To use the word “queer”?

[BowermansNose]

A few times recently I’ve found myself wanting to use the word “queer” to describe something odd or unusual (in the original sense of the word). I don’t know if I’m being influenced by some novels I’ve read of whatever. My parents also have an expression “up Queer Street”.

However, I’m obviously aware of the other meaning that relates to sexuality, and it has had pejorative connotations.

AIBU to use “queer” in the original sense?

I appreciate you took the time to type out two contrived, patronising paragraphs there, WeBuilt, but bringing BoJo and chums into it seems a tad irrelevant and your point, not at all what I was getting at.

Repeated attempts by the OP to direct the reader to what she's been franticallygooglingforquotes reading lately is what leads me to believe they want everyone to think she's terribly bookish.

The reason I resurrected the thread was because I came across the word in question on page one of a new book I started. I certainly don’t need to convince anyone on MN that I read books, as if it’s a badge of honour. I admitted quite openly the other quotations I gave came from searching my Kindle

Off topic, but I am a bit suspicious of John Bercow. His vocabulary sometimes seems a bit forced

You may just as well choose to be offended if you overhear Germans having a conversation and one refers to theirGrossvater- a very ordinary German word - because youassumethat everything other people say, regardless of the context, is all aboutyouand that they're therefore somehow accusing you personally of regularly breaking foul-smelling wind.

Oh. Come. On.

This kind of reaching is surely beneath you.

It means a man or a woman who don’t follow normal social niceties and are a bit rude. So the first time I heard it, I was saying that someone had been rude to me. The response was, “Don’t worry about him. He’s a bit queer”

I'm in East Anglia although originally from the NE. Anyone like your description, or maybe a bit eccentric, is 'a queer old stick'. It has absolutely nothing to do with being gay and is mostly said with a touch of tolerance. Like other posters, I occasionally use the word in its original sense. I've never used it as an insult to a gay person.

I appreciate you took the time to type out two contrived, patronising paragraphs there, WeBuilt, but bringing BoJo and chums into it seems a tad irrelevant and your point, not at all what I was getting at.

No intentions of being patronising at all and I just mentioned BoJo and JRM as examples as they are well-known, and only for the way they speak and nothing else - it wouldn't have made a lot of sense if I'd referred to some randoms I know but nobody else would.

In fact, I find it very patronising and rather arrogant when others presume to tell me and others what our reasons or motives are for using parts of our ordinary vocabularies to communicate ordinary thoughts.

This whole thread actually started with the OP suggesting describing a situation as queer - I don't think any rational person would say it would be in any way a good thing to shout "Oi, you big QUEER!" at somebody known or presumed not to be heterosexual in the street, but that's what it seems to have turned into. It appears to be a symptom of certain people believing that they are the sole focus point in other people's lives - even complete strangers - and not understanding or being willing to accept that language does not belong to or revolve around them.

I've enjoyed this discussion, but I think I'm going to leave it here now. I will continue to use words such as queer when appropriate, along with all of the other words in my vocabulary, and I will also continue to avoid using any words in scenarios where people might find them triggering or somehow interpret them as a perceived insult - but not to otherwise completely strike ordinary words out of my vocabulary (or attempt to shame or stifle other people's natural means of communication) either.

This kind of reaching is surely beneath you.

Not sure what you're driving at by 'reaching', but I'm bowing out now. It's turned into a bit of an inverted snobbery pile-on rather than an acceptance that people don't always think identically to others or any kind of desire to discuss different ways of seeing things.

Off topic, but I am a bit suspicious of John Bercow. His vocabulary sometimes seems a bit forced

Sarcasm? Well, hopefully...

WeBuilt I couldn't care less, shoehorn in 'queer' on the quotidian for all I care. Fill those wordsmith boots lol.

Sarcasm? Well, hopefully...

?

I'm also going to bow out now. It's been an interesting discussion. When I started the thread, I had an inkling that there was a potential to find the word "queer" offensive, but I am genuinely surprised that so many do. To reiterate, I've not been talking about the word in its reference to sexuality, but only in its original sense. I take NotTonightJosepheen's point that it is hard to see the other side, and as a native English speaker, I have a different understanding of the word. It does seem odd to me to avoid using words because they have the potential to cause offence, by misinterpreting every day words. As has been said, we would otherwise never describe a wheel hub as bent, or a car as slow. It's been an interesting discussion.