Non-negative 1974 connotation of the word retarded

[Jonathan Lighter]

I thought the pedagogically accepted  phrase today was "exceptional
students."

JL
On Mon, Mar 5, 2012 at 10:28 AM, Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at yale.edu>wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: Non-negative 1974 connotation of the word retarded
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> On Mar 5, 2012, at 9:55 AM, Charles C Doyle wrote:
>
> > I seem to recall a time when "retarded" was the polite term, having
> replaced "idiot," " moron," etc.  Then in the 1970s "retarded" gave way to
> "L.D." and other designations--all of them quickly stigmatized, until now
> we're left with the highly nonspecific "special."
> >
> > Charlie
>
> Yes, a classic example of what Pinker calls the euphemism treadmill, which
> was identified (but not named) by Cicero.  There was also "dummy", which
> later became taboo on multiple grounds.  "Retarded" (at least when it
> started) is like "underdeveloped/developing (country)", implying that
> better days are coming.  I remember also when folks could joke about those
>     SLOW
>  CHILDREN
>    AHEAD
> road signs.  And it all reminds me of Officer Krupke...
>
> LH
> >
> > ________________________________________
> > From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] on behalf of W
> Brewer [brewerwa at GMAIL.COM]
> > Sent: Sunday, March 04, 2012 12:13
> PM-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > Am cataloguing a stamp collection these days and ran across a USA
> ten-cent
> > stamp issued in 1974 captioned Retarded Children Can be Helped, Scott
> > catalogue no 1549. Here is a reference from the USPS site:   (quote) The
> > 10-cent Retarded Children Can be Helped commemorative stamp was first
> > placed on sale at Arlington, Texas, on October 12, 1974. This issue
> called
> > attention to a national problem found in discrimination against children
> > with mental disabilities. The stamp was designed by Paul Calle and was
> > issued in sheets of fifty, with an initial printing of 140 million.
> > Reference: Postal Bulletin (August 29, 1974). (end quote)
> > (http://arago.si.edu/flash/?s1=5|sq=Scott
> > 1549|sf=1)
> >
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>



--
"If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org