"After Musk spent the day telling Republicans not to support the bill [to keep government going], Trump weighed in against it, too.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@stib Sorry. when people choose to engage me and others here with rude slurs and insults, I stop engaging. There are better ways to talk to people. I invite you to learn and practice them.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Greengordon Yes, that's a good point, but instead of quibbling about semantics, I think it's important that we engage the primary point here.

[laloofah@mstdn.social]

@wdlindsy That’s my point: that the word that means the best of the best, most skilled or intelligent, of the highest standards or quality (elite athlete, military unit, university, etc) is undeserved by those who have merely inherited, accumulated, or grifted their way into vast wealth (& thus into great power & influence), rather than due to exceptional aptitude.
I also think a person or institution deemed worthy of being called elite should benefit society, not exploit it for personal gain.

[laloofah@mstdn.social]

@LaNaehForaday @wdlindsy Your reply had me curious why we use “rapist” instead of “raper” & I found this . It offers a theory rather than a definite answer, but I find language & etymology interesting & I learned new info, so thanks!

“Q: Why is a person who rapes called a ‘rapist’ & not a ‘raper’?…

The two terms showed up within a few years of each other in the 19th century, with ‘-er’ & ‘-ist’ suffixes added to the…verb ‘rape,’ which appeared in the 14th century…” [🤨]
https://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2017/12/rapist-raper.html

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Laloofah Yes, I see your point, of course. The problem is, language has meanings that go beyond what we think it should mean, and we have to take those other meanings into account as we analyze how language is being used.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Laloofah @LaNaehForaday Interesting — thanks for sharing this valuable commentary with me.

[laloofah@mstdn.social]

@wdlindsy Oh, I know that my thoughts on & own use of this (or any other) word won’t influence the English-speaking world to come around to my way of thinking, which is a dreadful shame.
Language is a tricky business, so much depends on it (which causes no end of troubles) and of course it’s always in flux. But language not only expresses our concepts of reality, it shapes them. And in this case, I dislike & won’t use words that serve to elevate or aggrandize that undeserving lot.

[wdlindsy@toad.social]

@Laloofah When you're preaching about language to someone with an M.A. in English (and Ph.D. in theology), you're preaching to the choir. I'm all for using language carefully and creatively, and for thinking about how language works. I'm also for avoiding diversionary side tracks as we analyze important cultural-political problematics.