We are thinking of borrowing this list of acceptable terms from the University of Michigan IT department. (Click to enlarge.) What does everyone think?
So from now on, don’t say “Losing to those dummies at BYU is no picnic.” That must be changed to “Losing to those placeholders at BYU is no gathering.” Anyone who violates these rules will be placed on the deny list.
(Seriously, there are a number of these that I never use. Just poking a little fun at the excesses.)
Wait, “brown bag” is a racist or offensive term? Isn’t it referring to the very common brown-colored lunch sacks indicating you brought your lunch from home?
It seems like there’s not a good option for emailing a group of fellow women coworkers or a group of men and women, even before we start making everything gender neutral.
For example, if I’m emailing a group of men…Gentlemen, or Hey guys. Easy. But if it’s women or men and women…
Ladies and Gentlemen…sounds like I’m starting an event.
Hey Ladies…sounds flirtatious
Ladies…sounds weird
Hey gals…doesn’t fit the same way as “hey guys”. A woman can email other women and say “hey gals”, but doesn’t it seems strange if a man starts of with “hey gals”?
Although it seemed that all y’all in Texas also meant singular “you”. As in pointing to me and saying, “Are all y’all coming?” I used to jokingly respond, “All of us?”
I would never had guessed that a master terminal or a disabled system would offend anyone. Than again, I would like to know how to refer to an overweight person in anyway possible that is both descriptive and not offensive? I think any word that notes a negative condition will not be acceptable over time. If words are so important would a very homely person be comfortable being referred to as incredibly beautiful? Maybe just use the opposite like referring to something that is very good as ‘bad’.