Newsgroups: bit.listserv.deaf-l
Date:         Sat, 15 Aug 1992 13:02:36 EDT
From:         Esther Paris <esther@DEMAND.ED.RAY.COM>
Subject:      Word choices

Personally, I'm not Sign-Language-Impaired... I am only Hard-of-Sign-Language.

This discussion about word choices has many counterparts.  I can think of
three kinds of people in particular: the alcoholics, the developmentally
delayed, and the drug addicted.  It found it funny how many words appear
in more than one column as I sat and tried to think of as many as I could.
It is shocking how each one evokes a different image in my head.  When I
resorted to a Thesaurus to find more synonyms, I was really surprised. (I
will never confess how many I thought of on my own versus how many came from
the Thesaurus.  Grin!)  The Thesaurus had many more words than I cared to
type.  Pause after each word and retain your mind's picture for a moment
before reading the next word.  Compare how different they are!  A boozehound
is very different from a toper.  A lush is morally lax as well as hooked
on alcohol (in my mind's eye, anyway).

alcoholic	developmentally disabled	drug addict
drunk/drunkard	mentally retarded		junkie
sot		idiot/poke			dope fiend
toper		moron				pot head
boozehound	dullard				druggie
boozer		blockhead			derelict
inebriate	dimwit				bum
lush		dolt				bonehead
rummy		dummy/dumbell			narc
soak/soaker	clod/clodpate/clodpoll		drifter
souse		dunce/oaf			bindle
sponge		numbskull			delinquent
stiff		thickhead			hooked
tippler		developmentally delayed
dipsomaniac	backward
derelict	dope/dopey/dopy
bum		dunderhead
bloat		bufflehead
blotter		dull-witted
guzzler		beetlehead
bibber		bonehead
fuddler		boob/booby
rum-dum		chump
rummer/rummy	dizzard
rumpot		dodo
shicker		featherweight
swillbowl	goof/goon
tosspot		ignoramous
wino		lack-wit
drammer		lame-brain

If I still have your attention, do you honestly think "developmentally
disabled" is kinder than "mentally retarded"?  To me, "developmentally
disabled" says "This person is incapable of growing/developing AT ALL".
"Mentally retarded" says to me "This person grows at a different pace."
Just my personal opinion.

I've noticed that some people will deliberately put the less nice words
on to themselves relatively often.  Drop in at an AA meeting or an NA
meeting and see that people call themselves drunks and junkies.  Often
people will deliberately use the stereotypes that outsiders apply to
them for humor or for linking themselves more closely to others in the
same oppressed minority group.  If a woman describes herself using one
of the nastier words to describe women, it's very different than if her
former lover describes her with the same words. Similarly, it's part of
the appeal of the TV shows that make fun of stereotypes by playing them
up (Sanford and Son, That Girl).  I'm not saying it's good or bad...
I'm just saying I've noticed it.  Could this be a factor in how a
person decides to use "Deaf", "deaf", "hard-of-hearing", or "hearing
impaired" to describe him-/herself?  If it's being used to introduce
oneself to a stranger, or an employer, or when requesting accomodations
and equal access, might one use the "HI" term to just give a blanket
introduction?  Then if one is in the company of others in the same
cultural group, might the same person use the term "Deaf"?  Can't a
person use the word that fits the situation?  Is a given word better or
worse than another word?  Words have so many meanings built in!

This discussion reminds me of the question I asked a while ago... after
reading an article for my American Deaf Culture class, I was surprised
by the discussion of "Very hard of hearing" versus "a little hard of
hearing".  The members of the American Deaf Culture may mean something
completely different than I (hearing) do when each of us uses those
expressions.  I asked you all on the list what YOU each meant by
"Very HoH" versus "A little Hoh" out of curiosity.

Well, I've rambled enough... I've typed too much.  Time to go put more
Ben Gay on my arms and take some more aspirin. I really shouldn't be
so garrulous, talkative, chatty, long-winded, babblative, gabby, loose-
tongued, loquacious, multiloquent, tonguey, babbling, prattling, verbose,
windy, or wordy when my hands ache so much.  Grin!
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Esther Paris, Raytheon EDL, Marlborough, MA esther@demand.ed.ray.com
Comments: Gated by NETNEWS@AUVM.AMERICAN.EDU