(Untitled)

[whorishness]

How do you feel about someone using the word "niggardly", assuming the context is correct?

Do you think it is likely to be misconstrued as racist or would enough people grasp that it's has nothing to do with race?

Comments

[a_pawson]

It's not a word I exactly use every day, but I know what it means and so have no problem with it. If people have a problem with it, it is probably because they have no idea what it means so jump to the racist conclusion.

[hashishinahooka]

I think it is likely to be misconstrued as racist by people who aren't aware of the word. I mean, it's like the racist White lady who started the whole "Don't Re-Nig 2012" campaign despite the fact that there is nothing to fit in that sentence other than the N-word, and the word she was thinking of, "renege" is spelled n-e-g and also means the opposite of what she was trying to say

[lexigrapheme]

If they're smart enough to know what the word means, they're smart enough to know what people are going to think when they use it. Niggardly has plenty less evocative synonyms that convey the same meaning.

[britneyspears]

this exactly

[mundane]

Exactly.

And the truth is unless someone has a seriously solid reason for using THAT particular word (instead of, oh, you know stingy, greedy, tightfisted, parsimonious or any of the many other options), I'm going to assume that the use is intentionally incendiary.

[mrflagg]

exactly. just accuse the person of being jewish and move on

[keechakatt]

If used I think they are asking for trouble using it. People are getting beat up for Treyvon who had nothing to do but live at the wrong address.

[rgpick]

I have no problem with people using it. It's not racist, plain and simple. If people want to make a big deal out of it then they are just showing that they have a degree of ignorance when it comes to vocabulary.

[spicytoys]

Yep.