A number of phrases have worked their way into our language to the point we can't easily hear how they might cause others to feel uneasy. Good-hearted, well-intentioned people often use these phrases. I don't judge people that do. However, we all can put forward an effort to choose better words when we communicate. In fact, many of the alternatives do a far better job of communicating a concept.
To help shape better language in your communities, you can:
- Replace your own usage of terms
- Give direct constructive feedback to those that employ such terms ("Jim, I noticed you had written that the holiday party was 'crazy' last year. I know you didn't mean it that way, but some people with mental illness might be thrown by that usage. Perhaps 'wild' would do just as well next time.")
- Correct or redirect usage of terms in the course of a discussion ("We can develop a black list of IP addresses." ... "Great idea. If it's OK with you, I suggest we use the term blocked list to be more direct and inclusive.")
| Common Term | Issues | Alternative Term |
|---|---|---|
| Black List / White List | Racial connotation | Blocked List / Allowed List |
| Capture (in business development) | Adverserial - something you do to an enemy/victim | Pursuit |
| Grandfathered in (like grandfather clause) | Segregation/oppression history | Carried forward, legacy |
| Guys | Gender bias | People, Y'all, Everyone |
| Mine Field | Violent imagery | Thorny |
| Peanut Gallery | Racist history | Critics, armchair quarterbacks |
| Resources (to mean people) | Dehumanizing - Humans aren't machines | People |
| Crazy ("that project was crazy") | Ableist / derogatory term toward mental illness (hopefully you wouldn't use the term toward a person with an actual mental illness) | Wild, bananas, hectic, toxic, rough |
| Sane ("hopefully this approach will help us all stay sane throughout this project") | Ableist (generally no need to use the term for a person except in specific contexts) | Calm, Well-functioning, smooth |
| Crippled ("losing that person really crippled the team") | Ableist / derogatory | Hindered, hampered, harmed |
| Paralyzed ("the new manager paralyzed the company's decision-making") | Ableist | Hindered, hampered, stalled |
| Beat it to death / beat this horse to death | Violent imagery | Overdone it, exhausted the topic, said plenty on this |