Question for Truthful Tuesday

I find myself annoyed and slightly offended whenever I see people use the words “herp,” “derp,” and variations thereof. Maybe I’m just sensitive to it because I work for a disability-focused nonprofit, but can anybody explain to me why those terms are any different than using the r-word?

19 Notes/ Hide

  1. ashamedtosay said: I have never seen herp, and derp I had not one clue it was associated with anything other than the average person having a moment of “duh”. Language is funny. I won’t use those words now that I know. :)
  2. thunderdolt said: Unfortunately retarded is used WAY too casually anyway. I’d only ever used derp or duh meaning uneducated, not unintelligent, and never referring to disabled. Like someone uneducated stammering. Guess I’ll stop. I didn’t realize they were used that.
  3. centeroftheuniverseashlandva answered: I see derp as slang for dudes who surf 4 Chan and make sexist/racist comments on XBL. It’s another way of saying jerk or ahole.
  4. comictragedy answered: they’re not.. they just make people feel better about themselves rather than use the r-word.. they’re more *enlightened*
  5. swamibooba answered: I get the feeling that those words have shifted from being a disability-related insult to a ‘foo’-type filler word used for effect.
  6. rartastic answered: In my mind, they refer to people of average intelligence doing stupid things. As in, ‘oh. I messed up.’ I don’t know if that makes it better.
  7. gorillasushi said: I’ve always thought of them of a cousin to “duh”.
  8. jephkelley answered: I wasn’t even aware they were associated to those with disabilities. I’d guess 98 percent of people who use it don’t know that, either.
  9. goestoeleven answered: I’ve been very uncomfortable with those words and that trend for the very same reason.
  10. morrowplanet answered: that’s an excellent point I hadn’t considered before. I will try to be more sensitive. Thanks.
  11. delgrosso answered: What about “duh”?
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