Watch Your Step

Don't be such a  ______  nazi! Insert word of your choice. Or not.

I'm taking a stand against the lowercase nazi. 

According to Dictionary.com  a Nazi is:
1: a member of the National Socialist German Workers' party of Germany ...officially abolished in 1945 at the conclusion of WorldWar II.
2. A person elsewhere who holds similar views
3. Sometimes Offensive (often lowercase ) a person who is fanatically dedicated to or seeks to control a specified activity, practice, etc.: a jazz nazi who disdains other forms of music; tobacco nazis trying to ban smoking.

I excerpt from Urban Dictionary their definition of grammar nazi:
b – One who attempts to persuade or force others to use proper grammar and spelling.
d – One who advocates linguistic clarity; 
e – One who corrects others' grammar; the spelling police. 

Linguistic clarity. I think that means using the best word to convey your meaning. Also using a word correctly. I don't need to list examples. I like it when auto-correct adds apostrophes fro me. We'll leave it at that. 

Sometimes Offensive (often lowercase ) Many people are easily offended. People who consider themselves pretty open minded are usually are easily offended by something. For myself I give comedy a pretty free rein. Jokes or comments that are crass and unfunny to me are still free to roam in my world. People are free to have all the hateful attitudes they want. If they have a newspaper, or blog or tv show about something that offends me, that's fine. I can choose not to read it or watch it.

But here's the thing. The ubiquitously casual use of the word nazi has been bugging me lately.  A lot. I winced the other day when I heard a probably very nice economist on NPR refer to himself as a "numbers nazi", or a "statistics nazi". Something of the kind. He used the word so casually, yet he would likely be horrified at Ann Coulter's recent use of the word "retard" (I consider myself fortunate that I had not heard of her prior to this incident.) She went on to insist that "retard" is in common usage to mean idiot, or something similar. She did not bow to the PC police. Personally I am offended by her idiocy. I've heard whining about the PC police for years. But I've been ignoring it.

If you are a person without any sensitivity to, or acceptance of any person who is different from you, and your limited experience, then I'm sure you are not reading this. But even those who consider themselves well-regarded by the PC police can slip. The PC police—and I use the term loosely—are a good thing. It is hard to keep up. When I was young the Civil Rights movement was in full swing, and I remember distinctly when "Colored People" became Black. At the time I found myself wondering when the N.A.A.C.P. was going to catch up. Then it seemed like the only socially acceptable thing to say was African American. Unless I am talking to someone who has already said African American to me I've stuck with Black. (I've checked and been told its ok.) Likewise with Latino and Hispanic. My most recent intelligence is that either is acceptable. I've also heard that many Native Americans prefer to be called Indians. Native American feels more respectful and I think Indians are people from India. But its not up to me. I don't actually know if anyone from India wants to be referred to as Indian, or something else. Currently I have heard "Asians" used to include anyone between the Middle East and Hawaii.

The line keeps moving, and it will keep moving. I have been corrected many times and I am never defensive about being corrected.  I always appreciate the update. When I was 20 I was told I should not say "girls" I should say "women". But women who were young in the '30s and '40s like calling themselves girls. And "gals". It makes them feel youthful. I remember when "bums" became "homeless people". I remember when mentally retarded meant a person with a mental handicap. Not an insult. But "retard" always was . People used "cripple"to refer to those who are physically handicapped. That word truly makes me wince. I think the line has moved past handicapped to disabled or person with a disability.  But everything with that wheelchair symbol still says handicapped. People of color is a useful umbrella term. But I have heard people say "Persons of Color" with such emphasis that it feels like they are correcting you in advance. I used to say third world country. I've been corrected to say "developing nation". People outside the "developed" world used to be referred to as "primitives".  Now they are "indigenous peoples". The word primitive is itself very useful. But not when you apply it to people. Especially when it makes it easier to believe that you are doing them a great favour by "civilising" them.

We all know that many taboo words or stereotypes are acceptable within that group—I can insult my mother, but you can't. Queer was vigorously taken  taken back. Fag. Don't you dare use that word. You will not ever call something faggy. I have been close to many gay men and used a word loosely in that context, but that was a while ago. You will not use faggy when you mean un-manly. Now I hear "wussy" used a lot. A whole lot. I recently noticed that I use it too, and when I stopped to think about it I was horrified. It is too easy to pick up the speech habits of people around you. Wussy. I believe its meant to be a slightly less offensive way of calling someone a pussy. Shit. I have probably used it on myself when I admit to backing off something challenging. "I was such a wuss about that".

I have never and would never call someone a pussy. That implies being weak, unmanly, timid, girly. We know this. We know when we imply a male person is exhibiting any female characteristics we mean that as an insult. We know that men in a group do this as good natured ribbing all the time. We know they will continue to. But I should know better. 

Today I am here to ask the PC police—where are you when I need you?—to move that line again. Why is it okay bandy nazi around so lightly? Do we all need to remind ourselves about the six million Jews? And the Gypsies, homosexuals, and anyone else they didn't like. When you say soup nazi or grammar nazi, what you really mean is "martinet". Look it up. Ok, I'll save you the time. Here Merriam-Webster.com is a model of clarity.Martinet

1: a strict disciplinarian
2: a person who stresses a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods


Shall I say it again? Martinet. You have been using the word nazi when you mean strict and rigid. It's not ok. I realize martinet doesn't roll of the tongue as easily. Nazi is an easy verbal shorthand. Just because Seinfeld is Jewish and he stared the whole soup nazi thing doesn't make it ok. I'm sure he got plenty of flack, but it was comedy. And it was funny. Soup martinet is not funny. And there is no joke left if you have to stop and explain what martinet means. Is it funny to call someone a slave-driver? Your boss is so mean, he's such a slave-driver. Ha, ha, ha. I'm sure your African American friend thinks that's just hilarious. I haven't heard anyone say that in a very long time. I hope that's because the PC police have pushed it out of bounds. Using a reference to our shameful and horrific history of slavery is not ok. Outside of the S&M/B&D world calling someone a slave is off limits.


Be a tyrant, be a dictator, be a bully. All of these are despicable, but are also non-specific. There is no capitol g geek. I can call myself a diamond geek, and you can tell me how geeky you are about anything to are devotedly interested in. No one minds. The geek flags proudly fly. 

Nazi is not generic. In a very specific place and time there were people who called themselves Nazis. Capitol N. Lowercase n doesn't belong in our everyday vernacular. Because being strict or rigid about something doesn't make you a Nazi. Being a Nazi makes you a Nazi. And there aren't any more left. Neo-Nazis are not relevant here.  And I prefer not to think about them.

A little while ago one of the monkeys was whining about something. I told him not to be so lame. What I should have said was, be a mensch.