[Ads-l] thug

[Joel Berson]

He can confidently use the t-word -- he's African-American.
Joel
      From: Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
 To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU 
 Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 1:14 PM
 Subject: Re: [ADS-L] thug
   
It was, however, used confidently by the President of the United States.

JL

On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 12:59 PM, Beth Young <zbyoung at gmail.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:      American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:      Beth Young <zbyoung at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: thug
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>
> http://dailycaller.com/2015/04/29/baltimores-mayor-apologizes-for-using-the-t-word/
>
>
> Though Rawlins-Blake did not herself use the phrase "the t-word."
>
> Beth
>
> On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 11:07 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com
> >
> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:      American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:      Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: thug
> >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> > The point seems to be that "thugs" implies that they are incorrigible and
> > unregenerate. It misses the point that some were indeed "kids,"
> > thoughtlessly joining a mob on impulse.
> >
> > "Kids" suggests youthful irresponsibility and moral innocence - they just
> > didn't know any better [!]. It also allows for the argument that
> conditions
> > and the system are the real culprits.
> >
> > But those points are irrespective of race. The idea that "thug" is or
> ever
> > was a "code-word" for the "n-word," or that white "kids" doing the same
> > things would not have been called thugs, strikes me as ridiculous. The
> > claim that the word has been effectively "racialized" as an ethnic slur
> > seems absurd.
> >
> > My impression is that  "thug" became especially attached to '90s gangsta
> > rap - performed by some (usu. African-American) who reveled in the
> > designation. And there, perhaps, is the source of the perceived semantic
> > difficulty.
> >
> > E.g.: "Young Thug takes the stage at the 2014 Hip Hop Awards."
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Wed, Apr 29, 2015 at 10:33 AM, David Barnhart <
> dbarnhart at highlands.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:      American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:      David Barnhart <dbarnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM>
> > > Subject:      Re: thug
> > >
> > >
> >
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >
> > > Another case of indecipherability.  Please repost.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> Behalf
> > > Of
> > > Michael Newman
> > > Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2015 8:48 AM
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > Subject: Re: thug
> > >
> > > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > > -----------------------
> > > Sender:      American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > > Poster:      Michael Newman <Michael.Newman at QC.CUNY.EDU>
> > > Subject:      Re: thug
> > >
> > >
> >
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> > >
> > > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > > 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
> >
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> 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."

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