I’m busy compiling a list of banned words, for an arb reason at work, and I came across this gem of a link that I just have to share.  I’ve been in stitches reading it.

http://www.freewebs.com/bannedwords/

There’s actually a book that’s been written about which words are to be banned from textbooks… and OMW it’s so completely arb.  Imagine how boring the task must have been to compile that list!!

Here are a few of my favourite gems:

Boys’ night out: banned as sexist

Dirty old man: banned as sexist and ageist

Fairy: banned because it suggests homosexuality, replace with elf

Heroine: banned as sexist, replace with hero – OH PLEASE!!

Strange: banned when it refers to religious practices or beliefs

She acts like a lady.

Men playing sports, working with tools

Girls as peaceful, emotional, warm

People of color living in poor urban areas

Banned texxtbook topic… Euthanasia

Absolutely bizarrely, a banned test subject is AIDS!! Have you ever?!!

If this list is ever used completely, our poor children will never learn about the darker sides of life, and will only learn about cottonwoolled sterilised subjects.