Rant of the week.. The F word on adult tv and violence in video games

Forde said:
Maybe because retard is offensive to some people? JUST A GUESS!
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Retarded is a perfectly fine English word to use.
Because people used to use it to describe mentally challenged people earlier on in the century and people now use it as an insult, why should the word be classed as a taboo.

All depends on the context in which it is used, when are we going to stop having to use the words thick for example, another perfectly fine word but can be used to insult.


In regards to the F word. There is a watershed in place, so let it be. I can't stop my kids picking up certain words from neighbours, other kids at school or even myself, but TV and radio can be a massive influence.
I however feel a little differently when it comes to hearing it in songs and on tv. For some strange reason that I cant really find a way of defending I don't find swear words as offensive when in music (some types of music obviously break this ideal)

And yes, I do use the term retarded in every day use, I've not just posted to make a blind point.
 
Raist said:
Why "virtually"? That word means not real; doesn't really exist. I keep hearing it used over and over, when they really mean "nearly". If I was to purchase something for cost savings and I heard that it "virtually" pays for itself, I would assume that it doesn't at all. Is it used the same way in the UK?
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I would expect to hear "... it practically pays for itself." in the UK.

Although to be fair both virtually and practically are both words that can be used for "almost" or "nearly".


practically (prac¦tic|al¦ly)

adverb
1: virtually; almost:

the strike lasted practically a fortnight
the place was practically empty

2: in a practical manner


virtually (vir¦tu|al¦ly)

adverb

1 [as submodifier] nearly; almost:

the disease destroyed virtually all the vineyards in Orange County

the college became virtually bankrupt

2 by means of virtual reality techniques
by means of a computer; computationally

So they're not wrong, even if it doesn't sound right.
 
The thing that annoys me is I have UT3, when I got it, I had to show my ID. The thing that makes the whole M rating pointless is the amount of blood that is "not" there, crap I had to get a 3rd party utility to turn blood on to the highest setting, which was still laughable & after kill I would hear "F ya". Then on TV yesterday, they where bleeping ****, but not the F word.
 
NathanT said:
Retarded is a perfectly fine English word to use.
people now use it as an insult, why should the word be classed as a taboo.
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NathanT said:
And yes, I do use the term retarded in every day use, I've not just posted to make a blind point.
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I agree totally about context. Retard is a perfectly fine word to use and I would use it too in a sensible context. Unfortunately, 99.99% of the time it is used to insult people with special needs, or suggest that other people have special needs.

I'm sure in 50 years 'special needs' will be an insult and we will be using some other term.

I don't think it is 'taboo' necessarily, more that it's not particularly nice to hear.

What context do you use it in?
 
SiriusB said:
I would expect to hear "... it practically pays for itself." in the UK.
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You are quoting modern definitions, based on utilisation. Just as the law, the words need to be used in the spirit of the law -- what the law is trying to accomplish. It is an interpretation, but that is up to people much wiser than the standard jury to decide.

I have provided the word "lite" to Merriam-Websters. The word did not exist in the dictionary before I sent it. It didn't make it less of a word but it had meaning to anyone using computers. Until then it did not have an official meaning?

I agree with you. "Nearly" and "Practically" are similar and should in no way be confused with "virtually."
 
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