Retarded - good

[Jonathan Lighter]

>Like ill, sick and nasty, it is used in slang to have an opposite meaning.

Cf. older "crazy" and current "stupid."

The semantic development for some of these seems to be "mentally
deranged" > "insanely" or outrageously novel or amusing.



JL



On Sat, Dec 10, 2011 at 6:59 PM, Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at ix.netcom.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Benjamin Barrett <gogaku at IX.NETCOM.COM>
> Subject:      Retarded - good
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> 1. According to the 2007 "A mother's view of a word that wounds: 'Retard'" by Theresa Howard (http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/2007-07-04-opcom_N.htm), the r-word is always negative:
>
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> But no matter how or by whom the r-word is used, it's always in a negative context. You don't hear, "What a great idea, that's so retarded." You don't hear, "Awesome catch — what a retard move."
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>
> 2. But Urban Dictionary has a 2005 entry for a good meaning (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=retarded):
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> In this day and age, "retarded" is just another word for cool, dope, tight, chill, or whatever you say when you like something.
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>
> 3. Also, April 2010 (http://forums.mangafox.com/threads/185415-This-Manga-is-so-retarded….):
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> This Manga is so retarded….
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> hahah in a good way!
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>
> 4. According to http://slangcity.com/songs/1_2_step.htm, Missy Elliot's [sic: Elliott's] lyrics of "1, 2 Step" have the word "retarded" meaning "great":
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> retarded great (retarded is a Standard English word used to describe a person of abnormally low intelligence.
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>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA
>
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