niggardly

Sionnach, I agree that the incident you link to is a travesty. I can't state it any better than the author, who calls it "stupidity masquerading as sensitivity." I'd like to think there's a middle ground where people can be respectful without resorting to mindless censorship.

Sorry if I was a bit heated there, I didn't need to be calling names. I'm no fan of political correctness, but I value politeness, and should have shown more myself.

Normally I would agree with John's eminently reasonable view, which I think of as essentially Garneresque (be aware of the likely impact of a particular choice of term or expression on one's readers/listeners, and if it seems to be undesirably distracting, consider an alternative; Garner argues for this approach on purely pragmatic grounds).

But then I recall that there are cases on record of people losing their jobs for using the word*, and I think that we do have some obligation to take a stand against rampant stupidity and ignorance.

niggardly brouhaha

Visitors to Australia are often surprised to see Coon Cheese being sold in the supermarket. The current (and previous) owners of the brand have vigorously defended the name in honour of the inventor of the cheese's original formula, a certain E.W. Coon. Given that the name has nothing to do with racial abuse, I really don't have a problem with it. If anything it probably helps to defuse the potency of coon used as a slur because to the Australian ear it sounds vaguely silly.

I don't think I've enlightened the commentary on niggardly very much. If I wasn't a vegan I'd go and have some cheese right now. Sheeesz.

I understand that the only overt connection between this word and the slur is phonetic, but you have an impoverished notion of language and a tin ear if you're not conscious of its evocative power.

I'm not saying that "niggardly" shouldn't be used, but baiting those who pause at its use is itself niggardly, both pedantic and small minded.

but everything to do with niggards!

One of my favorite words, but almost everytime I use it, people get offended. "Niggardly" has nothing to do with "niggars," people!