The really annoying "bad" word that was going the rounds in my school a
couple of years ago was b*gger. The kids assumed that it meant someone who
"bugged" someone else. Whenever I heard someone using it, I made them look
it up in the dictionary. The response was usually "Oh gross!" and then
they stopped using it.
Diane Gallagher-Hayashi
Teacher-Librarian
Stelly's School
Saanich School District (63)
Saanichton, British Columbia
Canada
Diane_Hayashi@sd63.bc.ca
daichan@shaw.ca
"I may not be an explorer, or an adventurer, or a treasure-seeker, or a
gunfighter, Mr. O'Connell, but I am proud of what I am...I, am a librarian!"
The Mummy
----- Original Message -----
From: "Cathy Rettberg" <crettberg@MENLOSCHOOL.ORG>
To: <LM_NET@LISTSERV.SYR.EDU>
Sent: Monday, October 11, 2004 7:53 AM
Subject: Re: Need feedback: Bad Words
> I too don't like the word and go nuts if it is used by my own kids. At
> school however I have learned to roll with it - I spent 8 years in
> elementary and even the kids there used it all the time. The parents
> even used it! Now that I'm in a 6-12 school I don't make a big deal
> about it, though if I disagree with the opinion that something "sucks"
> I let them know. I do also on occasion point out (as I do for other
> four letter words) that there are other, much more clever, ways to
> express that opinion! "Use of four letter words indicates a lazy mind"
> - yep, they are tired of hearing that!
>
> Cathy
> -----------
> Cathy Rettberg, MLIS
> Head Librarian, Menlo School
> Atherton, CA
> crettberg@menloschool.org
>
>
> On Monday, October 11, 2004, at 02:18 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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