A
      Column
      for
      the
      Politically
      Incorrect
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Coeditors:
      Peter
      Harus
      &
      Joseph
      Murphy
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      SPEAKING
      *“*POLITICAL
      CORRECTESE”’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Much
      confusion
      has
      occurred
      in
      the
      reading
      of
      our
     
     
      articles
      because
      of
      many
      complex
      terms
      that
      are
      used
     
     
      by
      the
      politically
      correct
      (e.¢.,
      ethnocentrism).
      This
     
     
      is
      understandable,
      nobody
      said
      the
      politically
      correct
     
     
      were
      coherent.
      The
      purpose
      of
      this
      article
      is
      to
     
     
      present
      definitions
      of
      some
      of
      these
      terms
      as
      given
      by
     
     
      the
      politically
      correct.
      They
      come
      from
      a
      glossary
      of
     
     
      terms
      distributed
      by
      Smith
      College
      (Massachusetts)
     
     
      for
      ““orientation
      workshops’’
      and
      from
      the
      Dictionary
     
     
      of
      Cautionary
      Words
      and
      Phrases
      (1989)
      which
      was
     
     
      distributed
      to
      several
      newspapers
      throughout
      the
     
     
      United
      States
      with
      the
      intent
      of
      promoting
      “‘politi-
     
     
      cally
      correct
      journalism.”’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      From
      Smith
      College
      Ableism:
      oppression
      of
      the
     
     
      differently
      abled
      by
      the
      temporarily
      abled.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ageism:
      oppression
      of
      the
      young
      and
      the
      old
      by
     
     
      young
      adults
      and
      the
      middle-aged,
      in
      the
      belief
      that
     
     
      others
      are
      unable
      to
      take
      care
      of
      themselves.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Classism:
      oppression
      of
      the
      working
      and
      non-proper-
     
     
      tied
      classes
      by
      the
      upper
      and
      middle
      classes.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ethnocentrism:
      oppression
      of
      cultures
      other
      than
      the
     
     
      dominant
      one
      in
      the
      belief
      that
      the
      dominant
      way
      of
     
     
      doing
      things
      is
      the
      superior
      way.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Hieterosexism:
      oppression
      of
      those
      of
      a
      sexual
      orien-
     
     
      tation
      other
      than
      heterosexual.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Lookism:
      the
      belief
      that
      appearance
      is
      an
      indicator
      of
     
     
      4
      person’s
      value;
      the
      construction
      of
      a
      standard
      for
     
    

    
     
      _
      beauty/attractiveness;
      and
      oppression
      through
      stere-
     
     
      otypes
      and
      generalizations
      of
      both
      those
      who
      do
      not
     
     
      fit
      that
      standard
      and
      those
      who
      do.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Nontraditional-Age
      Student:
      a
      person
      whose
      tradi-
     
     
      tional
      undergraduate
      education
      was
      interrupted
      and
     
     
      who
      has
      made
      the
      decision
      to
      return
      and
      complete
      it.
     
     
      Racism:
      the
      belief
      that
      one
      group
      of
      people
      are
     
    
   
   
    
     
      superior
      to
      another
      and
      therefore
      have
      the
      right
      to
     
     
      dominate.
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
          
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
         
     
     
        
     
     
         
     
     
       
     
     
       
     
     
        
     
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Sexism:
      stereotyping
      of
      males
      and
      females
      on
      tt
     
     
      basis
      of
      their
      gender;
      the
      oppression
      of
      women
      by
      7
     
     
      society
      in
      the
      belief
      that
      gender
      is
      an
      indication
      of
      q
     
     
      ability.
      [If
      anyone
      feels
      that
      we
      have
      committed
      any
     
     
      of
      these
      ism’s
      in
      any
      of
      the
      “‘Backlash’’
      columns,
      —
     
     
      please
      write
      in
      and
      show
      how
      we
      did
      it.]
     
    
   
   
    
     
      from
      Dictionary
      of
      Cautionary
      Words
      and
      P
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Barracuda:
      A
      negative
      generalization
      of
      persons
     
     
      without
      morals
      and/or
      ethical
      standards
      or
      judgments
     
     
      Many
      times
      directed
      at
      forceful
      women.
      Do
      notuse_
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Beauty:
      Avoid
      descriptive
      terms
      of
      beauty
      when
     
     
      absolutely
      necessary.
      For
      instance,
      do
      not
      use
     
     
      ““blond
      and
      blue-eyed’’
      unless
      you
      would
      also
      use
     
     
      “*brown-haired
      and
      brown-eyed’’
      as
      a
      measure
      of
     
     
      attractiveness.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Beefcake:
      Objectionable
      when
      referring
      to
      male
     
     
      physical
      attractiveness.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Buxom:
      Offensive
      reference
      to
      a
      women’s
      chest.
      Do
     
     
      notuse.
      See
      °*Woman.”’
      ;
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Codger:
      Offensive
      reference
      to
      a
      senior
      citizen.
      See
     
     
      **
      Senior
      Citizens.”’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Coot:
      Offensive
      reference
      to
      senior
      citizen.
      See
     
     
      **Senior
      Citizens.’
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Dear:
      A
      term
      of
      endearment
      offensive
      to
      some.
     
     
      Usage
      such
      as
      “He
      was
      a
      dear
      man’”’
      or
      ““Sheisa
     
     
      dear’’
      should
      be
      avoided.
     
     
      Dutch
      treat:
      To
      share
      the
      cost,
      as
      ina
      date.
      Implies
     
     
      that
      Dutch
      people
      are
      cheap.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Geezer:
      An
      objectionable
      reference
      to
      a
      senior
      citi-
      i
     
     
      zen.
      Avoid
      using.
      See
      “*Senior
      Citizens.”’
      4
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Illegal
      Alien:
      Often
      used
      to
      refer
      i
      Mexican
     
     
      Latin
      Americans
      believed
      to
      be
      in
      the
      United
      States
      |
      ;
     
     
      without
      visas;
      the
      preferred
      term
      is
      undocumented
      ©
      j
     
     
      worker
      or
      undocumented
      resident.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Impotent:
      A
      clinical
      term
      referring
      to
      male
      sexual
      —
      q
     
     
      dysfunction.
      Not
      proper
      when
      used
      to
      stereotype
      or
     
     
      characterize
      males.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Ivan:
      A
      common
      and
      offensive
      substitute
      for
      a
      Sovi
     
     
      person.
      ©
      |
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      UPEIX-PRESS
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      March
      12,
      1992
      as
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      NS
      +
      ASPB
      9
      fs
      NS
      8
      es
      PU
      ee
      a
      ae
      ce