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Are you a homophone?

Please note: This page is a read-only archive of messages posted in the Word Fugitives conference of Post & Riposte.

Topic:	3) Are you a homophone? (1 of 7), Read 143 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Barbara Wallraff ([email protected])
Date:	Wednesday, February 10, 1999 02:57 PM

Margaret Richardson, of Minneapolis, Minnesota, writes: "As I was reading about the Washington, D.C., ombudsman who resigned and then was rehired after using the word 'niggardly,' I wondered: Is there a word for words like this -- words that sound rude but aren't?"

Topic:	3) Are you a homophone? (2 of 7), Read 125 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Wendy Lauver ([email protected])
Date:	Thursday, February 11, 1999 02:09 PM

How about "misunderstood"
We could also use a word for people who make hasty decisions like firing someone who uses the language beyond a 5th grade level. Have you heard the story about the person who was fired for the use of pedantic? (It was assumed to be related to pedophile.)

Topic:	3) Are you a homophone? (3 of 7), Read 123 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Glenn Werner ([email protected])
Date:	Thursday, February 11, 1999 02:41 PM

Does anyone know if it is a particularly "American" phenomenon for the citizenry
to deny itself the same freedom of speech that their government (in theory)
tolerates?
Remember "I disagree with what you say but will fight to the death for your right
to say it"? Doesn't that mean that what might be said may be abhorrent to you?
Or (as Woody Allen said in "Bananas") Is it Ok to think differently from the
president, but not too differently.
Here's an experiment you can try at home. Invite a few co workers to your home
for a dinner party, .. I meant to say, start a conversation taking an unpopular
viewpoint, but it's even easier than that, simply bring up politics or social issues of
any sort, and see how long it takes for the consensus of your guests to want to
change the subject.

Topic:	3) Are you a homophone? (4 of 7), Read 102 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Barbara Wallraff ([email protected])
Date:	Sunday, February 14, 1999 11:06 AM

On 2/11/99 2:41:59 PM, Glenn Werner wrote:
>Does anyone know if it is a
>particularly "American"
>phenomenon for the citizenry
>to deny itself the same
>freedom of speech that their
>government (in theory)
>tolerates?
>Remember "I disagree with what
>you say but will fight to the
>death for your right
>to say it"?

Actually, the quote is from Voltaire -- so there's your answer as to whether ideas like this are particularly American.

Topic:	3) Are you a homophone? (5 of 7), Read 110 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Martin Eady ([email protected])
Date:	Thursday, February 11, 1999 11:25 PM

On 2/10/99 2:57:30 PM, Barbara Wallraff wrote:
>Margaret Richardson, of
>Minneapolis, Minnesota,
>writes: "As I was reading
>about the Washington, D.C.,
>ombudsman who resigned and
>then was rehired after using
>the word 'niggardly,' I
>wondered: Is there a word for
>words like this -- words that
>sound rude but aren't?"
>
>

"Clansman" - As a Scot, I resent that the KKK took a perfectly respectable word (concerning members of our extended family) and turned it into something repulsive.

Topic:	3) Are you a homophone? (6 of 7), Read 95 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Tracy Durden ([email protected])
Date:	Saturday, February 13, 1999 01:34 AM

Is this what "political correctness" has come to mean?

I remember being shocked when, in 7th grade I first saw the name of the African country, Niger, until I heard it pronounced correctly (my phonics skills not being too sharp)...

Topic:	3) Are you a homophone? (7 of 7), Read 37 times
Conf:	Word Fugitives, with Barbara Wallraff
From:	Mark Harris ([email protected])
Date:	Sunday, February 21, 1999 07:01 PM

"Niggardly" is a malephone (mal"e*phone) -- a malign-sounding word with an innocuous meaning. Synonym: malenym. Similarly, one might perceive "Niger" as malegraphic.

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