Sometimes, I hate you people. But in a good way! Because you give me all these thinky thoughts that make my skin itch and my conscience cringe. If the end result of all that discomfort, though, is that I grow as a person, I can't really complain. In fact, I thank all y'all for addressing such a complex subject and bringing so much erudition and politeness to the discourse.

Reading Eoin Colfer's sequel to Douglas Adams' books. It's really, unexpectedly funny.

My daughter is an Eoin Colfer fan.

Don't think we didn't notice.

I presumed you did, but I didn't use that particular phrase because of its historical usage, particularly on the right as a form of dismissal. (See what I did there?)

But I do think it's disingenuous to argue that liberals don't err on the side of inoffensive, highly qualified language. We may disagree there.

But if you use a term as a descriptor and someone says to you that they're offended by it, what would your reaction be? To explain to them why you think that using that term is important to the long-term health and vitality of language? Or would you say that your intent wasn't to offend and offer an apology?

To answer you directly: I would apologize.

So misers are greedy and niggardly people are stingy?

That's closer, I guess. Niggardly has the sense of, "I'm unwilling to share." Miserly has the sense of "I'm taking this and keeping it for myself." The effect is the same: bad at sharing. But the motive is different. Niggardly implies a sense of social obligation and resentment of it. It exists in response to want or need. Whereas you can be miserly all by yourself. (Stated that way, though, Scrooge is more niggardly.)

I wonder if there's a Christmas special about the Heat Niggard.

I wonder if there's a Christmas special about the Heat Niggard.

Man, that just sounds bad. You shouldn't use that word.

That does require a very precise enunciation.

Yall! I forgot how to find new threads. Can you believe that?

Back to catch up on the WHOLE THREAD that I skipped to post that...

I wanted to say that it's nice (as much as that's totally the wrong word) to be reminded that I'm not alone with that kind of can't-cope-with-life stuff.

It's nice, for me, to have someplace I can talk about this stuff without feeling like I'm being pitied or judged or found, y'know, crazy. It's a relief to talk about it like it's normal - 'cause for me it is.

Speaking of coping, right now I'm trying to figure if I have enough money in the budget to hire someone for a couple months to help with some of the more routine aspects of my job. In June I was handed the responsibilities of another editor, giving me essentially two full-time jobs. No increase in pay, of course, just a 200% increase in work, with no flexibility on the original deadlines, and I'm starting to crack a little. My employer doesn't care if some of the work is "outsourced" as long as they don't know about it. So now I'm battling another *should*.

Toni Morrison is at a cocktail party at Princeton with her colleagues, English professors and other visiting novelists. She uses the word "niggardly" in conversation. Is this okay because:

It would certainly give me pause, but I'll go with E.

E) She's a novelist and black and it is presumed she both knows how to use the word and that she's sensitive to how it might be misconstrued.

Given that she is a member of the group which might be directly offended, her race and the possibility of reclamation of the word is a factor.

Would I use that word in front of Toni Fucking Morrison?

Hell to the naw.