AIBU to find this term offensive

[wakeupandsmellthecoffee]

A colleague at work in reference to someone sitting down relaxing in a chair said "he's monging out"she was surprised when I said I was offended by the term and that it was disabilist.
What is your definitions of the term mong.

On a slightly related note - I was forced to watch a former employer's diversity DVD - all very good and no complaints - however on the subtitles, where one of the participants was describing her mixed-race heritage by saying she was a "bit of a mongrel", the subtitler had translated it as "a bit of a mongol" - just goes to show that even organisations who are trying hard can mess it up.

In rl, I don't know anyone that seems to find the term offensive.

It was a common word when I was in school - I'm gonna go mong or i'm monging out - and i'm 29 so not that far back.

Since I started on mn, I've realised that some people obviously do find it offensive so I wouldn't use the term in public now. But, I've probably used it at home to dh and strangely enough, dh said it to me about 10 minutes ago. My internal mn-head went 'Oh bad word' but I didn't say anything to him. I've no idea if he knows some people find it offensive or not.

I had no idea it was something offensive until I was an adult, it wasn't used as a derogatory term when I was growing up (the 90's) so I only ever heard it in the context of"monging out" and thought it was the same as "slobbing out". I don't use it now that I know but I think it's certainly possible that she wouldn't have known its origin.

A lot of people say 'monging about' to mean lazing about. They certainly don't mean that in an offensive way.

I remember the term bring used in Queen as Folk. Nathan calls Hazel a mong.

I had no idea about this and grateful to you for posting.

I suspect that most young people just don't know that was what the term was back in the 60s for people with Down's syndrome because they weren't even born then.

No one I know would say it..

Words change over time, and their acceptability also.

I had an uncle with downs. In those days, no-one raised an eyebrow when he was called a Mongol. But we've moved on, thank goodness. My stepson is a downs boy, and I would be surprised if anyone used the Mongol term these days.

however, I've never heard the expression " he's monging", so I don't know its origins.

I never use the term, but I had no idea it referred to Down's syndrome.

No it's not from Mongrel, yes it's extremely offensive.

I grew up in the 1970's and it was really widely used then and in the 1980's. But back then there was a generation of school kids who grew up watching a man called Joey Deacon on Blue Peter (a severely disabled but highly intelligent man who was introduced to try and widen children's understanding of disabilities. Unfortunately it backfired spectacularly and led to loads more disablist insults being used in playgrounds)

It's a horrible word but I can believe that a lot of people don't realise it's deeply offensive as it was really widely used at one point. Ricky Gervais used it on Twitter a few years ago and rightly, got absolutely hammered. I do think there are certain words that have unwittingly moved into common parlance among young people who genuinely don't realise what they're saying? (Being generous here).

Maybe give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she's not being intentionally disablist but do explain why she, in fact, is being.

When I was growing up many words were used that are so offensive and quite rightly so including the N word P word and just really ignorant terms that people just don't realise are so bad

It was an insult when I was at school, SummerNights and I'm only a few years older than you. If anyone was caught using it as an insult in school they were called out on it and usually got some form of punishment - lines or a lunchtime detention.

I've never heard it, I'm glad to say. Is it actually used often in the UK? I would certainly find it very offensive.

I didn't know it was offensive till MN.

The slang we used growing up was awful and disablist, words like spaz, spacker ect and mong meant to mong out like a heroin addict on a high.

When you grow up with it it's hard to think it's not normal but once I grew up and realised what those words meant I've never used them again.

BoneyBackJefferson "Its a slang term for someone with cerebral palsy"

No it isn't. Others have explained the derivation.

I knew Mong was offensive in the 70's, because I have a cousin with Down's syndrome.

Embarrassing, until a couple of years ago, I though fuck**rd was short for fucking bastard. [blush{

Shocked by those who think it's a common term. I remember it was used a lot in high school but thankfully not heard it since. Very offensive. I would be livid if someone used it at work.

• embarrassingly obviously.

I think as things do language has evolved and the word is offensive to those understanding it's original meaning, however the word has evolved to mean, lazing or relaxing and is not used offensively or designed to bring offense.

I'm of an age where the word was going out of fashion when I was in primary school (similar to 'spacca' which I also haven't heard in years). When I was a child both were used as derogatory terms. I now hear mong and think lazing about.

I'm 24 and I had absolutely no idea of the origin of the word "mong" (is it a word!?) referred to Downs syndrome.
I have used, and heard it used as a term for the post-effects of spiffy smoking which I did not do in my yoof, no not at all

I certainly won't be using it again!

Spaz doesn't seem to be considered as taboo in the states. I'm not sure if its origins aren't as well known but plenty of otherwise intelligent and well intentioned people use it for acts of foolishness or forgetfulness.

Lots of people say this without realising what it refers to. Genuinely my realising.

It was an insult when I was at school

Yes, same here, calling someone 'you mong' was an insult. But I still don't think people.realised why it was an insult iyswim.

Spiffy? Spliff.

Genuinely not realising that is