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

[ImMoId]

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

The hypocrisy is hilarious!

What a peculiar sense of humour.

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?

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

Eejit is a wonderful replacement word word for all 3.

I’m Scottish so I say ‘eejit’. <smug>

Well literally idiot only means a private citizen, as opposed to somebody who actively participates in public life...

I use plank, bellend or plomper (a superb word made up by DD when she was about 4).

@LindorDoubleChoc plomper is now my new favourite word😁

That made me laugh 🤣

We certainly don't all know what words are acceptable ‘in modern times’.

On that note is ‘dipshit’ a yes or no in this exciting new world?

My thoughts exactly

This in spades!

I always thought eejit was idiot in a Scottish accent.

Some people are so precious! (are we allowed to use that adjective?)

I usually use 'gorm' admittedly with no idea of the etymology...

Derived from gormless maybe?

I love the word “bellend” but to me that’s more synonymous with arrogance and twattishness (swaggering City Boy style) than stupidity. In the same vein as “wanker”. You can be a bellend or wanker and still be intelligent IMHO.

Just as to me you can be a clever cunt but not a clever cock or arse. Can’t really articulate why I feel this way but it makes sense to me.

Moron and cretin are quite offensive for reasons PPs have articulated but are useful if used carefully.

It’s idiot in an Irish accent isn’t it.

Is plonker ok?