Is it because I swallow light?

[ladymuck]

All I can think about when I read that title is an episode of Greys Anatomy, that my other half is binge watching, where a woman swallowed a light bulb to try kill herself. Made me squirm that bit did.

Was it switched on?

[tazdevil]

At least its black holes and not white trash. So should we just remove the word black from the dictionary and replace it with some other word which means the same thing and in the near future get all het up about how that word's used?

[Fraidycat]

At least its black holes and not white trash. So should we just remove the word black from the dictionary and replace it with some other word which means the same thing and in the near future get all het up about how that word's used?

Yeah it is retarded.

(Which is exactly what happened to the word retarded)

[d000hg]

It is entirely obvious that language follows from culture and therefore even some technical terms are inspired as such - certainly any number of more informal/colloquial terms are. And of course in cultures where certain groups are treated as lesser, their works will receive less credit than they perhaps should - men getting credit for women's work, white guys getting credit for black guys' work. This is historical fact and common sense though I'm not sure what purpose studying it serves.

It's also entirely obvious that Black Hole is not such a term, neither is Black Body. Since this is from the DM I imagine an element of hyperbole to froth up the sort of people you can see frothing up in the comments already.

[vetran]

At least its black holes and not white trash. So should we just remove the word black from the dictionary and replace it with some other word which means the same thing and in the near future get all het up about how that word's used?

Niger?

https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/th...f98018af6.html

[northernladuk]

Was it switched on?

Ah, she didn't swallow it, she ate it to try kill herself. Just the opening scene with this woman convulsing and spitting blood because of all the glass inside her had me dashing for stage left to make a coffee. The thought of it made me cringe. Nothing else really in the show did but chewing a lightbulb and swallowing the shards was too much for me for some reason.

[northernladuk]

At least its black holes and not white trash. So should we just remove the word black from the dictionary and replace it with some other word which means the same thing and in the near future get all het up about how that word's used?

Why not get rid of Black and all it's meanings and replace it for ..................... Black - A description of the colour of an item.

So black balled, blacked, black listed will disappear but a black hole, black person, black item will stay.

Another 40 years or so for the older generation to disappear to the new generation that understands only the new usage and we are sorted.

[vetran]

Why not get rid of Black and all it's meanings and replace it for ..................... Black - A description of the colour of an item.

So black balled, blacked, black listed will disappear but a black hole, black person, black item will stay.

Another 40 years or so for the older generation to disappear to the new generation that understands only the new usage and we are sorted.

as per the link in Latin Black means many things including a colour and illicit/illegal. Its the same in German (Schwarz) and Norse/Swedish (svartr)

[d000hg]

But do we know why black has links to illicit/illegal in Latin? It wouldn't be surprising if ancient languages were also influenced by their own cultures - or is this so far back in history we have no information why it is the way it is?

Black == dark for instance would make sense, as dumans don't like the dark.

[vetran]

But do we know why black has links to illicit/illegal in Latin? It wouldn't be surprising if ancient languages were also influenced by their own cultures - or is this so far back in history we have no information why it is the way it is?

Black == dark for instance would make sense, as dumans don't like the dark.

precisely - as my daughter says "its not all about you"

people need to realise language is complex and just because you see "black" its not about skin colour.

If you want to be offended slavery is endemic in Africa (plus many other counties) and many black kids die from other black kids stabbing them in London.