Because you need to know...

[Cade]

And, because I am bored at work I thought I would tell you something.

I read all sorts of gaming forums and I see words used incorrectly all the time. "Gay" is one of my favorites, but lets not go there.

I just wanted to share something with you that you may or may not appreiate.

uber.

That is a German word that means over (as in over the bridge "Uber die Brucke"), but only when seperate. When it prefixes a word, it CAN mean super or better as in ubernehmen, "Ich ubernehment das auto" [don't get into the grametical errors on that last one] "I overtook the car"


Anyhow, I find it funny that gamers have "ubernehmenen" (haha) the word uber, and given it meanings in English that it really doesn't have.

It was Friedrich Nietzsche I believe that coined the term Superhuman
(Übermensch)

Just thought you ought to know.

P.S. I have learned that Germans make a distinction between u and Ü, owing to the words orignal meaning.

[Verrath]

It also means "above" and it's "über" in German, not uber, which does not exist in German The meaning of "above" is more suited to the context the Anglicized word is used in.

I admit I was amused at first when I learned about the word "uber" in English

[MKartMaster]

Breaking News: English-speaking people can't speak English well, let alone well enough to be bothered to use the slang that language stole from other languages correctly.

[kumati]

What, you just now figured that out, MKart?

[nickbeat]

I speak German pretty well, yet I understand that Uber means Super to most Americans and that is just how it has stuck. Language is like that, and since it is not offensive this is no big deal.

Now with regard to using the word gay to mean lame or stupid, I must protest. Gay means you are attracted to people of the same sex. To equate the word with anything else is offensive and makes you sound like an 8 year old.

[Kaeldorn]

From dictionary.com

gay
1. having or showing a merry, lively mood: gay spirits; gay music.
2. bright or showy: gay colors; gay ornaments.
3. given to or abounding in social or other pleasures: a gay social season.
4. licentious; dissipated; wanton: The baron is a gay old rogue with an eye for the ladies.
5. homosexual.
6. of, indicating, or supporting homosexual interests or issues: a gay organization.
–noun 7. a homosexual person, esp. a male.
–adverb 8. in a gay manner.

It has other meanings, too.

And über is definitely also used to signify something 'better than others'. Such as übermensch (and no, please don't start a political rant about it).

[nickbeat]

Yeah, but nobody uses anything but #5 and 6 anymore. We might use it in game because it fits the old english but not in RL. Actually the word gay only took on that meaning recently when it was embraced by the gay community.

[Phantom Lamb]

Yeah, I agree with Nick. I don't like it when people toss around "gay" and "retarded," but I don't make a fuss.

[nickbeat]

This word used to mean "happy," but it's meaning changed in 1953 when homosexuals used it as code. They were thought of as clinically ill and were thought only to exist as homosexuals. The word "gay" gave them a smaller word that was an adjective, not a noun. This allowed those who used it to identify as homosexual in addition to other identities. Some people use it to include bisexuals and lesbians. Now that bisexuals and lesbians are gaining a separate voice, it usually refers only to homosexual men.

Another common word used by anyone who is unconventional is Queer. This may include bi, lesbian and transgender people.

[Gabryal]

To me "retarded" is hard one for me to get over people using, though I usually keep my lips zipped. I used to work with people who had Developmental Disabilities, including Cerebral Palsey, and Down's Syndrome. There really isn't anything funny at all about calling someone retarded, to me it's close to the same as the n-word for a person of dark skinned african descent, or the c- word to describe a woman. It's something that the person cannot in any way help, will be the rest of their lives and should not be used out of context. Minimilizing the shock value of a word is one of the reason's society is falling into the abyss at the moment.

Also queer will always mean "strange" to me, someone count the number of times it's used in the LOTR books, it's more than a few.

Another one that get's tossed around a bit is "fag" which I always think cigarette first, then piece of firewood, but hardly ever a gay man.

[Dune]

Fag, overused, even by me

[nickbeat]

Oh I always think gay man when I hear the word 'fag', but I'm not british. Of course gay people can call themselves whatever they want, just like blacks can use the N word.

I'll let you in on a little gay slang that one of my gay friends told me. He refers to other gay men as a Mo, as in "He's a Mo".

Agreed on the use of retarded, I worked with disabled and emotionally disturbed kids for years, and play with them on Sundren every day!

[Phantom Lamb]

LOL Nick...

[Jaeram]

I will admit, I grew up a teenager of the late 90's and early 2000's. Words like gay and retarded are a part of my repertoire of words used improperly. I can't say I wasn't disappointed when some people started getting offended by them, it seemed like when I was younger, it was used so liberally that it didn't offend anyone, and now when I use them I feel like I really need to know who I'm talking to so that I do not offend. I also grew up with a neighbor (about my age) who had down syndrome (I may have spelled that wrong) and a friend (who I go to college with, even today) who is gay. They never seemed to take offense to the words, but then I normally don't use them to describe my friends, I don't use retarded to describe some one with down syndrome because retarded isn't the condition.

I find that it's a hard habit to break, but now that I'm out of high school and I'm normally only spending my free time with my close friends, we just have to watch ourselves in public. I think one reason I use them still is because I don't really like to swear in 'non-comedy' situations, so I'd rather say something is gay, or retarded, than saying dude that's fucked up.

Not quite sure where I was going with this... I guess when I say it, or if you see me say it, I hope you don't take offense, and there's a chance it just slipped out. It's almost always in a light hearted manner, I don't use those words to describe the conditions or sexual orientation, because, I dunno, it just doesn't seem like the proper word to use. When I was a teenager and used gay or retarded in a situation, it was normally to point out something negative or weird in a situation, but I never saw my friends as weird or negative so instead of changing the meaning of that word I just try to use more proper words that don't seem negative to describe them.

[nickbeat]

Don't feel bad man. The kids in South Park use gay that way all the time, even kids I grew up with in the 80s used it. Who knows, maybe THAT definition will end up in the dictionary someday too. Still, it is offensive and demonstrates a low class persona.

In the end, common use trumps the dictionary in regards to conversational English. My creating our own shared languages exclusive to our our peer group, we gain a sense of individuality and character while alienating other groups. You can say even non-offensive words like "ain't" or "whatevuh" and be accepted by your group, but you may lose reputation with those who prefer proper grammar.

The trouble comes when we wish to belong to a group that is offended by our character, and we find ourselves disappointed when that hot girl/boy doesn't call us back after the date where I referred to the waiter as 'retarded'.