A person uses one inappropriate word. Was the person trying to express an inappropriate idea?

[Boojatta]

Poll question: A person uses one inappropriate word. Was the person trying to express an inappropriate idea?

[HamdenRice]

1. There is no "inappropriate word". Only Zuul !

[Boojatta]

6. A word can be inappropriate for expressing one small component of a larger idea.

For example, if someone says that such and such was expected, but merely means to say that such and such was hoped for, then the word "expected" would seem to be inappropriate.

[HamdenRice]

9. There is no "small component." Only Zuul !

[Boojatta]

11. Is there any concept?

Might some word be appropriate for expressing a given concept? For example, might it be important in some context to refer to "mass", "weight", or "volume" rather than merely "bigness"?

[Boojatta]

12. Do the repeated references to Zuul have any special significance?

[YOY]

2. Context. It's all about context.

n.t.

[meegbear]

3. Just inappropriate posts with no reference to what the inappropriate word is

[jobycom]

4. Oh give me a thread, where the responses are read

and the trolls and the freepers stay away,
Where never is heard an inappropriate word,
and the replies are not stupid all day.

Home, home on GD...

[Boojatta]

7. That was good.

:)

[jobycom]

10. Thank you, thank you.

I have my moments. :rofl:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

5. does the person have a past history of being a disruptive jerk? if so, likely

[rrneck]

8. Context is everything. nt

[crimsonblue]

13. Fuck. cock. shit. piss.

are any of those words the word you are alluding to?

[Boojatta]

15. "the word you are alluding to"

I didn't have any particular word in mind when I wrote the Original Post of this thread, so I cannot say that I was alluding to any of those four words.

[RaleighNCDUer]

14. We don't fucking torture.

Obviously, the word invalidates the concept.

[Occam Bandage]

16. Too vague.

In the phrase, "I think the problem with our cities is that there are too many niggers," the word "niggers" is inappropriate and the idea is as well.

In the phrase, "I think the problem with our cities is that there are too many fuck," the word "fuck" is inappropriate (and infelicitous), and it is entirely impossible to tell if the idea was appropriate or not. Perhaps the person dropped a brick on their foot after the word "many," and said "fuck" instead of saying "disparities in our school funding schemes."

[Boojatta]

17. "is inappropriate and the idea is as well."

What if the speaker is an African-American who is speaking directly to another African-American?

[Occam Bandage]

19. I don't think that's a question that's particularly valid in the context of this conversation.

My claim is that your question is unacceptably vague, as I can think of a situation in which the use of what I would call an inappropriate word is indicative of what I would call an inappropriate idea, and one in which use of what I would call an inappropriate word is not. I therefore think that the answer to your question is either "the question can't be answered either way," or it is "you should provide definitions of either 'inappropriate word' or 'inappropriate idea,' if you believe the question ought be answered."

Suggesting that there may be sub-hypothetical in which my hypothetical for an inappropriate idea is somewhat less inappropriate, while leading naturally into an interesting discussion on race and self-directed racism, does not really change matters. There is still at least one situation in which an inappropriate word is clearly indicative of an inappropriate idea (using what I think are common definitions of both), and at least one in which the inappropriate word is not indicative of any inappropriate idea, or in fact of any particular belief at all. Therefore, it is wrong to say that an inappropriate word indicates an inappropriate idea, and it's wrong to say that an inappropriate word does not indicate an inappropriate idea. We have counterexamples against both claims.

[DireStrike]

18. I like this post

I want to weave it into a pillow and give it a hug.

[cliffordu]

20. People just need to watch their fuckng language.