Ameliorated words of offensive origin

[emckean at ENTERACT.COM]

There are some other words that have been ameliorated by certain subgroups
that aren't (ostensibly) sexual in nature: witch and crone are pretty much
okay with the Wiccan/Goddess/Pagan set, I believe.

Erin McKean
editor at verbatimmag.com

wishing that Jesse's article was going to be published in Vb. . ..

On Wed, 28 Feb 2001, Laurence Horn wrote:

> At 8:49 AM -0500 2/28/01, Robert Hartwell Fiske wrote:
> >Have these been offered:
> >
> >boy: (servant) --> (child)
> >
> And, moving in the opposite direction, "knave" (orig. 'boy',
> 'servant').  Of course there are dozens of words related to the
> "common people" that have undergone similar pejoration; the
> amelioration process is rarer and/or less predictable, despite the
> numerous instances we've been discussing.
>
> larry
>