Replies

Although the word means stingy, Akwana Walker said it was inappropriate to use it because it sounds similar to a racial slur. She said she doesn't think fourth-graders can distinguish between the two words.

Ummm, I think that's why they go to school. To learn, or something like that.

I could be wrong.

Exactly. It is a wonderful word that fourth graders should be learning so that they might more fully describe the world around them.
Years ago, a finance guy in the city administration of DC (methinks) used the word in a presentation. One of the attending ignoramuses took offense and the finance guy was asked to resign. He did. The mayor made some cowardly statement about insensitivity yada yada yada.
Fear of embarassment wouldn't allow me to complain about someone's language usage until I was sure that I knew all the meanings of a particular word. It used to be that being ignorant and overly sensitive was something you fought against. Oh well....