Head. EXPLODY.

Right? I get annoyed enough at anti-vaccination people, but good god, she's confusing her anti-vaccine propaganda! H1N1 vaccine doesn't cause autism; it's the series of childhood vaccines that do! Duh.

t /sarcasm

Ah well. And now I can't for the life of me recall why I thought you did. Sorry about that.

Cause it sounds like Math?

(Do you guys know 'Jeeves & Wooster'? Very funny early 90s stuff - worth watching.)

Oh yes, quite brilliant. I have Jeeves waking me up each morning these days. (good morning, madam! The world is awaiting your rising. Shall I alert the media?)

Niggardly is a perfectly good word, which we cannot use anymore because so many people are ignorant.

I’m not ignorant (of theword’s meaning, anyway) and it still gives a knee jerk reaction. Yes, it’s a perfectly good word, but why use a word that is (or seems to be) loaded with negative connotation when there are plenty of others to suffice?

I also mourn the loss of the ability to use the word "gay" to mean what it actually fucking means.

At UVA, we sing “The Good Ol’ Song” when the football team scores (and New Year’s, and many other occasions where there’s a bunch of drunk Wahoos, like weddings) There’s a line “where all is bright and gay” and a disturbing number of people yell “not gay!” after the line. (at which I yell out “homophobic bastards”)

I get annoyed enough at anti-vaccination people, but good god, she's confusing her anti-vaccine propaganda!

And there IS a thimerisol-free version of the H1N1 vaccine available for the truly paranoid.

"Plus, you know that vaccine hasn't been tested, and I don't want to be a guinea pig for vaccine companies."

I got this from my very intelligent friend last weekend during her baby shower. I didn't want to yell at her at her own shower in front of a million people, but I looked at her sternly.

Then she mentioned that a friend of hers (also at the shower, so supplied many gruesome details) got seriously, seriously messed up by a regular seasonal flu shot- like, couldn't move, feel her hands or legs, and other horrible things. So, I felt quite stymied.

You know, when you answer someone else's phone, you should really answer it "[name]'s phone" I just spent a very confusing few minutes on the phone with my friend's mother because she picked up the phone with "hello" I said "hey, it's Steph!" She said "Steph?" I said "yes, stephanie Johnson. Oh, I'm calling from my work phone, probably why you don't recognize the number" (and I'm thinking "damn, can't believe she doesn't recognize my voice") She said "your work phone?" and I said "yes, I'm calling to tell you that I can't make it to the wedding cause I suck" She FINALLY said "this is Kelly's mom" @@

I’m not ignorant (of theword’s meaning, anyway) and it still gives a knee jerk reaction. Yes, it’s a perfectly good word, but why use a word that is (or seems to be) loaded with negative connotation when there are plenty of others to suffice?

I agree with that. I don't think you have to be ignorant to have a reaction, and it's not exactly a common word either. I would say it's not a perfectly good word anymore--through no fault of its own--because it's distracting even if the context is correct.

Yes, it’s a perfectly good word, but why use a word that is (or seems to be) loaded with negative connotation when there are plenty of others to suffice?

It doesn't have a negative connotation. It has a homonymic association. I'm not going to stop using "country" because it's got the rude "cunt" in it.

Le sigh. However, truth be told I probably self-edit and use stingy instead even though the meaning is not exactly the same.

It doesn't have a negative connotation. It has a homonymic association.

I agree. That said, I think I'd use "niggardly" in written communication rather than verbal. Basically because of the homonymic thingie -- people hear it and their brain makes the immediate connection; I know *I* do.

Addendum: To me the word "niggardly" has the connotation of a moral failing whereas "stingy" skews a bit more towards mean and petty. More of a compulsion. And that's a useful distinction worth maintaining. I don't insist on it, however, and if I were in a social situation where there was even a chance of it being misheard or misconstrued I wouldn't use it.

What about "parsimonious"?