Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Don't Ban “Bossy”

newyorker.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 102 posts

Re: Don't Ban “Bossy”

#91

Post by theorique »

"Bossy" doesn't refer to a person (male or female) who embodies good qualities of leadership.

Instead, it is used to describe someone who takes charge in a rude and disrespectful way. Examples include: giving others orders, shouting, emotional manipulation, tantrums, and so forth. Anybody who behaves this way may be "leading", in some sense, but they are not being a very good leader.

Conversely, a girl who leads her friends and peers in a kind and empowering way is not being bossy.

It would make just as much sense have a campaign to "ban douchebag" or "ban asshole", as these terms are disproportionately applied to men. And those terms don't apply to being a leader, they apply to being a rude, disrespectful leader.

Re: Don't Ban “Bossy”

#92

Post by dragonwriter »

stefantalpalaru wrote: post #89
Steko wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They aren't slurs when used in certain contexts. Here's the internets new favorite primer on linguistic context: My father’s name is William Paul Coates. I, like my six brothers and sisters, have always addressed him as Dad. Strangers often call him Mr. Coates. His friends call him Paul. If a stranger or one of my father’s friends called him Dad, my father might have a conversation. When I was a child, relatives of m…

OK, I'll bite. In what linguistic context can a white person call a black person "nigger" in the country that once put free-speech at the center of its propaganda?

When the speaker isn't intending a racial insult, and the tone, circumstances, and relationship between the speaker, the subject, and any third-party listeners make that clear to all involved.

Which are pretty much the exact same circumstances where a black person can do the same thing.

Re: Don't Ban “Bossy”

#93

Post by dfc »

001sky wrote: post #86
dfc wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Recent meme has reinforced that. If we want to express this idea positively, we don't say "bossy", we say "like a boss". Similes require nouns and bossy is an adjective/adverb. How are we supposed to draw any conclusions from the use of boss? I have never heard someone use bossy to praise the actions of a male.

In english, a "noun_y" suffix signifies an approximate imperfection (ie a quasi~noun). Or in other words, a "corruption of concept". This is why you don't praise someone as "like a quasi-X". You rather say, "like an X". TLDR: simple grammar, once understood, explains it.

I am not sure what you are getting at. Can you give one or two examples and how they relate to:

  > Recent meme has reinforced that. If we want to express this idea positively,
  > we don't say "bossy", we say "like a boss".

Re: Don't Ban “Bossy”

#94

Post by stefantalpalaru »

dragonwriter wrote: post #92
stefantalpalaru wrote: post #89

Earlier quoted context omitted.

OK, I'll bite. In what linguistic context can a white person call a black person "nigger" in the country that once put free-speech at the center of its propaganda?

When the speaker isn't intending a racial insult, and the tone, circumstances, and relationship between the speaker, the subject, and any third-party listeners make that clear to all involved. Which are pretty much the exact same circumstances where a black person can do the same thing.

Nigga, please!

Re: Don't Ban “Bossy”

#95

Post by 001sky »

dfc wrote: post #93
001sky wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In english, a "noun_y" suffix signifies an approximate imperfection (ie a quasi~noun). Or in other words, a "corruption of concept". This is why you don't praise someone as "like a quasi-X". You rather say, "like an X". TLDR: simple grammar, once understood, explains it.

I am not sure what you are getting at. Can you give one or two examples and how they relate to: > Recent meme has reinforced that. If we want to express this idea positively, > we don't say "bossy", we say "like a boss".

choss_y rock (clean rock)

loss_y copies (high fidelity copies)

the opposite of boss_y

is nice (BTW, which means "accurate and well measured")

bossy means ill-considered and lacking in awareness#

Re: Don't Ban “Bossy”

#96

Post by aroch »

001sky wrote: post #95
dfc wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not sure what you are getting at. Can you give one or two examples and how they relate to: > Recent meme has reinforced that. If we want to express this idea positively, > we don't say "bossy", we say "like a boss".

choss_y rock (clean rock) loss_y copies (high fidelity copies) the opposite of boss_y is nice (BTW, which means "accurate and well measured") bossy means ill-considered and lacking in awareness#

It's called lossy because it loses data in encoding...its not bad solely because od the y.

Re: Don't Ban “Bossy”

#97

Post by [deleted] »

aroch wrote: post #96
001sky wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

choss_y rock (clean rock) loss_y copies (high fidelity copies) the opposite of boss_y is nice (BTW, which means "accurate and well measured") bossy means ill-considered and lacking in awareness#

It's called lossy because it loses data in encoding...its not bad solely because od the y.

[deleted]

Re: Don't Ban “Bossy”

#98

Post by krrishd »

wyager wrote: post #4

I'm immediately extraordinarily skeptical about anything that suggests solving a cultural problem by changing language. That's like trying to solve a math problem by changing the value of pi.

Same here. Our school has a club called "Spread the Word to End the Word" which aims to remove 'derogatory' language from our diction. Removing words isn't going to help, removing prejudice and bigotry in itself is.

Re: Don't Ban “Bossy”

#99

Post by dfc »

001sky wrote: post #95
dfc wrote: post #93

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am not sure what you are getting at. Can you give one or two examples and how they relate to: > Recent meme has reinforced that. If we want to express this idea positively, > we don't say "bossy", we say "like a boss".

choss_y rock (clean rock) loss_y copies (high fidelity copies) the opposite of boss_y is nice (BTW, which means "accurate and well measured") bossy means ill-considered and lacking in awareness#

I think 128k mp3s recordings sound tinny, but as someone else pointed out that is because of the lossy data encoding. The distortion is not as noticeable in the early Dead shows --you know the ones with PigPen that have that bluesy feel--but I think it ruins the jazzy sound of late 70s early 80s Jerry songs. But all this talk of bootlegs and the Dead might be to heady of a discussion for HN. Suffice it to say I think flacs/shns are sexy and low bitrate VBR mp3s are shitty.

There are lots of noun+y words that do not fit your theory, but linguistics is a messy endeavor.

Re: Don't Ban “Bossy”

#100

Post by [deleted] »

dfc wrote: post #99
001sky wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

choss_y rock (clean rock) loss_y copies (high fidelity copies) the opposite of boss_y is nice (BTW, which means "accurate and well measured") bossy means ill-considered and lacking in awareness#

I think 128k mp3s recordings sound tin ny, but as someone else pointed out that is because of the loss y data encoding. The distortion is not as noticeable in the early Dead shows --you know the ones with PigPen that have that blues y feel--but I think it ruins the jazz y sound of late 70s early 80s Jerry songs. But all this talk of bootlegs and the Dead might be to head y of a discussion for HN. Suffice it to say I…

[deleted]
Post reply on HN