THE LIST OF PC LANGUAGE VOCABULARY
Date: 2015-10-07; view: 460.
USING THE MOST APPROPRIATE WORDS
Since ‘appropriate' words change all the time, it is not always possible to know what words show the most sensitivity or are the most appropriate fir the particular situation. To avoid offending people with inappropriate language, try following these suggestions:
-1. When talking to members of a particular racial, ethnic or other cultural group, ask them which terms they prefer. It is better to ask people than to risk insulting them unintentionally.
-2. Avoid using slang terms to refer to people. Slang terms for people are often very insulting.
Part 1 (taken from the Internet)
| Insensitive Words & Phrases | Possible Alternatives |
| Black sheep | Outcast |
| "Guys" (when referring to a mixed group) | Friends; folks; group |
| Oriental (when referring to people) | Asian (using the specific nationality, i.e. Korean is even better, when possible) |
| Acting like wild Indians | Out of control |
| Girls (when referring to coworkers) | Women |
| Policemen/postman | Police officer/mail carrier |
| Manhole | Utility hole |
| Chairman | Chair |
| Handicapped | People with special needs; people who are physically/mentally challenged; people with disabilities |
| Retarded | Developmentally challenged |
| Gifted children | Advanced learners |
| Race | Ethnicity or nationality (There is only one race--human) |
| Uneducated (when referring to adults) | Lacking a formal education |
| No culture (when referring to parts of the U.S. where the opera and the theater are scarce or nonexistent) | Lacking European culture |
| The little woman; the wife | Your wife; his wife |
| "Don't go postal on me!" | No alternative; someone in your audience may have relatives who are postal workers |
| Acting blonde | No alternative |
| Old people | Seniors; "Chronologically Advantaged" |
| Bitchy or "PMSing" | Assertive |
| "White" lie | Lie (Calling it white does not make it okay) |
| Flip chart | Easel (Flip is a derogatory word referring to Filipinos) |
| wheel-chair bound | A person who uses a wheel-chair |
| Jew down | Negotiate |
| Half-breed | Multi-ethnic |
| Blacklisted | Banned |
| Manning the project | Staffing the project |
Part 2 (made up from other sources)
| Insensitive Words & Phrases | Possible Alternatives |
| He | He/she, s/he, everybody |
| His | His/her, their |
| Mankind | Humankind |
| Man-made | Artificial |
| Steward /stewardess | Flight attendant |
| Salesman /woman | Sales person |
| Policeman | Police officer |
| Chairman | Chairperson, chair |
| Businessman | Business person, executive |
| Fireman | Firefighter |
| Black/nigger/negro/coloured/Afro-American | African American |
| Oriental/Asiatic | Asian (Pacific Islander, Chinese American, Korean, Indian ) |
| Indians | Native Americans/'First Nations' people |
| Blackboard | Chalkboard, board |
| Minority groups | People of colour/Emergent groups/Traditionally underrepresented groups |
| Decrepit/senile/aged/ old/elderly | Chronologically gifted/older person/senior citizen/seniors |
| Invalid/the handicapped/cripple | Disabled/people with disabilities/physically disabled or challenged/differently abled |
| Insane/idiot/crazy/mad | Mentally challenged or ill |
| `An emotional cripple | Difficult to express somebody's emotions |
| Blind | Visually challenged |
| Deaf | People with hearing impairments |
| Mentally retarded | Developmentally challenged |
| Dead | Metabolically challenged |
| Die | Pass away |
| Ugly | Esthetically challenged |
| Fat | Overweight/Person of size/Differently sized person/Individual with an eating disorder/full-figured |
| AIDS sufferer | A person living with AIDS |
| Bums | Homeless people |
| Prostitute | Sex worker |
| Job seeker's allowance | Unemployment benefit |
| Poor | Lower income bracket |
| Pet | Companion animal |
| Jungle | Rainforest` |
| Swamp | Wet land |
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| SHORTISM | | | THE PROBLEM OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IN THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE |