Bad words

[Dave Wilton]

Jim Landau's categories of bad words:

> 4.  Canine---bitch, son-of-a-bitch

I would expand this to all animals. That way you include such epithets as
pig, ass (not arse), skunk, snake, and varmint. They may be milder, but
they're still epithets.

> 5.  Ethnic slurs---the infamous N-word is the most obvious.
> In South Africa
> they have their own equivalent of the N-word, namely "Kaffir", equally
> effective for starting fights.  (According to M-W, the word
> is from the
> Arabic).

I would also expand this one to include slurs against any group. It would
include slurs against religious groups, homosexuals, and women, not just
ethnic groups. "Fag" and "queer" certainly belong here, not in the sexual
category; they have no prurient appeal. Similarly, one could make a case for
certain senses of "bitch" and "cunt" to be included here, instead of in the
animal and sex categories (the primary senses clearly belong in those other
categories though).