And was always intened to be non-offensive and generally taken that way.
But now the cultural elite has been diddling with unoffensive words, co-opting unrelated words, and trying to tweak the American culture more to their liking.
Being a bit old fashioned and refusing to bow to cultural whims seems to be an issue with the fashion conscious.
I hear you. I refuse to use “gay” when talking about homosexuals, and seldom use queer, faggot or fag, blowboy or rump ranger. Ho-mo-sex-u-al, all five syllables, works just fine and an occasional sodomite in appropriate context can substitute.
And don’t get me started on the trannies. One of my young adult nephews has decided to be a girl, but I decline to refer to him as her or she, and still use his male name. If he’s had his chopitoffame (chop-it-off-a-me, the operation) I have not heard about it, nor do I want to.
I make some of the relatives uncomfortable, but that’s on them.