called me 'a bit rude' for not blessing her when she sneezed. Yeah... sorry about that. WIBU? (I know the answer) is anyone else expected to work under these conditions!?

And you didn't tell her to fuck off?!

I told her "I wasn't really brought up to say it....which is why I didn't" I couldn't bear the following awkward silence so I started ottering on about having hay fever. Wish I was brave enough to have told her to fuck off but given her reputation, I would be facing horrendous disciplinary action, and I cannot be arsed. She really is an div!

I didn't expect to kick off this debate but it has been interesting to read how differently these 'insults' are perceived. I would say in the majority of cases, people don't know the origins of words and as they are in common language have taken on a whole new meaning. I cant speak for anyone else, but certainly didn't set out to offend. I have family members with learning difficulty and wouldn't dream of intentionally making glib remarks about it.

So is oxymoron an offensive word then? Genuinely curious.

Why get rid of something that isn't corrupt

The incumbent monarch doesn't seem to be corrupt, bit yhst is a sheer luck rather than the system being incorruptible. If she'd been as dodgy as fuck it wouldn't have prevented her from being monarch. If an elected official is abusing their office, they can be voted out. A monarch you're stuck with.

Charles is an absolute case in point, using his privileged position to lobby ministers about his own private interests. If a president was found doing thst they'd have to resign or be voted out at the next presidential election, yet we are stuck with Charles as our next head of state.

Wrong thread. Sorry.

I think someone needs to make a newsletter in which people get updated with what words are now considered offensive.

For some people it's bloody hard to keep up.

mrssmith I doubt it. The word retard is used still, it describes medications that are slow releasing. I haven't seen it as much though.

Loving this, only on MN .

I work in an office with about 20 others, at least 8 in close proximity and must admit that if I sneeze and no one says Bless You I wonder why! Also, if someone else sneezes and no one else says it, I feel I have to, even if it might be a bit late by then (as I've been waiting to see. Yes, my job can sometimes be boring).

kenton when I started to read that I thought you were going to say
"I work in an office of 30 people at least 8 are morons"

Can people please stop using the M word please.
It is very offensive and the OP stated way back that she didn't know when she posted.
I have reported and asked for a title change, but not blaming anyone posting the word who didn't realise.
Some of us unfortunately get so upset at the mere mention of the word.

Hi all,
We have a bit of a prepared answer for this one, just because it has come up before (indeed we are literally about to post it on another thread, it arises so often). So here we go...

Our position on 'moron' isn't black and white. You may remember from this thread (www.mumsnet.com/Talk/site_stuff/a2027525-Disablist-language-and-deletions?msgid=45884254#45884254), when we had a large on-board discussion specifically about disablist language, there was actually no consensus at all about 'moron' (obviously when clearly not used in an SN-related context), with lots of posters saying they didn't actually think it was particularly problematic.

Our approach to deletions is based on Justine's summary on that thread: are they terms currently, or very recently, used in an ordinary descriptive sense about people with disabilities; and/or are they terms which get used in an unpleasant way by rude or bigoted people to directly demean and belittle people with disabilities.

That thread seemed to us to show that MNers themselves didn't feel that 'moron' necessarily fell into either category. So we take it on a case-by-case basis and only delete if it seems to us to be likely to be interpreted as a deliberately disablist term - which we really don't think is the case in this context. However we are happy to change the title to 'numbnut' if the OP wants, and given the upset we think that's probably the best thing to do tbh.

Hope that clears things up a bit and we're sorry if our position has seemed a bit muddled - the area of disablist language is a truly thorny one and for better or worse we think it's best to be guided by the consensus that emerged from that thread.

Best wishes

You've really gone and done it now OP-you've called her a 'div'

Yup 'div' is offensive too according to urban dictionary

Oh I thought div was short for divided brain.

Oh bloody hell. I give up

A selection of origins for div.

How about nincompoop?!

I have a condition whereby I can't feel my testicles

I am therefore deeply offended by the word "numbnuts" and object to it being used.

Nope, that's Latin for ^Not of sound mind%.

Maybe plump for irritating?

Ha! My family have been calling each other 'Divs' for as long as I can remember. Always to mean 'wally' or something similar. Had no idea that was offensive too. Not going to stop using it though.

Lol at queenbean

This website is absolutely wonderful. People fainting at the sight of "the m word" and head girl moderators posting soothing words to the fifth formers. How patronising?????

Just read back the last few posts and then maybe find a new job, pop out into the fresh air or log into grips online and place an order.

Absolute madness but then that's how they make money, out of the nutty fifth formers. Nobody would bother if the threads about real parenting were encouraged.

Language evolves and Mumsnet could take a lead on this.

Hooray, wally is safe!

Until Wally from that '60's festival turns up...

You can't say fuck all on here these days without someone giving them self a nosebleed.