Alphabetical Entries: N

male or female.

this can be used to describe either a man or a woman, but for a sex-nonspecific term, consider fussbudget, worrywart, handwringer, terminal worrier.

because "New Age" refers to such a broad range of late 20th-century and contemporary beliefs and practices, you'll need to identify which tenets are held by any given individuals or which aspects of New Age spirituality are included in any reference to it. Characterized by an eclectic and personal approach to spiritual exploration, the New Age movement has no holy text, central organization, membership, formal clergy, geographic center, dogma, or hard-and-fast creed. Instead, it draws on all the major world religions for inspiration with particular emphasis on Buddhism, Hinduism, Shamanism, Sufism, Taoism, New Thought, Neo-Paganism, and Spiritualism. Many New Agers graft additional beliefs onto traditional religious affiliations.

this highly Eurocentric term disregards the fact that the world in question wasn't new at all to the people who had lived there for centuries. See also "discovery" of America.

newspaper carrier/vendor. See also paperboy.

reporter, newspaper reporter, journalist, news representative/writer, correspondent, representative/member of the press/media/Fourth Estate, newscaster; newsmonger. Or, be specific: war/special/foreign correspondent, columnist, commentator, wire/roving/investigative reporter, feature writer, sportswriter, stringer, editor, publisher, radio correspondent, television commentator, anchor, news anchor/director, announcer, reviewer, gossip columnist, photojournalist. See also anchorman.

Nimipu. This American Indian tribe was named by French trappers ("Pierced Nose"). Although Nez Perce is used and they were once also called Chuta-pa-le, the preferred name is Nimipu ("The People"). Variations include: Ni-Mii-Puu, Nimiipu, Nimiipuu, Nimapu, Namipu, Numipu, Neemepoo, Noomeepoo, Chopunnish, Taoopnitpalu, Tautpeli. When possible, verify the name. When not possible, use Nimipu.

although by definition and derivation "niggardly" and "nigger" are not remotely similar, the use of "niggardly" elicits uncomfortable reactions in many people. It's just too close. There are many descriptive alternatives available: stingy, miserly, parsimonious, reluctant, ungenerous, grudging, begrudging, cheap, moneygrubbing, grasping; scanty, skimpy, piddling, measly, puny.

also known as the “N-word,” these racial slurs and contemptuous terms for a Black person are some of the most racially charged words in the language, and may never be used by a non-Black person. Always deeply offensive and off-limits when used by others, the n-word is under debate among African Americans: some believe their open use of it among themselves will strip it of its racist meaning; others say that no matter who uses it, such a hideous pejorative needs to be stricken from the national vocabulary. The variation "nigga" is seen in entertainment culture, and some people consider it different than nigger -- a term of affection or even neutral. Others insist it is still a slur, no matter the spelling. For the completely unacceptable "nigger in the woodpile," substitute catch, hitch, snag, drawback. "Timber nigger," a highly offensive term describing American Indians involved in the fishing and hunting rights debate, has no good alternative except "American Indians involved in the fishing and hunting rights debate." See also African American, Black/black (n.), insider/outsider rule, racism.

of possible Scandinavian origin, this term is unrelated to "nigger" and less questionable to the ear and eye than "niggardly." Although most people will find it unobjectionable, those who want to replace it can choose from among a number of alternatives: petty, trivial, puny; piddling, trifling, fiddling; silly, inane, foolish, pointless.

night guard/watch, security guard/officer, guard, building guard, watch, guardian, caretaker, gatekeeper, custodian, sentinel, sentry, lookout, patrol, patroller; the night watch.

a derogatory clipping of the word Nipponese (meaning Japanese, from "Nippon," another name for Japan), "nip" is never acceptable.

literally, "second generation," this acceptable term is used for a U.S.-born Japanese American whose parents immigrated to the United States. It is sometimes used to refer to all Japanese Americans. Plural is Nisei or Niseis. See also Issei, Kibei, Sansei, Yonsei.

this phrase reeks of judgment, sexism (there is no parallel for a man), and a conception of virtue based solely on sexuality.

no one is a prophet in their own country (see singular "they"); we are slow to see the prophet in our midst; prophets are not without honor, save in their own country and among their own kin and in their own house; prophets are seldom recognized in their own land; prophets go unhonored in their own country; people rarely recognize the prophet in their midst. (The original phrase reflected earlier biblical translations; many current translations no longer use that version.)

limbo, wasteland, Death Valley, nowhere land, uninhabited/uninhabitable/uncharted/unclaimed/lawless/noncombatant/unclaimed land/zone/territory, demilitarized/buffer/dead zone, hostile country, nowheresville, gray area, vacuum, dead space/zone, arid zone, the desert, the wild. This is a difficult phrase to replace at times, not so much because there are no alternatives, but because we are seduced by its familiarity and by the ease with which it springs to mind.

noble, member of the nobility, aristocrat, peer; noblewoman and nobleman. Or, be specific: countess, duke, princess, earl, marquis, baroness.

nonsexist; the "men" comes from nomen, Latin for "name."

and you thought you were a citizen ...! The federal government used this extremely circuitous synonym for citizens during World War II because it sounded so much better to be interning non-aliens than to be interning U.S. citizens. The latter had constitutional rights, but who knew what rights "non-aliens" had?

gender-neutral pronouns, they/them pronouns. Not all nonbinary people use the same pronouns so there isn't such a category.

don't assume that this is always the father, nor that a noncustodial mother is somehow lacking; our ideas of mothering and fathering are sometimes so narrow that we have difficulty imagining a mother who would give up custody of her children or a father who is devastated when he fails to get custody of his. The force of these sexist attitudes is enough to pressure some women into taking custody of children who might be better off with their fathers. Women may choose to avoid custody battles because they want to spare their children the conflict or are unable to support them financially. Threats of physical violence and harassment can also be a factor in a woman surrendering custodial rights. See also custodial parent.

you could do worse than use this term, but you could do better, too. Be specific about the group you are referring to. Not everyone accepts or uses "nondisabled," but given limited space and the need for something nonpejorative and succinct, this can work.

those who will never hurt or demean people different from them, and who think of all humankind as their equals are nonracist. Recently the term antiracist has taken the spotlight and you may want to be clear on the distinctions between nonracism and antiracism. See also antiracist.

language that carries no bias (good or bad) toward one sex or the other is nonsexist. It may be gender-fair ("businesswomen and businessmen") or gender-free ("parents").

female-intensive occupation/career, male-intensive occupation/career. Using "nontraditional" implies work that is unacceptable or abnormal for one sex. Statistics indicate that women's increasing interest in male-intensive occupations has not been matched by a comparable increase in men's interest in female-intensive occupations.