Hanna

I'm not Voss, but IMHO Russia is currently to the right of O1. It's like the Wild West.

parent2noles

I tend to agree with Hanna about Russia. Nationalistic, a bit paranoid and still apparently influenced in a significant way by the Russian Orthodox Church. Such potential, if only they could keep their tanks inside their own country.

I think your graph probably meets at the ends.

Hanna

"I think your graph probably meets at the ends."

Ain't that the truth? People usually put Stalin on the left and Genghis Khan on the right, but their differences get lost among the similarities. Evil dictatorships are all alike, regardless of the underlying ideology. These graphs need to have several axes to be much help.

vossron

I think the libertarians also join the ends.

I'd take an axe to the graph, too!

Pizzagirl

"When it comes to black people, the word "uppity" has often been paired with the "n" word. I've never heard "uppity" used to refer to white people, and I grew up in a virtually all white community."

I too associate the expression "uppity" with a slur towards African-Americans who don't know their rightful place, though it's possible that others didn't associate it with that. I had a friend from a rural area tell me today that she grew up thinking "to jew someone down" was a verb / compliment, not an insult, so maybe it's the same idea.

parent2noles

I never saw much difference between Hitler and Stalin, btw...or V.I.Lenin, had he lived.

Now Russia is claiming Georgia as within its "sphere of influence" they are privileged to control. Wonder if that includes Finland, Sweden and Norway?

Hunt

""Uppity" is a classical country or small-town word for "elitist", which is its big-town equivalent."

Not in the South it isn't. It has a very specific meaning: black people who don't know their place. Your definition might be defensible if, as I said, the politician were from Oregon, but not for a congressman from Georgia.

parent2noles

^The term is not reserved solely for blacks. It can also apply to whites and means someone is presumptuous. Still, anyone from the South worth their salt would know the sensitivity and not use it where it would be interpreted as racist, unless that was the intent.

spideygirl

I like your graph, Vossron, but I don't think I agree.

spideygirl

^RE: Uppity's meaning in the South

Sheesh! Do different regions of this country come with their own dictionaries?! I have never heard of such a thing about this word. I am still surfing the net for some neutral information on the linguistics of the south.

Anyway...once you know a word or phrase is hurtful, don't use it. Of course, I always believe that everyone should be given the benefit of the doubt.

Hindoo

Technically, P2N is right. But the truly negative usage of the word "uppity" has long been applied to African Americans. Here's a quote from Clarence Thomas during the Anita Hill allegations investigation.

scout59

I agree with Hunt (and NSM and whomever): as a Southerner, I have NEVER heard the word "uppity" without its partner "uppity n-----". When I was younger, I just assumed it was a compound word and I never knew you could use one word without the other.

I am also sure that some one from Georgia would have grown up with similar assumptions....

spideygirl

"Uppity" defined by Merriam Webster:
On History Matters I found some documents with the word "uppity" used exactly as you described, Hunt.
History Matters Search


I still think there is a chance (a hope?) that the man from Georgia used more of a general American meaning of the word. However, it appears that historically in the south it has clear racist undertones when used to describe a person who is African American. You learn something new every day!

AMom2

I'm bothered by Bidens comments about Asian Indians.

BCEagle91

"I'm bothered by Bidens comments about Asian Indians."

Maybe it was a Mel Gibson moment.