Bystander at The Magistrate’s Blog today blogs about a Department for Constitutional Affairs guide for its staff called Eliminating Inappropriate Language in the Workplace. This is so horrific that I just have to quote here the passage given by Bystander on expressions deemed “not acceptable” in the workplace, including:

Old, middle-aged, young, girl, young lady, boy, lad, young man, part-timer, the disabled, the blind, the deaf, black mark, black sheep, black list, black look, Black Monday, coloured, half-caste, West Indian, Afro-Caribbean, Chinese (used as a catch-all phrase), British (referring to whites), immigrants, refugees, asylum seekers, gypsies (used negatively), Gyppos, Ethnics, Jesus Christ (used as a curse), Jesus freak, bible basher, Jewish (acceptable to some), gay (as a noun), manning the phones, manpower, policeman, chairman, spokesman, fireman, foreman, workmen, lady doctor, woman judge, male nurse, male secretary, love, pet, dear (used in a derogatory way).

Frankly this is bollox. Yes, of course all these words can be used derogatorily, as can many, many others and that is not acceptable to many people, just as the F-word isn’t acceptable. But for heaven’s sake; this is PCness gone absolutely stark, raving lunatic. The wholesale banning of such words is censorship and a denial of freedom of speech of the most insidious kind.

OK, I personally dislike neologistic euphemisms like “gay”. But it’s about time people grew up and accepted that they should be described as they are — factually! Like “deaf” if they can’t hear?! “Black”, if that’s what they are!? An “immigrant” if they are one!? Get a life; you’re a big boy now.

I for one have absolutely no intention of taking any notice of this drivel. I shall continue to describe things factually as they are. Besides what am I supposed to call an 18-year old female who is about to leave Cheltenham Ladies or Bennenden except a “young lady”?