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It depends on which variant of English you are using.
Spastic is highly offensive in Britain, as it is used to denote people with cerebral palsy. Its use as an insult is considered almost as taboo as the term "retarded".
In the USA, Australia and Canada, the term spastic is not seen as offensive, and is used as a general term for clumsy startling excitability. It is often used in everyday language there.
This has caused controversy when American and Australian products were released in the UK. An example was with the game Mario Party 8 for using the term "spastic" casually. It was quickly recalled and later rereleased with the term "erratic".
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∙ 10y ago
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What does spastic mean?
The term spastic in its original sense refers to spasticity, a condition characterized by involuntary contraction, stiffness or spasming of muscles. In the medical field, it is used to describe certain conditions, like spastic colon or spastic diplegia (a form of cerebral palsy). Colloquially, its usage depends on your part of the world. The use of the word evolved differently in the US and the UK. In the UK, the term spastic came to be used as a synonym for cerebral palsy. However, starting in the 1980's, the term started to be abused as a slur. Today, Brits consider it as offensive as the term "retarded". In the USA, it was never colloquially associated with cerebral palsy. In colloquial American usage, it is not necessarily offensive, and refers to jumpiness and/or over-excitability. This has resulted in many misunderstandings when American media has been broadcast in Britain. For instance, Weird Al's "Word Crimes" contained the verse "you write like a spastic", resulting in massive moral outcry from people who did not understand the American usage. The UK version of a Mario Party game had to be recalled for using the line "turn the train spastic".
What is does spaz mean?
It is a very offensive shortened word for spastic which means a disabled person.
How many spastics are there?
The term "spastic" is considered offensive when used to describe individuals with disabilities. It is recommended to use respectful language such as "person with cerebral palsy" instead.
When was Spastic Ink created?
Spastic Ink was created in 1993.
When did Spastic Ink end?
Spastic Ink ended in 2004.
What does spaz really mean?
Short for spastic. Spastic means to be jumpy, or maybe jittery. The opposite of spastic would be easy going.
What is the medical term for spastic colon?
The medical profession refers to a spastic colon as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is a disease the affects the correct functioning of the intestine. Common symptoms of IBS are constipation, diarrhea,and abdominal pain
What are the common symptoms of a spastic colon?
Technically IBS is the clinical term for spastic colon so they are basically the same disease. Some signs of this disease are constipation, headache, lower back pain, urgency of bowel movement, and abdominal distention.
What is a smithy?
a spastic
What is smithied?
a spastic
Make a sentence with the word 'spastic'?
Carl was acting spastic because he ate a lot of sugar.
What slang word comes from the word spastic?
The slang word "spaz" comes from the word spastic. It is often used to describe someone who is clumsy, uncoordinated, or overly energetic. However, it can be considered offensive and derogatory to individuals with disabilities.
