Words which refer to minorities--especially ones which have been discriminated against--seem to last only as long as it takes for them to acquire a stigma.
As well as words to mean "gay", words for mental retardation are another good example. There have been a whole slew of euphemisms from "mentally handicapped" to "mentally challenged." The lastest umbrella term (in New Zealand at least) is "special needs".
To these you might also add words used to describe racial and sexual minorities, disabilities, religious groups, and words which have had to be hijacked for language to keep up with the explosive trajectory of scientific and technological development.
One dramatic case in point: An "icon" used to be a venerated painting of Jesus Christ or another holy figure. Now the word is more likely to put in mind the little thing on your desktop you double-click to access the Internet and read, perchance, the lastest posting at American Atheists.
Last edited by Hydra; 02/13/07 02:44 PM.
