Hi CW,

I'm not sure what you mean by "rearranged" so I can't speak to that.

I'm in love with Norma Loquendi (pace Safire) and historical
linguistics, though, so my interest in the many different ways that
words acquire and change meanings has its practical uses.

I despise political correctness, which I *think* is what you're
referring to. My point speaks to a simple "do unto others..."
approach. That, and the fact that I grew up with minorities as
friends, has taught me not to pretend a knowledge of what should or
should not make someone else offended, until I understand them
sufficiently.

I'm not, BTW arguing for the abolition of the word jig, as you'll note
from my original post. I was just explaining why another WW might have
made the point he did with a knowing glance.

H

"CW" wrote in message news:Rt7Db.542739$HS4.4130182@attbi_s01...
So any word that can be rearranged to mean a racial term should not be used.
Who comes up with this idiocy?


"Hylourgos" wrote in message
om...
I've lived mostly in NV, NC, and TN, and I've heard it a good deal, as
a racist term mostly in its full form but sometimes the shortened
form, in lots of discourse--guess I've been keepin' worse company....

I don't see any harm in "jig" when the context is obviously
mechanical, but then again I'm not black and I don't have to worry
about being sensitive to those kinds of names. I won't presume to say
what should or should not be a sensitive issue for someone else.

If the context were in doubt I'd be happy to use the word fixture if
that makes someone else less defensive. No skin off my back...

Trying to keep my dogmas unfixed,
H

"CW" wrote in message
news:BtNCb.533006$HS4.4072535@attbi_s01...
I've lived in the heart of Red-neckville for twenty years and never
heard
the term. As it is a long standing legitimate term with no racist
overtones,
I can only guess that it is one of those things that people think long
and
hard to find a way to be offended by it.

"Hylourgos" wrote in message
om...
CW,



Jig has been a common term among rednecks for a long time. See a brief
explanation of it, and other such, at: