What happened to the word thug?

arjaybe · 07-12-2015, 02:36 PM

I just got scolded elsewhere for using the word "thug" in what I thought was the universally accepted meaning of it. Now it's supposedly shorthand for something else. Can they just take away a word like that?

FizzyWater · 07-12-2015, 06:54 PM

I had to look it up to see what you were talking about. NPR has a nice piece on it.

I suppose I'm entirely out of the loop because I never cared for rap music, which apparently is where the word started to be used in a different way....

eschwartz · 07-12-2015, 09:26 PM

Ah, so these nice young men of culture* decided to call themselves thugs, and mean some entirely new and never seen before conceptualized form of the word "thug", and we are supposed to fall in line?

Nah, "thug" is "thug". Weird counter-cultures can yammer on about their new meanings and I simply don't care.
The purpose of language is actually for this unusual concept we call "communication". It involves a mutually-agreed-upon set of word==>meaning pairs, in order for people to actually, er, understand each other. Random confusionists are to be roundly ignored, not given power by paying attention to them.

And I see they pulled the racism card.

----------------------------------
* -- rap apparently constitutes "culture" these days?

arjaybe · 07-12-2015, 09:45 PM

We might have to be careful whom we call a thug. We might just mean they're, you know, a thug, and they'll get the wrong idea entirely.

wodin · 07-13-2015, 02:46 PM

Why not? It's not as if there is no precedence, after all gay used to mean to be happy. I don't need to be a homosexual to be happy! And I hate to think about what happened to the neuter gender (if you don't know what I mean you're way too young).

eschwartz · 07-13-2015, 03:55 PM

And at least those words seemed to have a logical thought process behind their bizarre mutation. Nevertheless, I prefer to use the proper terms.
Technically, the original definition is still on the books.

Rizla · 07-13-2015, 05:49 PM

Really? When Tupak tatooed "thug-life" on his chest, I thought it just meant that he was, well, a thug. You know, violent and raped women and stuff.

arjaybe · 07-14-2015, 04:16 PM

I expect it to blow over. I know I'm going to keep using it.

cromag · 07-14-2015, 05:20 PM

Whenever I see this thread I keep wondering if "word thug" was an MR member and whatever happened to him.

arjaybe · 07-14-2015, 06:55 PM

This would be a good place for a word thug to hang out, wouldn't it?

07-12-2015, 02:36 PM	#1
arjaybe Wizard Posts: 1,069 Karma: 12500000 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Okanagan Device: Sony PRS-650, Kobo Clara	What happened to the word thug? I just got scolded elsewhere for using the word "thug" in what I thought was the universally accepted meaning of it. Now it's supposedly shorthand for something else. Can they just take away a word like that?

07-12-2015, 09:26 PM	#3
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Ah, so these nice young men of culture* decided to call themselves thugs, and mean some entirely new and never seen before conceptualized form of the word "thug", and we are supposed to fall in line? Nah, "thug" is "thug". Weird counter-cultures can yammer on about their new meanings and I simply don't care. The purpose of language is actually for this unusual concept we call "communication". It involves a mutually-agreed-upon set of word==>meaning pairs, in order for people to actually, er, *understand* each other. Random confusionists are to be roundly ignored, not given power by paying attention to them. And I see they pulled the racism card. ---------------------------------- * -- rap apparently constitutes "culture" these days? Last edited by eschwartz; 07-12-2015 at 09:29 PM.

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07-12-2015, 06:54 PM	#2
FizzyWater You kids get off my lawn! Posts: 4,220 Karma: 73492664 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Columbus, Ohio Device: Oasis 2 and Libra H2O and half a dozen older models I can't let go of	I had to look it up to see what you were talking about. NPR has a nice piece on it. I suppose I'm entirely out of the loop because I never cared for rap music, which apparently is where the word started to be used in a different way....

07-12-2015, 09:45 PM	#4
arjaybe Wizard Posts: 1,069 Karma: 12500000 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Okanagan Device: Sony PRS-650, Kobo Clara	We might have to be careful whom we call a thug. We might just mean they're, you know, a thug, and they'll get the wrong idea entirely.

07-13-2015, 02:46 PM	#5
wodin Illiterate Posts: 10,279 Karma: 37848716 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: The Sandwich Isles Device: Samsung Galaxy S10+, Microsoft Surface Pro	Why not? It's not as if there is no precedence, after all gay used to mean to be happy. I don't need to be a homosexual to be happy! And I hate to think about what happened to the neuter gender (if you don't know what I mean you're way too young).

07-13-2015, 03:55 PM	#6
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	And at least those words seemed to have a logical thought process behind their bizarre mutation. Nevertheless, I prefer to use the proper terms. Technically, the original definition is still on the books.

07-13-2015, 05:49 PM	#7
Rizla Member Retired Posts: 3,183 Karma: 11721895 Join Date: Nov 2010 Device: Nook STR (rooted) & Sony T2	Really? When Tupak tatooed "thug-life" on his chest, I thought it just meant that he was, well, a thug. You know, violent and raped women and stuff.

07-14-2015, 04:16 PM	#8
arjaybe Wizard Posts: 1,069 Karma: 12500000 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Okanagan Device: Sony PRS-650, Kobo Clara	I expect it to blow over. I know I'm going to keep using it.

07-14-2015, 05:20 PM	#9
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 26,290 Karma: 459765791 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	Whenever I see this thread I keep wondering if "word thug" was an MR member and whatever happened to him.

07-14-2015, 06:55 PM	#10
arjaybe Wizard Posts: 1,069 Karma: 12500000 Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Okanagan Device: Sony PRS-650, Kobo Clara	This would be a good place for a word thug to hang out, wouldn't it?

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