What’s In A Name?

I nsulting people by calling them names is an age-old practice. It’s usually all in jest – your friends call you “basic” because you’ve walked out of the house in an off-the-shoulder top and highwaisted jeans too many times, for example. Or you tend to refer to your friends as your “squad”, which either leads to a laugh or an eyeroll. But do these words have more meaning than we think?

Slang terms are often funny but can verge on being politically incorrect. In the past, you could insult someone by calling them a “retard”, but today, doing that will get you some very judgemental (and welldeserved) stares. Given that we’ve only come to realise how damaging terms like these can be, is it possible that some of the ones we casually use today could be socially frowned upon in the future?

In this case, ignorance probably isn’t bliss in the long run. For example, many of our favourite slang words like “basic”, “squad” and “on fleek” come from African American culture. On the one hand, it’s great they’ve found their way into mainstream culture so the rest of us can enjoy them, but at the same time, it’s important not to forget where they came from and their original meaning. For example, everyone in the world knows what a “squad” is thanks to Taylor Swift, but its original meaning was meant to describe African American solidarity, not female empowerment (and certainly not limited to tall, blonde models, which is the criticism Swift’s “squad” has received). 

While it’s fine to enjoy these words as new ways to express certain feelings, it’s still worth taking the time to consider the impact they might have on other people. For example, the Hokkien word “ang moh” is something we’re used to using in Singapore, but it can come across as offensive. In fact, even calling someone a “foreigner” in Singapore can be problematic.

In some cases, slang words are harmless – we’re pretty sure “bae” is nothing more than a soppy term for your special someone – but if you hesitate to use a word or phrase, you might want to question why it feels uncomfortable.

Ultimately, it’s a question of our biases and prejudices, and while it might be a difficult thing to face up to, it’s important that we do so. 

A girl who is down with a non-traditional, non-monogamous relationship. We have no problems with girls going non-traditional; but we do have a problem with the underlying implication that wanting a monogomous relationship isn’t cool; and the fact that people often allude to the “cool girl” as getting “friend-zoned”. It sounds decidedly judgemental and un-feminist – let’s not go backwards.

Someone who upholds the status quo. She’s generally unoriginal when it comes to her interests, and is looked down on for that. Like the above, is this saying actually problematic for feminism?

Refers to the millennial generation that’s supposedly soft and requires delicate care to grow (like strawberries).

Sounds like an empowering idea of friends who stick up for each other, but has come to be regarded as an exclusive group. A term first tied to African American solidarity, has its mainstream adoption ruined its message?