wifebeaters Re: Closets and Wardrobes

[sistermagpie]

> Carol:
> It seems to me that Lee's friend, who is your own age and h *has*
> given the term thought, has reached the opposite conclusion. The words
> we use for ordinary objects and occurrences reflect changing values.
> (I was once criticized by a twenty-something for saying that an animal
> was put to sleep; the "correct" term--IOW, the new term used by her
> generation--is "put down." No understanding whatever of the concept of
> linguistic change, not to mention respect for her elders, but, oh,
> well!) 

Magpie:
I'm a bit suspicious that there is really a "correct" term amongst 20-
somethings for this. "Put down" has always sounded a lot harsher to me 
than "put to sleep" or "euthanize" (all of which have always been in 
use for my whole life, at least). I wonder if that particular woman 
didn't just have some private feelings about the terms or happens to 
have only heard one, because I'd guess that "put down" was the older 
term. I mean, "put to sleep" implies the use of tranquilizers (it's 
exactly what happens to the animal if you do it at the vet's) 
while "put down" I associated with potentially shooting it. Which is 
why I use "put to sleep," myself. If somebody said "put down" in this 
context I'd picture going out behind the barn with a shotgun!

-m