Language changes, please give your examples.

I’m not sure what that was, other than a Trump-brand tweet.

“A little girl is missing...” has become “A little girl went missing.”

People used to say, “oh, I agree.” Now everyone says “I don’t disagree.”

“Douchebag”

No changes. Still douchebag.

Waiter or waitress, now server.

The driver is no longer responsible for hit-and-runs or accidents, news journalists write that the car did it.

Hallowe'en is now Halloween. St. Valentine's Day is now Valentine's Day -- St. Patrick's Day isn't yet Patrick's Day though.

Political leaders don't appoint any more, they "tap."

"set foot in" has become "step foot in."

"buck naked" has become "butt naked."

"champing at the bit" has become "chomping at the bit"

"jealous" has replaced "envious"

[quote]People used to say, “oh, I agree.” Now everyone says “I don’t disagree.”

These two things do not mean the same thing. When one does not disagree, it is not the same as agreeing with something.

Just as "not liking" something is not the same as "disliking" something. One can not find something agreeable, enjoyable, or satisfactory without feeling active distaste for or hostility toward it.

I despise “secreted” in place of hid.

For example: “The theif secreted the diamond in his shoe.”

Always sounds like the person is...oozing.

The curated horseshit.

Of course all the gender Orwellain bullshit.

And secretary is administrative assistant. Maybe it is called something else now.

Follies is now FOLLIES!

One pet peeve, among millennials and/or others who imagine themselves hip:

"I like [X] okay" = "I'm not mad at it."

Stewardess; flight attendant

Third world country; developing nation

Homosexual is now Gay. Ir LGBTQWXYZ...,

Gay is now Merry.

Car is now Vehicle.

*%#¥*^ is now Fuck!

%#€&$ is now Shit!

Retard is now Developmentally Disabled.

Unwed Mother us now Single Mother.

Bastard is now most anyone.

Illegal alien is now Undocumented immigrant

waiter/-tress = server (or wait staff)

workman's compensation = worker's compensation

Negro to black to African-American

Oriental to Asian

Illegal alien is now immigrant, never mind undocumented.

People ask why legal residents freak out, it's because they see headlines about ICE being told it's okay to shoot immigrants.

I bloody hate these coded terms, and then people who use the coded terms get upset when someone unfamiliar with them uses their original dictionary definition.

“Gifted” as a transitive verb, instead of an adjective.

Jesus Christ, I hate it so much it makes my eyeballs bleed.

See how much language changes, back in the day, I would have merely sniffed “I disapprove.”

"Based off of" instead of "based on."

"Based out of" instead of "based in."

These don't even make sense.

Unwed mother is actually "single parent" to those in social services. Less sexist, and I agree.

Homosexual/gay male is often "MSM"--men who have sex with men--in social services, when dealing with men who are closeted or on the downlow. You would be amazed by the numbers of men who may identify themselves as MSM vs gay/bisexual.

Using "loan" as a verb (as a synonym to "lend.")

Using "disinterested" to mean "uninterested."

[quote]I despise “secreted” in place of hid.

[quote]For example: “The theif secreted the diamond in his shoe.”

We despise illiterate morons who can't spell. t h I E f

In far too many retail businesses, employees are associates and customers are guests.

Hookers, streetwalkers, whores etc. are now Sex Workers.

Disrespect (dissing someone) now as a verb, formerly a noun.

Woke as an adjective, replacing it as the past tense of a verb.

monetize

weaponize

another vote for nouns used as verbs, e.g., gifting, homing, rehoming,

Coloured>>black>>???

Yet "people of colour - PoC" is ok.

At various workshops and lectures, "fee" has been replaced with "investment."

What are "juvenile delinquents" called now? I'm sure that's been changed.

r31: "At-risk" population, or "young offenders."

Manic depressive became bipolar.

Mailman>>mail carrier

Chinaman>>Chinese (?)

"I'm good" replacing "Thank you, I've had sufficient."

"No problem" replacing "You're welcome."

"Behaving like an adult" became "adulting" (which is not even a word).

I remember in the 1980’s the word reputation was used a lot to describe someone’s reputation. I never hear it used now.

Moron, imbecile, and idiot were once clinical terms for varied gradations of IQ.

R29 That tells you everything you need to know right there.

My bad replaced my mistake. Loathsome.

Eat healthy.

Turning an adjective into a noun.

"Sending an e-mail" became "reaching out." Grates my nerves to hear.

"You're welcome" is now "No worries" - to which some of the senior population becomes aggrieved.

When did social become societal? I don't get the difference.

When I was in school in Canada we called the indigenous population Indians. Over the years there has been a constant evolution: First Nations, Original Peoples, Aboriginal Peoples and likely some I've forgotten.

I do not become as aggrieved by "no worries" as I do by your sentence structure, r44.

In public schools:

Janitor to Custodian to Building Engineer.

“Literally” to a generic emphatic adverb.

GRID became AIDS, then HIV

Excuse me, OP, but an erstwhile "nervous breakdown" is now known as "burnout".

I would appreciate it if you would avoid the use of the problematic term "nervous breakdown" in future. It risks triggering me!

"Clap back" and "shook" are incredibly stupid.

“Worser” is understood fully - and used frequently.

Super instead of very. Like, super happy.

"Tranny" is now "woman".

No It isn't.

“I want” is now “I need”.

"Can I get..." rather than "I'd like...".

It's so passive-aggressive. It's like asking for something without actually asking for it but still making it very clear you demand it.

The primary dictionary definition of Fulsome once was "excessively cloying" but now people routinely use it to mean full or comprehensive.

Well, that's dumbsome, r58.

R46 - While not a language change, the seniors feeling the need to remark upon 2nd (or 3rd in my case) language English speakers is something new to me. I do think it was way more accepted to try to speak and write in your non-native language before but now you're always coming up short,

It's something we do here, dear r60.

Someone just responded to something I said and used "veggies" in her sentence. I say "her" because no man would say "veggies."

[quote]"I'm good" replacing "Thank you, I've had sufficient."

I’ve never heard anyone say, “Thank you, I've had sufficient."

Mother is now Baby Mama

In NYC print, radio, and TV reporters can't say "city projects." Now they're "apartment complexes."

Historically., "Bodega" described a small grocery or deli in Hispanic/Latino neighborhoods. Suddenly the word is used to describe any deli, even in upscale neighborhoods like Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, the West Village, and the Upper East Side.

Baby mama is the mother of child whose parents are not married.

Baby daddy is the father of a child whose parents are not married.

'Bodega' sounds horribly racist to me. Like 'Paki shop' used to be used for a 'corner shop' in the UK.

I am a depositor at the bank, and a customer in stores. Lately while I wait in line, the person behind the counter says "Next guest." I'm in bank or store, not a hotel.

R11, secretary to a higher-up is now an Executive Assistant. Administrative Assistant has come to mean clerk,

Thank you, R67, but I'll continue to use "baby's mother" and "baby's father" because I'm not, you know, TRASH.

R34, the USPS employs Letter Carriers

Window signs used to say "OPEN"," now it's "OPENING HOURS." Where did this originate?

Servants > Staff > Personnel > Human Resources > Human Capital > cogs?

Pregnant or "with child" is now referred to as having a "baby bump". And every "celebrity" has to constantly "show off their baby bump" as if anyone gives a shit.

What about my sentence structure aggrieves you r46?

Sex reassignment surgery is now “gender confirmation surgery”.

R76, please allow me to extend my humblest apology. I mistyped r44. I meant to type R43.

In my workplace, the word “costing” used in place of quoting or bidding a price for something.

Mouthfeel for food texture. Gross.

Price point instead of price.

I really like Latinx replacing Latino and Latina and I hope this trend continues with other words.

[quote]Price point instead of price.

"Price point" is a technical term (that is generally misused, I'll grant you) that is different from "price" that is driven by a fair number of market dynamics and consumer behavior.

[quote]“Gifted” as a transitive verb, instead of an adjective.

Gifted lost its meaning when parents started believing they were an authority in this subject instead of the government.

Thank you for the clarification, but I'm not buying it. At any price point.

^^ That was meant for R82.

[quote]Thank you for the clarification, but I'm not buying it. At any price point.

Well, suit yourself. However, if you are not involved in such discussions involving pricing strategy, it probably doesn't matter.

But, to clarify my previous post because I realized I didn't actually say the phrase that pays: A price point usually includes both the price of an item AND consumer demand for that item at that price.

In turn, at various price points, consumers have different requirements for feature and functionality. For example, several price points have emerged in the laptop market. Consumers have different levels of expectations about the type of machine, screen quality, graphics capabilities, gaming capabilities, computing speed, RAM, and such for a machine at the $799, $1000, and $2000 price points. In turn, companies will adjust their products to ensure that they fall within the various price points with the key features while skimping on others to reduce costs (and price) to meet those targets and still have the same margins.

Oh, and r84, you wouldn't buy it for any PRICE not price point.

In that case, r80 would have a legitimate gripe against using "price point" as it would be nonsense in that context.

R86, R87 Thanks for the further insight. I have a graphic design background, not marketing, although the two are interconnected. The PP phrase seemed hollow as new terminology that replaces existing terms abound these days, and it came across as pretentious. Just trying a bit of humor like most others on this thread. Oh well.

I first heard "price point" in 1967, r88.

Really. Wow. Didn't know that it had been in use that long. I first heard it on the debut season of Shark Tank. And have heard it used frequently since then. Before that it was probably confined to industry jargon?

Interesting thread idea. I’m sure I’ll think of many throughout the day. To start – sanitarium is now rehab facility.

Non-binary has replaced . . . something. I can't figure it out.

Spacee has replaced field, as in - He works in the retail space.

Space

Can someone of, er, Asian descent explain what was wrong with Oriental? Sincere question. I always thought of that as a rather poetic word. “The Orient” sounded like a beautiful place to me.

Instead of without flaws, “perfect” is now your server’s pronouncement of the excellence of your menu choice.

r90, I heard "price point" when I worked at Korvette's one lonely New Jersey summer, 1968 or so. I heard it every couple of minutes, all summer long. That and "SKU."

Law and Order SKU

R94 didn't Mae West sing a song called "I'm an Occidental woman in an oriental mood for love"?

I still think of east Asians as Orientals and Indians, Pakistanis etc as Asians. They live in the Orient.

[quote] "I'm good" replacing "Thank you, I've had sufficient."

[quote]I’ve never heard anyone say, “Thank you, I've had sufficient."

Nor have I, because what Mrs. Mertz actually said was "I HAVE sufficient." I don't see why it's so difficult for people to get that right. It's been repeated here often enough.

[quote]Excuse me, OP, but an erstwhile "nervous breakdown" is now known as "burnout".

I found it much classier when Agatha Christie used to call it "une crise de nerfs."

R94, because in the US, "oriental" is a loaded term fraught with connotations and imagery of a racist past when people from East Asia were considered foreign, exotic, and unassimilable; notions which were used by lawmakers to separate Asians into ghettoes, institute exclusionary immigration policies, and intern them during war. "Oriental" is similar to the use of "Negro," which was perfectly acceptable in the past, but now conjures up images of Jim Crow-era treatment of blacks in America.

"Exceptional" meaning different, aka Retarded,

Adding "based" to a location .... "he's Brooklyn-based, " when they mean he lives in Brooklyn.

Personnel Department is Human Resources. Complaint Department is Customer Care.

Handicapped>>>differently abled (makes no sense)

Handicapped>>>>special needs

Venereal disease>>STD (sexually transmitted disease)>>STI (sexually transmitted infection)

[quote]Non-binary has replaced . . . something. I can't figure it out.

Expressing individuality.

R58. That’s moronsome.

Terms like broads, dames and chicks seem to have disappeared from polite discourse.

"Gams" has disappeared from the vocabulary.

R94 Because an Oriental lies like a rug... A joke r99 before you come down on me!

However Oriental originally meant east of the Bosphorus, IIRC. Therefore to Turks, Arabs and the like. If so, when did it begin to refer to East Asians?

Bleeding to death= bleed out

Disgusting.

"Master and Slave" -> "Dominant" (not a noun) and "Submissive" (not a noun)

Because of lame-ass crime/mystery shows and because people can't help but take it out of context.

"Reach out" for "contact" ugh

^^ I hate that one, too. Double ugh.

Infer vs. imply

R112, but he isn't Occident prone!

"Reference" as a verb, instead of "refer to." When did that start?

"Based off of" instead of "based on." Bleahhhh.

Impact as a verb.

That was my first notice, r120, that language could, and would, change in my lifetime. I started to notice that one in 1975.

In the US, our variant "gray" has transformed recently to "grey," and I wholeheartedly blame "Fifty Shades of Grey."

I blame "greyhounds," r122. Not the individual dogs themselves, just their consistently British spelling.

A lot of these are examples of the euphemism treadmill. Whoever is in charge of the words we use decides to change descriptors as they acquire non-PC connotations, like "disabled" from "handicapped." But it's what the words actually refer to (disability) that we dislike, so they will have to keep changing words forever.

neu·ro·typ·i·cal /ˌn(y)o͝orōˈtipikəl/ Learn to pronounce adjective not displaying or characterized by autistic or other neurologically atypical patterns of thought or behavior. "neurotypical individuals often assume that their experience of the world is either the only one or the only correct one"

R124 euphemism treadmill is the truth. I can’t keep up.

I do genealogy and the old census paperwork does use imbecile, idiot, lodger, negro, head of house, slaves. Some words need to be changed.

Do European countries use the euphemism treadmill?

Pregnant: "We're pregnant" (men saying this when wife is pregnant)

R62 I was taught in english class that americans say veggies instead of vegetables but it always sounded stupid to me, care to weigh in?

It IS stupid, r130. We don't say "fruities." We don't say pizza-ies." We don't say "chippies." Well, we may say that, but it has another meaning entirely.

"Veggies" is simply the province of the "dumbies."

Scammed is now cat fished

No contact is now ghosted

r131 We don't say "fruities" because it lengthens the word, not shortens it as veggies does to vegetables. And the Brits shorten it even further -- to just "veg."

You're still a moron if you say "veggies," r134.

Doctors have been downgraded to "prescribers"

Patients are "consumers"

"Manned" is now "Staffed" or, if you're on the water or in the air, "Crewed."

R5 Journalists word reports like that as who is responsible for hit and runs / collisions etc is for the police and eventually the jury or judge to determine.

Tenement>>slum>>housing project>>low-income housing

Bum, tramp, vagrant>>homeless

R6: To hell with St. Patrick there's also the Festa di San Giuseppe aka the Feast of St. Joseph.

R114, the terms "Master" and "Slave" have not replaced "Dominant " and "Submissive" -- the two pairs of terms have different meanings in the BDSM community.

ignorant is now ignant.

Dead became "passed" and the Millennial "whatnot".

Europe remains stubbornly backward. I have signed a number of French and Italian rental contracts, and there is always the clause that the tenant will maintain the property as a "bon papa de famille" - ie, a responsible father of the family, even if the sole or principal tenant is a woman.

You should sue those companies for triggerment and literal violence, R144.

Yes, like that would fly, R145.

Someone please translate r38

What's there to translate, r147? If you can’t understand that post, perhaps you’re one of them.

conversate

Favorite is now go to

I hate "go to." I don't go to it, ever.

—Misuse of the word "collide," e.g., [italic]the car collided with a tree.[/italic] No, it most certainly did NOT. A collision, according to the Cambridge Dictionary, is when two vehicles HIT EACH OTHER with force. A moving car cannot have a collision with a stationary tree; a car CRASHES INTO a tree.

—"Electrocuted." There used to be only one meaning. If you were electrocuted, you died. Now the word is being used to describe any kind of electrical shock. The same is true for the words "strangled" and "drowned," both of which now are no longer descriptors of a fatal condition, but of anyone who was choked or inhaled a bunch of water.

If you mention this to abusers of the words in question, they get all pissy and say, "it's in the dictionary"—which, unfortunately, it now is. These are just examples of how the English language is getting fucked up beyond recognition.

ADDENDUM TO R152: Total misunderstanding and misuse of the word "myriad." It is NOT "a myriad of things," it's "myriad things." "Myriad is an ADJECTIVE, not a fucking NOUN. If you're going to use a 25¢ word, at least use it correctly.

TY R153 for correction. I will now also lord this over others

A new verb - to commentate. Because, you know, it's done by a commentator.

Thanks, R153. The misuse of "myriad" is perhaps my biggest pet peeve.

Unfortunately, the usage of the word combined with "of" has now also infiltrated the dictionary.

Wtf with people using “cancelled” to speak if people they don’t like???

*of

"Retard" is now "Fabulously Abled"

[quote]A new verb - to commentate. Because, you know, it's done by a commentator.

This started years ago with "orientate," as in, "you will orientate to your new surroundings." The word is "ORIENT." Just because you have orientation doesn't mean you "orientate."

r160 conversatin'

Our office cleaner now wants to be called a hygiene operative.

"Whore" is now "Sex Educator"

A housewife or househusband is now a domestic engineer.

Every time we do this thread, I post the same two...

Hanged is now "hung"

Sneaked is now "snuck"

We are now at the point when you say the words correctly, people look at you like you are saying them incorrectly, but I'll never give up. Never!

[quote]Hanged is now "hung"

I can see the issue. However, most people wouldn’t sound right if they said, “I went out with this hot dude last night. We fucked around and BOY was he hanged.”

[quote]I can see the issue. However, most people wouldn’t sound right if they said, “I went out with this hot dude last night. We fucked around and BOY was he hanged.”

Unless you were talking about David Carradine.

The worst part is when something has been used incorrectly for so long and so commonly that the incorrect usage is now acceptable and considered correct.

And the corollary to that is that people think the correct usage is not correct because they've heard it incorrectly used so often.

Where is Asia? Do they allow adoption?

R169 - Charlize Theron is shopping around for a new boy child. What's your dress size?

"Trend" as a verb.

Graduated from college>>graduated college

R127, I understand the problem with the others, but what's wrong with "lodger"? Is that word now taboo for some reason?

[quote] [R169] - Charlize Theron is shopping around for a new boy child. What's your dress size?

I don't think I know. What's a dress?

Incompetency. What's wrong with plain old incompetence?

[quote]Graduated from college>>graduated college

And that actually started as "WAS graduated from college."

What really is cringey is when people talk about their children graduating from elementary school, or god help me, kindergarten.

174 --Imagine wrapping the flag of your country around your body, then adding shoulder straps.

Guides have become docents

[quote] The worst part is when something has been used incorrectly for so long and so commonly that the incorrect usage is now acceptable and considered correct.

Factoid. Always meant "something that people believe is true, but isn't."

When the Internet came along, people started using factoid to mean "a fact." It's not a fact. A fact is a fact. The word factoid wouldn't exist if it meant "a fact. " but dictionaries decided to accept the incorrect version of this because teachers are lazy and stupid and were not only accepting it's use by students, but we're using the incorrect meaning, too.

[quote]What really is cringey is when people talk about their children graduating from elementary school, or god help me, kindergarten.

Oh, honey -- it's even worse. Now they're doing it for PRE-school.

"Manse," which used to mean a house occupied by a minister, has become synonymous with "mansion."

I have also seen 'to the manner born.'

"Just desserts" seems to have become acceptable.

Die>>>pass.

Founder is now flounder. I’m not talking about fish.

Buck naked is butt naked. Sounds stupid.

These misuses are generally perpetrated by people who do not read.

They are called malapropisms.

my mistake ---> my bad

This makes the speaker sound retarded. Or should I say mentally challenged or learning disabled.