Should I edit this question Yom Kippur, fasting, and snot or this one Pulling out hairs while wiping yourself on Shabbat to replace the short slang words with less distasteful expressions?
Or am I being excessively sensitive?
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2I changed one word in the title of the second because (a) front page and (b) tweeted. From the edit history it looked like that'd be ok with the OP.– Monica Cellio ModCommented Oct 23, 2013 at 17:42
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Tangentially related: meta.judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/123/… meta.judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/1127/…– Isaac Moses ModCommented Oct 23, 2013 at 21:12
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I posted both questions. I edit Wikipedia and am a big believer in editing freely. Dear all: please do edit both questions however you like.– unforgettableidSupportsMonicaCommented Oct 31, 2013 at 5:51
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1 Answer
I don't think you're being overly sensitive in general. And Judaism puts a value on tasteful language. (Citation needed. I think it's on daf 2 of P'sachim.)
That said, I think snot is tasteful enough (and what else would you call it?).
Bum is not really in use in the States, and I'm not entirely sure of its register elsewhere, but if (as I suspect) it's analogous to American butt then I think it should be edited to something more tasteful like (American) bottom or rear end or derriere.
Besides the individual words used, there's also (and IMO as important) the prose used: how the words are put together. I edited one of the questions you mention to remove an anatomical description that (besides its needing to be reworded as vulgar) was completely unnecessary (implied by context) so removable.
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2Thanks for the edit of the second question. I agree the need to use refined language in Judaism. Btw, Wikipedia says "Snot is slang for nasal mucus or dried nasal mucus". Commented Oct 23, 2013 at 18:16
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I wouldn't see bum as being in a low register at all. Of course, euphemisms around that part of the anatomy are many and varied. You get a euphemism treadmill effect, and it can be hard to keep up with it.– TRiGCommented Oct 24, 2013 at 22:30
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2I edited "bum" out of the title because, while not vulgar like some other words for that part of the body, I find it a little distasteful and unprofessional and I think we can do better when publishing to the whole world (and the experts we seek in particular).– Monica Cellio ModCommented Oct 25, 2013 at 12:51
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@MonicaCellio, excellent point, worthy of being posted as an answer here IMO.– msh210 ModCommented Oct 25, 2013 at 15:03
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If the word is distasteful, @MonicaCellio, there must be some other word for a bum bag, and, to be honest, I can't think of any (except fanny pack, which has its own many many problems). I think that even in the most formal register, I would call a bum bag a bum bag; I thereby infer that bum is not a distasteful word.– TRiGCommented Oct 26, 2013 at 22:21
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@TRiG I'd never heard of a "bum bag" before now. (I know it as a "fanny pack".) The distaste comes from context; if I heard it in a casual setting (or Yahoo Answers :-) ) I'd probably shrug, but I'm looking for more maturity here.– Monica Cellio ModCommented Oct 27, 2013 at 0:49
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@msh210 I already upvoted your answer and see my comment as a minor augment; do you see it as different enough that I should make it its own answer?– Monica Cellio ModCommented Oct 27, 2013 at 0:50
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1Well, just as a tip, @MonicaCellio, you do not want to use the phrase fanny pack on this side of the Atlantic. (a) No one will know what you mean, and (b) over here, fanny means "vagina", not "bottom".– TRiGCommented Oct 27, 2013 at 1:20
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