Does the term "cutting" bother you?
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And yes, lets not even get onto salad tossers.........my word!!! Only so much I can take on a Saturday morning,,,,,,,0
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"Cutting" also has some negative associations. Every time I read a post which uses "cutting" I immediately think the person is suicidal. Maybe it's just me?
Wouldn't something like "curbing" or "trimming" or "thinning" be just as good?
They wouldn't be just as good because those aren't industry established terms. I wouldn't change what I say because I'm not a fan of catering to the irrational preferences of other people. I don't want to constantly change my vocabulary just because someone out there might have a negative association with a word. When did people become so damned fragile?0 -
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I didn't read the whole thread. I guess I just cut to the chase.
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Liftng4Lis wrote: »
Lol at the dude on the far left who seems to be folding his laundry.
Hahaha!
On the real though, who choreographs these manstripper dances? If some dude came at me in a club with these moves I would think they were unhinged. Or on meth.0 -
Then why are you insisting people change the way they think and speak?PikaKnight wrote: »PikaKnight wrote: »PikaKnight wrote: »PikaKnight wrote: »lemonsnowdrop wrote: »Y'know, I kinda understand where OP is coming from. Sure, the word "cutting" has many different meanings depending on the context, but rarely do you use it as a solo verb. When you now the lawn, you don't say, "I'm going cutting," and you don't say "Oh, I'm just cutting" when you're trying to reduce your expenses. There's usually a recipient to the verb to make the sentence more comprehensive. Also, self-harm can be very triggering, and I can see how the word could very well be a trigger for someone. I know we're not expected to police our vernacular, but it's not like OP was completely ridiculous.
That's all I'm saying. *tears up*
*tear like crying, welling up, not like cutting, rippingemily_stew wrote: »lemonsnowdrop wrote: »Y'know, I kinda understand where OP is coming from. Sure, the word "cutting" has many different meanings depending on the context, but rarely do you use it as a solo verb. When you now the lawn, you don't say, "I'm going cutting," and you don't say "Oh, I'm just cutting" when you're trying to reduce your expenses. There's usually a recipient to the verb to make the sentence more comprehensive. Also, self-harm can be very triggering, and I can see how the word could very well be a trigger for someone. I know we're not expected to police our vernacular, but it's not like OP was completely ridiculous.
No it wasn't completely ridiculous. But the idea of term policing and creating a new word so it doesn't set anyone off is where the absurdity comes into play.
People come up with new words all the time. Every year new words are added the dictionary. That's not absurd. At some point "bestie" wasn't a word, now it is. Why can't there be a word dedicated to describing losing weight by eating at a deficit? Or more than one so there's synonyms to describe it with different emphapses?
http://public.oed.com/the-oed-today/recent-updates-to-the-oed/march-2014-update/new-words-list-march-2014/
You mean dieting?
I'd say CICO but it isn't technically a word and it's a term/concept that could be used to cover both maintaining and bulking.
Dieting, while commonly used to mean eating less, it can also mean eating with restrictions and not necessarily at a caloric deficit. Like going on a paleo diet or vegan diet. Those people would be dieting but may also be bulking or maintaining. A new word could end up being a synonym for dieting, but the emphasis should be on the caloric deficit.
Don't you think you're unnecessarily complicating this?
Maybe. I think it's more like looking for the right tool for the job. A tool box may have lots of screw drivers and a flathead will usually make do, but sometimes a Philips head is the right tool for the job.
And so can a coin be used, depending on the screw. Or a flat head used to open a can of paint. In other words, you make due with what you have and be flexible and realize it is possible for something to be used in different ways.
And that you don't always need separate/specific or complicated tools for one screw/job.
But sometimes you do need separate and specific tools for a job. You need a Pentalobe screwdriver to work on an Apple product. Maybe it's unnecessarily complicated, but when is the English language not unnecessarily complicated? But that's missing the point.
My point is that maybe we need to make it necessarily complicated because the one tool isn't getting the job done in the best way possible.
Except, in this case, the term is fine.
Again...
And that's fine. You're entitled to it. But I'm still entitled to mine.
I'm not insisting. I'm challenging. You can keep on doing whatever you want. I just wrote a post asking a yes or no question and am having a conversation with responders.
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You know what's cool. A cutting board with an integrated scale.
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Is that real?EvgeniZyntx wrote: »You know what's cool. A cutting board with an integrated scale.
I want it!
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EvgeniZyntx wrote: »You know what's cool. A cutting board with an integrated scale.
Want.
<insert 'take my money meme' here>0 -
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christinev297 wrote: »Did you ever stop to think that people who aren't familiar with mental illness wouldn't even have the slightest clue what cutting means in the context you're talking about??
Yes.0 -
FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Nah, what bothers me is people going out of their way to take offense at things that aren't meant to be offensive in the slightest. Way more trouble is caused by irate, oversensitive people looking to be offended than the use of the word "cutting" which was popular in this sense way before it became a popular piece for bad journalists to show false sympathy over.
So something isn't offensive as long as it wasn't intended to be offensive? How does one know what someone else's intentions are if you don't explicitly communicate them? Are you a telepath?0 -
sweetdixie92 wrote: »sweetdixie92 wrote: »sweetdixie92 wrote: »sweetdixie92 wrote: »barbecuesauce wrote: »PikaKnight wrote: »
Mildly. If you were talking to someone, maybe a stranger or loose acquaintance, and you say, "I'm cutting again." What does that person think you're doing again? What someone says that you should start cutting? The meaning is derived solely by context, because the word cut it used so vaguely. Wouldn't a word that specifically means to cut calories be useful? That's all I'm saying.
Except I've found a lot of people don't just randomly talk about cuts and bulks with strangers or random acquaintances, and usually talk in those terms with people that they know who share the same interest in that regard.
Maybe because using those terms with people outside of the MFP community would not understand or misinterpret the meaning? So now imagine the new people on the forums. Unfamiliar with community's assumed meaning they too could misinterpret the meaning. And if the meaning is self harm, you don't see a problem? If say a person is overweight, depressed, and looking for help to lose weight and then they see people using the term cutting, you're telling me you can't possibly see how that could be a problem? Or at the very least uninviting to the community?
But once you're in the community, don't you pick up the jargon? I didn't ever apply the concept of "deficit" to the concept of calories before coming here, even though I had lost 20 pounds.
As someone who self-harmed as a teenager and has struggled with depression, after I learned this use of the term, it did not bother me at all. "To cut" is probably one of the more common phrases in our language. One negative usage can't ruin all of the myriad other applications.
+1
It's as simple as learning to read in context. The term "cutting" for eliminating calories is not an MFP community term only. I see it often from weight lifters.
By the way, I'm going to a rodeo tomorrow and will be cutting cattle...I'll leave that to your imagination since it only has a negative meaning apparently
Cutting calories vs cutting.
Cutting cattle vs cutting.
Cutting costs vs cutting.
Cutting paper vs cutting.
Cutting teeth vs cutting.
Leave out the object and what does the term mean?
Context can also include the general area or place you use these terms. On MFP, we're (in general) talking about weight or calories. If somebody is unsure, it's really quite simple to ask.
I get what you're saying, but I don't see the need to change or invent a new word. Just explain what you mean.
Did the word selfie need to be created when self-portrait worked for centuries?
Leave out the object and it simply means cutting. That doesn't mean cutting your arms. So you're associating the word with that, when using the word "cutting" in general meant other things way before it was largely referred to as self-harm.
(Sorry, edited while you wrote that)
And my opinion? Nope. I find it annoying when people need to constantly invent new words.
So now "cutting" largely refers to self harm? Right that's my point. Generally, that's the thing that "cutting" refers to if you don't qualify it. Yes it has lots of meanings if you qualify it. That's why it bothers me when people use it on MFP and other fitness/health places without qualifying it as "cutting calories" or "cutting fat"
Maybe if more people begin referring to cutting calories as cutting, it will become a more positive term, right? Or maybe if we put the same effort into helping those who do self-harm as we do into nitpicking terms, we eventually won't automatically associate it with that.
A word is a word. Cutting in itself is not a bad thing.
True. But I'm looking at the now, not the future. "Cutting" is not a bad thing, in your opinion, but is it the best thing?0 -
FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Nah, what bothers me is people going out of their way to take offense at things that aren't meant to be offensive in the slightest. Way more trouble is caused by irate, oversensitive people looking to be offended than the use of the word "cutting" which was popular in this sense way before it became a popular piece for bad journalists to show false sympathy over.
So something isn't offensive as long as it wasn't intended to be offensive? How does one know what someone else's intentions are if you don't explicitly communicate them? Are you a telepath?
Context. Why are you purposely ignoring this obvious point that has been hand fed to you by most of the responders already?0 -
PrizePopple wrote: »shannonbun wrote: »christinev297 wrote: »Did you ever stop to think that people who aren't familiar with mental illness wouldn't even have the slightest clue what cutting means in the context you're talking about??
But on the flip side, people who don't get it in the context of dieting/fitness would potentially only get it in the context of self-injury. Two sides of the same coin and both valid, I think the OP is just going on what "cutting" means in usual societal context (i.e. in television, gossip magazines, movies, literature, etc).
But really, WTF is the point of coming onto a health and fitness site and picking apart terms that are used?
To discuss topics relating to health and fitness. I mean what do you think a forum is for?0 -
FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Nah, what bothers me is people going out of their way to take offense at things that aren't meant to be offensive in the slightest. Way more trouble is caused by irate, oversensitive people looking to be offended than the use of the word "cutting" which was popular in this sense way before it became a popular piece for bad journalists to show false sympathy over.
So something isn't offensive as long as it wasn't intended to be offensive? How does one know what someone else's intentions are if you don't explicitly communicate them? Are you a telepath?
Context. Why are you purposely ignoring this obvious point that has been hand fed to you by most of the responders already?
Thank you for supporting my side. Including context is the answer. I'm not ignoring others' points. I'm fully aware of what "cutting" is intended to mean within the fitness community. But context can be difficult for people to cue into for a variety of reasons. Which is why it should be explicitly stated. For example:
"Cutting calories"
Calories gives the word cutting context.0 -
FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Nah, what bothers me is people going out of their way to take offense at things that aren't meant to be offensive in the slightest. Way more trouble is caused by irate, oversensitive people looking to be offended than the use of the word "cutting" which was popular in this sense way before it became a popular piece for bad journalists to show false sympathy over.
So something isn't offensive as long as it wasn't intended to be offensive? How does one know what someone else's intentions are if you don't explicitly communicate them? Are you a telepath?
Well, the reverse is how is someone supposed to anticipate how everyone else might interpret something, especially if it's not, in your view, reasonable.
Sometimes it seems like people go out of their way to claim offense just to get some kind of moral high ground in the discussion. I'm not saying I've never done it, but on the whole I don't think it's helpful, and in particular I think it's best to assume that someone else is not intending to offend when it could easily be innocent.0 -
FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Nah, what bothers me is people going out of their way to take offense at things that aren't meant to be offensive in the slightest. Way more trouble is caused by irate, oversensitive people looking to be offended than the use of the word "cutting" which was popular in this sense way before it became a popular piece for bad journalists to show false sympathy over.
So something isn't offensive as long as it wasn't intended to be offensive? How does one know what someone else's intentions are if you don't explicitly communicate them? Are you a telepath?
Context. Why are you purposely ignoring this obvious point that has been hand fed to you by most of the responders already?
Thank you for supporting my side. Including context is the answer. I'm not ignoring others' points. I'm fully aware of what "cutting" is intended to mean within the fitness community. But context can be difficult for people to cue into for a variety of reasons. Which is why it should be explicitly stated. For example:
"Cutting calories"
Calories gives the word cutting context.
I'm not sure it does mean simply "cutting calories." It's more like getting cut, as someone else said. Besides if a shorter form works people usually like it. Why not insist that the self-harm usage be made more explicit?
Anyway, context is usually obvious. In that this is MFP, the usual context is fitness.
If you want to say "cutting calories" or make up a new term and see if it catches on, go for it!0 -
Cutting is a word I'd never use, but I would think there are many, possibly silly, alternatives:
- Slimming
- Thinning
- Leaning
- Slenderizing
- Reducing (sounds like a sauce)
- Defatting (good one from earlier in this thread)
Good luck, fat reducers!
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Reducing is a common one from years ago, isn't it? Sounds kind of '50s to me.0
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Sorry about the spelling mistake i made in my last post i obviously meant self harming not shelf harming. Thank you to the person that pointed it out and hopefully there have been none made in this one.
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FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Nah, what bothers me is people going out of their way to take offense at things that aren't meant to be offensive in the slightest. Way more trouble is caused by irate, oversensitive people looking to be offended than the use of the word "cutting" which was popular in this sense way before it became a popular piece for bad journalists to show false sympathy over.
So something isn't offensive as long as it wasn't intended to be offensive? How does one know what someone else's intentions are if you don't explicitly communicate them? Are you a telepath?
Context. Why are you purposely ignoring this obvious point that has been hand fed to you by most of the responders already?
Thank you for supporting my side. Including context is the answer. I'm not ignoring others' points. I'm fully aware of what "cutting" is intended to mean within the fitness community. But context can be difficult for people to cue into for a variety of reasons. Which is why it should be explicitly stated. For example:
"Cutting calories"
Calories gives the word cutting context.
The fact the word is used on a fitness website gives it it's context.
You basically want people to assume that others who read their posts might be offended, so to treat them like a three year old and explicitly state every single term that "may" cause offense by being momentarily misread. Yeah. No. I'll assume that the people reading have enough common sense to work out what I am saying or ask if they are not sure.
This is all about you - stop trying to change a term that has been used for decades because you don't like it.
I'm cutting right now.0 -
FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Nah, what bothers me is people going out of their way to take offense at things that aren't meant to be offensive in the slightest. Way more trouble is caused by irate, oversensitive people looking to be offended than the use of the word "cutting" which was popular in this sense way before it became a popular piece for bad journalists to show false sympathy over.
So something isn't offensive as long as it wasn't intended to be offensive? How does one know what someone else's intentions are if you don't explicitly communicate them? Are you a telepath?
This applies to you too. You are so set on it being negative that how do you know it'd be taken negatively? Are YOU a telepath?
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Doesn't bother me when I see it used here, because I know the context:
reducing calories, reducing body fat, etc.
Also, I'm not mentally ill to the point of harming myself, so I wouldn't think of it in that context,
nor would it be a "trigger" to cause me to harm myself. (Other people's actions don't cause mine
anyway, I choose to do what I do.)0 -
FoCoAlphaNerd wrote: »Nah, what bothers me is people going out of their way to take offense at things that aren't meant to be offensive in the slightest. Way more trouble is caused by irate, oversensitive people looking to be offended than the use of the word "cutting" which was popular in this sense way before it became a popular piece for bad journalists to show false sympathy over.
So something isn't offensive as long as it wasn't intended to be offensive? How does one know what someone else's intentions are if you don't explicitly communicate them? Are you a telepath?
Context. Why are you purposely ignoring this obvious point that has been hand fed to you by most of the responders already?
Thank you for supporting my side. Including context is the answer. I'm not ignoring others' points. I'm fully aware of what "cutting" is intended to mean within the fitness community. But context can be difficult for people to cue into for a variety of reasons. Which is why it should be explicitly stated. For example:
"Cutting calories"
Calories gives the word cutting context.
You are failing to account for actual conversation. How often do you walk up to someone, say one sentence, and leave? How often do you only read one sentence of a forum or blog post?
Generally if you say one sentence to someone, you include all needed information in that one sentence. No one who has any concept of language is going to just say " I am cutting" and leave the conversation.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBccr-aLu4I
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