2021-02-09 BWH

Always feel free to ask me things about English or American culture, as this is a very student-driven course.
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How would you explain your area of research to a group of smart middle-schoolers? (This is also your opportunity to introduce yourself to us.)
layperson = non-expert in a particular field
	(You can also talk about a “lay audience” or the “lay public”.)

eggs / egg cells
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Euphemisms = words with a softer or more positive connotation for talking about something unpleasant or uncomfortable (especially taboo topics like sex, death, and bodily functions)
	bathroom, restroom, washroom, loo, lavatory, toilet, wc/water closet
dysphemism = words that are (usually intentionally) stronger or ruder than necessary
	shitter

clinical language = cold, impersonal language like you might expect from a doctor or scientist, not a friend

https://www.etymonline.com/ - Read about the origins of many different words.

connotation = the extra “feeling” that a word conveys; connotations can change pretty quickly and be hard to pick up in other languages or dialects

euphemism treadmill = the process where formerly polite terms for something become negative because people still have negative associations (especially for people)

LGBTQ+
	lesbian
	gay
	bisexual
	transgender
	queer (this is a complicated word because it has at times been a strong slur against people)

people of color = people who are not considered white Americans or Europeans

“Black people” and “African Americans” are both fine nowadays, but “African American” is probably better in a formal context.

- African Americans are American, so don’t use it to refer to Black people from other places.

- Don’t use “person of color” if you’re specifically talking about Black people.

The spelling “Moslem” instead of “Muslim” seems bigoted/prejudiced, even though it’s really just an older spelling of the same word.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-drop_rule - This is no longer a legal definition but the idea still affects how most Americans perceive “blackness” as a race.
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Future topics:

pronunciation (rules?) - especially for communicating with patients and children

(noun/adjective form of demonyms)

Use of borrowed words