A school system's dirty-word spreadsheet

Arnold Zwicky zwicky at STANFORD.EDU
Mon Aug 29 15:40:58 UTC 2011


On Aug 29, 2011, at 8:23 AM, Larry Horn wrote:

> I think it's a sneaky way to teach spelling.  Note that "shitfull" is blocked, but "shitful" is just fine.  On the other hand, it does seem to present challenges for teaching sex education.

yes, indeed.  though the list is a list of banned *words*, it's really a list of banned *concepts*, regardless of the style level of the words used to refer to them.  so all of the following are out: clitoris, vagina, penis, anus, ejaculate, orgasm, fellatio, cunnilingus.  (intercourse and breast aren't on the list, presumably because the words have non-sexual uses.  but if the list isn't applied case-sensitively, then dick is a problem.  and so on, as with all such lists.) (note than damn and hell are "bad words", regardless of their uses.)

>
> On Aug 29, 2011, at 12:42 AM, Wilson Gray wrote:
>
>> http://goo.gl/a3SmM

arnold

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