• CerebralHawks@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      1 month ago

      I hate how that word became pejorative, because it was used correctly. By the way, it’s still used in plumbing. Retard is a verb which means to slow, e.g. retard the flow. When you call a person who is developmentally disabled that, yes it’s rude, but it means their mental process is slow. The word was being used accurately. It’s just not nice to say.

      I don’t think “window licker” was ever accurate, but for some reason it’s slightly more socially acceptable to say (or imply, e.g. “I will say this for him, his windows are always clean”).

      • Jerkface (any/all)@lemmy.ca
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        1 month ago

        It doesn’t mean their fucking mental process is slow. It refers to developmental retardation, as if the person’s body is just going to “catch up” one day. Which is why it was a stupid thing to say all along.

    • fizzle@quokk.au
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      1 month ago

      I really try not to say this out loud. Im mostly successful. Its deeply imprinted.

    • MonkeMischief@lemmy.today
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      1 month ago

      “Everyone’s always asking me: ‘What are you doing, retard?’, but nobody ever asks 'How are you doing, retard?'”

    • FrowingFostek@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Eh, I use it for very stupid people. Obviously devoid of ableist intent.

      I feel as though the context matters with this. For the genuinely evil and criminally unintelligent I would use the clinical “Mentally retarded”.

      “Retard” and music (low volume) on buses are the controversial hills I’m willing to die on.