I must have grown up REALLY sheltered as I have not had any 'bad'
connotation attached to sucks...however, suck is found in the
dictionary in MS Word...last meaning is 'to be very bad or inferior"
(slang). I have always associated it with a derogatory meaning when
used as you illustrate and I would have probably been just as upset if
the person had used stinks in the same reference!
Barb Engvall
Teacher-Librarian
John Campbell Elem
Selah, WA
macbarb@charter.net
http://www.selah.k12.wa.us/JC/jc.cfm
On Oct 11, 2004, at 2:18 AM, Dawn Sardes wrote:
> When I was a child, in the 60's, people, at times, used a word that I
> was told was bad to use to say that this person or that thing or some
> situation "sucks."
>
> I was told that it was okay to say that a baby "sucks" his bottle, but
> not to use it in that other context. Later, although nobody actually
> told me this, I surmised that it was "bad" because it was a reference
> to certain acts.
>
> I hear this word being used in this context all the time--even on
> national network television. When did this become ok? When I was
> young, I got my mouth washed out with soap for using it. I taught my
> kids to not use it to describe or deride a event or situation, and
> especially not a person. That is what the word "stinks" is for.
>
> When I taught, I did not allow that use of that word in my class or
> school, and was backed up by faculty.
>
> Today, in my public library, as we were about 15 minutes from closing,
> one of our printers began repeatedly jamming (my library offers free,
> unlimited printing--a "service" that is taken for granted and widely
> abused and that costs us over $15,000/year, but that's another rant).
> I turned it off and announced that it was broken.
>
> A young man came up and asked to be placed on a pc on the other side
> of the library. Those pc's on that side have their own printer.
> However, we have an automated sign-up system (invented by our tech
> guy) that assigns pc's randomly. There is no way to make sure someone
> gets a specific pc.
>
> When I explained that we could not do that, the young man told me that
> "Your Tech guy really "sucks."
>
> It took all my willpower not to get up and slap him. None of my
> co-workers "suck" and I told him that. Our tech guy is an absolute
> wonder. He is a techie God. Then this smug, self-important
> little......person...offered to come in & teach him how to properly
> wire a library. I offered him Matt's card and told him to call him.
>
> I am still fuming. Am I hopelessly out of date in my evaluation of
> this word? Am I the only one left who thinks it is wrong? I have to
> admit, it is one reason I've stopped watching TV (except for news and
> I even hear it there). Maybe it is not a bad word, like I have always
> thought, but isn't it at least rude and inappropriate?
>
>
>
>
> Dawn M. Sardes
> Teen Services Librarian
> Euclid Public Library
> Euclid, OH
> dawn511@adelphia.net
>
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