Alphabetical Entries: H
159 entries found.
grammatically masculine in French (the feminine would be habituée), "habitué" is used for both sexes in English – a convention that has been suggested for similar terms. See also feminine word endings.
cabdriver.
although there have been attempts to reclaim this word's older meaning—a mature wise-woman—it is generally perceived as pejorative.
backslapping, hearty, jovial, breezy, extroverted, heartily informal, convivial, comradely, jocular, playful, full of life, in high spirits, glad hand.
because this is used almost exclusively for women you may want to use hair style.
an Arabic term for those who've made the hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, "hajji" has become the slur of choice for U.S. troops, according to Chris Hedges and Laila Al-Arian (Los Angeles Times ) who spent several months interviewing soldiers who've fought in Iraq. The troops regularly denigrate "hajji food" and "hajji homes," and the slurs have been accompanied by abuse and killings.
unacceptable terms when referring to people of mixed ancestry or descent. "Half-breed and half-caste are senseless. We're not half of anything. We are whole people" (Jaimie Markham, in Colors ). Tim Giago, publisher of Indian Country Today , the largest U.S. Indian weekly, says, "Research has shown that these terms were created by the federal bureaucracy to place Indian people into racial pigeonholes." They are equally offensive when used of the Aboriginal peoples of Australia. See also aborigine, Indian, mélange, métis/métisse.
this euphemistic adjective for someone with a disability has been pretty well trounced by disability rights advocates; don't use it.
the attitudes, practices, and physical obstacles that lead to unequal and unfair treatment of people with disabilities constitute handicapism. A handicapist culture has a high tolerance for such bias. See also ableism, disabilities, handicapped.
someone/a person with a disability. Do not use "handicapped" as a noun or adjective referring to people with disabilities. A disability is a condition; a handicap is an obstacle. Someone with multiple sclerosis has a disability; the two flights of stairs leading to a classroom present a handicap to that person. For a complete discussion of writing and speaking about disabilities, see disabilities. See also handicapped parking.
this grammatically odd term is used in state and federal laws. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act refers to it as "accessible parking," changing existing statutes and parking-lot language will probably take some time.
servant, personal attendant, attendant; instrument, agent, tool, vehicle, facilitator, medium.
carpenter, laborer, repairer, odd/general jobber, repairer, maintenance worker, custodian, caretaker; handywoman and handyman if used gender-fairly.
executioner, public executioner, lyncher.
also spelled Chanukah about half as often and, less often, Hannukah, this eight-day festival dates to 165 B.C.E. and celebrates the victory of the Jews against unbelievable odds over King Antiochus of Syria who had forbidden them to practice their religion. Because of its calendar proximity to Christmas, Hanukkah is often referred to as if it were the most important Jewish holiday while the holidays that are in fact important—Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur—are often overlooked by the media and non-Jews. Other major Jewish holidays include Purim, Sukkoth, Shevuoth, and Passover.
harbor chief/superintendent/officer/commander.
tyrant, despot, dictator, iron hand/ruler, martinet, disciplinarian, oppressor, stickler. For a discussion of "master" words, see master (n).
cleft lip. Cleft lip and cleft palate are different congenital conditions. "Harelip" is highly objectionable. See also disabilities.
although the harem is negatively perceived in the West as a place of confinement for women, it is not always understood this way by women in some cultures. "In the Middle East, the harem is the women's quarters for living and working protected by male members of the family from outside intrusion" (Marsha J. Hamilton, in Joanna Kadi, ed., Food for Our Grandmothers). Use "harem" only if you understand its many culture-specific ramifications. The ethnocentric and incorrect use of "harem" to describe a man's several women friends implies an inappropriate sense of men owning women. See also purdah, sex object.
prostitute/prostitution. "Harlot" (from the Old French for "rogue") used to refer only to male vagabonds, rascals, vagrants, and entertainers. Later it was used for a person of either sex, and finally became restricted to women. See also prostitute.
this word is almost exclusively reserved for women; "men who are considered powerful protest, chew-out, or take action," but women harp (Susan Hoy Crawford, Beyond Dolls & Guns). When tempted to use "harp," decide what the same behavior in a man would be called.
although "harpy" can mean a predatory person, it is usually used for "a shrewish woman"; the original Harpies were hideous, voracious monsters. A harridan is also a shrew, but vicious to boot. These terms have no male equivalents; even the stubborn and ill-tempered (not shrewish) curmudgeon, for example, is viewed with a certain fond tolerance. See also nag (n.), shrew, termagant, virago.
the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association of America has a list of "words that don't send a positive image to the general public"; "slaughter" is one of them. They prefer we say process, go to market, or harvest. (They also suggest not talking about "pain" but saying instead "short-term discomfort.") The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) couches its reports in terms of "harvested" deer. Those who hunt or trap animals in the wild today tend to "harvest" rather than to "kill." If it walks like a euphemism and talks like a euphemism …
leave as is for the arachnid; for the machine used for harvesting or the person doing the harvesting, use harvester.