Gregory's Server@ErikUden Sometimes I feel it's hard to catch up, know what's right.
I realized "dumb" was an ableist slur - "mute" should not mean "stupid" - and now I can't unhear it but it's very common so I think I am correct to not ever comment, and simply try not to use it myself.
My mother was very progressive for her time, for any time really!, but many years ago when I told her "gyp" was from "gypsy" she initially refused to believe it, because she had used it so many times.
@TomSwirly the more you try to avoid hurtful words and phrases, the more you realize how cruel our language can be. “Off the reservation” implies that the place for indigenous people is on a reservation. “On the warpath,” “low man on the totem pole,” and “circle the wagons” aren’t great! At this point I don’t use any idioms about victims of a genocide.