up for discussion: is the term "lame" offensive?

mrs.moosie

I know that some people use the word "gay" or "retarded" to describe things negatively, and that's really offensive to me. I was wondering if you think using the word "lame" is offensive as well. Do you think it is ok to use "lame" to mean "uncool"? Is it maybe offensive to people who can't walk?

I know I have definitely used it before, without thinking. I guess it doesn't seem "as offensive", but now, thinking about it more, I can see that it definitely has the potential to be offensive, and I wouldn't want that.

So, what do you think?

jlilly

It certainly might be to someone who can't walk but I honestly hadn't ever thought of that. Probably because I can't remember ever hearing someone who couldn't walk referred to as lame in in any modern context. Disabled or handicapped have replaced "lame" to the point that I think it is using the word with its original, literal meaning that is now offensive.

patty&nick

Crap. If it is, I need to make up some new words.

aj0915

i don't find it offensive at all. 

but then again, i may have used the other terms you mentioned too...so yea.  (don't love me any less)   

Mrs.BoomBoom

It's not one of my favorites but I don't think it's tremendously offensive partially because it's an older term and partially because the only things I think about being lame in modern times are animals.

Roni.Cedra

This is why I go for the gold and say this is effing ridiculous when I need to use terms such as lame, gay, retarded etc. I find Gay to be most offensive of all the terms, but I don't like to use retarded and try to curb myself on lame. But hey, I am my mother's daughter, and I can rival any sailor or trucker (or pastor's kid) if in the right environment. 

Passanie

I don't think there's anything wrong with saying lame.

sm23

Passanie:

I don't think there's anything wrong with saying lame.

Yeah, it's never occurred to me that that might be offensive, and no one's ever point it out to me as offensive. "Gay" and "retarded" on the other hand are definitely offensive in my book. I've had blow ups with friends and family members who continue to use "gay" to describe something as bad or stupid. Pisses me off.

EmmieB

Roni.Cedra:

This is why I go for the gold and say this is effing ridiculous when I need to use terms such as lame, gay, retarded etc. I find Gay to be most offensive of all the terms, but I don't like to use retarded and try to curb myself on lame. But hey, I am my mother's daughter, and I can rival any sailor or trucker (or pastor's kid) if in the right environment. 

see, and I use them (and offend people) when they're used correctly:

gay = happy/frivolous (the Gay Divorcee, Gay Paris, etc etc)

retarded = slow, deficient in some way. (And yes - I posted on another board about how something was going to "retard the process of our adoption" and some nimrod got all offended. I told them to pull out the dictionary.)

Lame - I've never thought about it, but if it is, then "Lame Duck President" is going to have to be removed from the lexicon.

 

Ultimately, unless I'm dropping f-bombs (or the equivalent) I rarely care if what I say is offensive. Because I'm aiming for clarity rather than ego stroking. If I mis-speak, of COURSE I apologize and correct myself, but seriously - if we walked around worrying that we were going to offend every.single.person we encountered...

 

ETA - I do use "Gay" to mean "homosexual." Just to clarify  

wldktz10

I don't find it offensive. There are some words I do find offensive, but honestly, if we get on every single word that's just ridiculous. I hate uber PC people.

A side note, lame isn't really used anymore to describe someone with a physical handicap, so I wonder if people even know what it truly means.

cromero49

I don't think saying "lame" is offensive and I'm sure I'll continue to use it.  Really there is somebody who will find offense to any word.  Some words are definitely worse than others to use as slang (gay and retarded), but I wouldn't rank "lame" as one of those offensive words.

anneg

only if you're lame (not limping) but lame... as in b-o-r-i-n-g.

amyfelice

I never thought about lame being offensive. Now I feel, well, lame. haha. But seriously, thanks for pointing it out, I think it could be. 

hannikan

Honestly, I do think about it sometimes because the original intent of it is as offensive as any of those other terms. But as was pointed out that meaning has been largely erased over the course of time. It is the same as saying someone is dumb. You're not making fun of the deaf when you call someone dumb, right? Because that originated as a term to describe those who couldn't speak because of being hearing impaired. And it was used derogatorily to say that people who were dumb couldn't speak because they were stupid. They also didn't understand the medical problem completely in those days either. Cripple is the term that I have problem with but like the n-word among some in the black community or gay people calling each other the f-word teasingly, it's fine if handicapped people call themselves that. My DH does all the time (in fact it's on his stand up fliers).

EmmieB

I have to say that ultimately - no word is (in itself) offensive. It is just a word. It's the intention and emotion behind it - the opinion of the person delivering it - that make it offensive.

Like Hannah mentioned - her H uses "cripple" and Snoop Dogg calls everyone "***", so...words are just words. 

amyfelice

EmmieB:

I have to say that ultimately - no word is (in itself) offensive. It is just a word. It's the intention and emotion behind it - the opinion of the person delivering it - that make it offensive.

Like Hannah mentioned - her H uses "cripple" and Snoop Dogg calls everyone "***", so...words are just words. 

It's always a little different when someone says something offensive about themselves vs. about others.