We all misspeak or misuse words sometimes. Maybe we’ve latched onto phrases our parents handed down incorrectly. Or perhaps we picked them up from a movie, television, or social media with no clue they were being used inappropriately—or even worse, offensively.
It’s OK; most of us unknowingly use
problematic words and phrases from time to time without thinking about their origins or how they could hurt some groups of people. What’s not OK is to keep doing it once you know it’s wrong.
There are plenty of words out there to choose from in the, ahem, dictionary. But, to help narrow it down, we rounded up some commonly misused words and phrases that have the potential to offend.
We’re not going to leave you verbally high and dry either. We’re providing some better alternatives for each. Take a look and see how many you may be misusing.
Spirit animal
Beyond mere animals, today people claim their
spirit animal to be everything from avocado toast to the movie
Deadpool. They mean to imply that they relate with something or deeply love something. But using the term
spirit animal in such a way is not only overdone, it’s also offensive.
The problem is that spirit animals are an important part of the belief system of some cultures and refer to a spirit that “helps guide or protect a person on a journey and whose characteristics that person shares or embodies.” Referring to Baby Yoda as your spirit animal is actually
cultural appropriation, so next time you go to type this on social media, try one of these fun synonyms instead.
Better alternatives:
Sherpa
If you don’t hail from Tibetan stock and live in the Nepalese Himalayas serving as a
porter on mountain-climbing expeditions (yes, we know, that was
very specific), you’re not a Sherpa. Nope, not even if you lead your friends to the best burrito spot at 2 a.m. or help your roommate pass their chemistry test.
Sherpa is actually an ethnic group and attributing the title to others is disrespectful.
Better alternatives:
- She is the strong commander our study group needs.
- I will be your guide to the best dive restaurants.
- I need a coach to help improve my dating game.
- She was the mastermind of all of our weekend activities.
Guru
Guru is used in a similar way as
Sherpa to refer to someone who’s good at something or an expert in a subject matter.
The word
guru, however, comes from Buddhist and Hindu religions and refers to a spiritual guide or leader who is held in high
esteem. Throwing the term around casually—as in referring to yourself as a
marketing/love/business guru—is disrespectful because it diminishes the importance of the title and its origins.
Better alternatives:
- They are a doyen in the marketing world.
- I have learned so much from my uncle, who is a virtuoso in the kitchen.
- I am an authority when it comes to raising puppies right.
- The mechanic is truly skilled; he is a maestro.
Ninja
Yep, cultural appropriation is the issue again with the word
ninja. The term’s origins refer to “a member of a feudal Japanese society of mercenary agents, highly trained in martial arts and stealth (ninjutsu), who were hired for covert purposes ranging from espionage to sabotage and assassination.”
Yet few who throw the word around today pay any regard to the original culture and context of the word. Much like
guru, people use the term to claim expertise in an area, such as
legal ninja or
writing ninja, and the concern is that the
word’s origins aren’t being respected in such cases.
Better alternatives:
kotaku.com
