Actually Offensive Words, KD Edition

The other day I grumbled my confusion on Twitter. I was looking at a nonfiction book on Amazon and most of the bad reviews were due to the author’s occasional use of the f-bomb.

Let me say straight out–I use that word. I try to keep it to a minimum online because I know it makes people uncomfortable, but I don’t really get HOW so I don’t understand avoiding it. I don’t get refusing to read or share a good book because it has firetruck in it. That doesn’t mean I think they’re wrong. I just don’t get it.

I suppose it’s a good thing. If there weren’t people out there who avoid it, then it would lose its power, right? That would be a shame; I like it the way it is.

Other words, though–there are plenty of words I do find offensive. Ethnic slurs, of course, misogynist comments, hurtful names based on stereotype and ignorance–those are the words I don’t use, that make me avoid those who do. But we know those words. I want to rant about some that are less obvious.

Sophia McDougall writes for New Statesman that she hates “strong female characters.” I can see her point, but strong isn’t one of my pet peeves either. No, you know what words I hate to read?

Plucky. Feisty. Spirited. Spunky. Great words that have been waylaid to mean something they didn’t before. Plucky–a woman, but resilient! Feisty–a woman who actually isn’t meek! She’s angry, but she’s cute about it!

Grrrr…

In a tragedy of large proportion, we lost Barbara Mertz/Barbara Michaels/Elizabeth Peters this month. She’s one of my favorite authors and I’m very sad to see her go, but I was distracted even from that by the description of her heroines as plucky.

Excuse me? Would you call a man who carries a sword in his umbrella and a gun in his belt plucky? I’m thinking not. Courageous, dauntless, indomitable, great-hearted, intrepid, tenacious, valiant–these are some of the words panlexicon gives me when I input plucky. None of these descriptors carries the unfortunate connotation of isn’t she cute? that plucky does. As a bonus, all of them are excellent and appropriate words to describe Amelia Peabody, Mertz’s favorite of her heroines and mine as well.

Is Amelia funny? Yes. Does she solve problems with her sword and her gun? Rarely–she tries, but waving her weapons about is more likely to make things worse.† That’s one of the best things about this strong female character, actually–despite her willingness, even eagerness, to charge into a situation waving a gun (like a man! some might think) in the end she’ll probably win because of her intelligence or her sheer stubborn faith in the good in people. (A quality most often considered “womanly.”) Amelia Peabody Emerson is an absolute gift. Calling her plucky minimizes her awesome, delegates it to cute girl behavior, and that pisses me off.

All in all, I have to say fuck plucky. Actually, let’s gender-fuck it. It’s a great word and I’d hate to lose it due to some idiots’ misuse.

Let’s hear it for those plucky heroes!

† Her parasol, on the other hand…