The DeSantis thread got me thinking: what is your opinion on the word "niggardly"? It's an adjective meaning stingy, not generous, etc. AFAICT, it has no etymological relationship whatsoever to you-know-what, but the phonetic similarity is obvious.
I tend to like obscure words with specific meanings; not that I get the chance to use them that often, but I think they're neat. Words like "accoutrements" and "dingus" (no, it's not an insult). But for obvious reasons, I'd be hesitant in using "niggardly."
Should a case like this, where purely phonetic similarity could get somebody in trouble, dictate the non-usage of the word?
I tend to like obscure words with specific meanings; not that I get the chance to use them that often, but I think they're neat. Words like "accoutrements" and "dingus" (no, it's not an insult). But for obvious reasons, I'd be hesitant in using "niggardly."
Should a case like this, where purely phonetic similarity could get somebody in trouble, dictate the non-usage of the word?
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