Being ‘woke’
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Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons
What does ‘woke’ mean, now that it is not solely the past tense of ‘wake’?
Merriam-Webster says, ‘aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice) and identified as U.S. slang. It originated in African American English and gained more widespread use beginning in 2014 as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. By the end of that same decade it was also being applied by some as a general pejorative for anyone who is or appears to be politically left-leaning.’
The OED defines it thus: 'woke, adjective: Originally: well-informed, up-to-date. Now chiefly: alert to racial or social discrimination and injustice; frequently in stay woke.’
What was the OED thinking in that final phrase ’frequently in stay woke’? It makes no sense! The addition of 'used' between the first and second words might help!
‘In the current climate’ – (how I hate that phrase!) - we are obliged to turn somersaults and trip over our tongues to be ‘inclusive’ at all times. With that in mind, I offer the following thought:-
‘Man’ should be replaced by ‘person’ to avoid embarrassment, misgendering, offence. Chairman has been chairperson for many a long year, but let’s take further steps.
Just a
quick list – I’m sure you can think of more.
Manacles - personacles
Manchester is now Personchester and the Manager of Manchester United (or City) is now the Personager of Personchester United (or City)
mandatory
– persondatory
mandibles
– persondibles
manhood –
personhood
manicure
-personicure
manifold
– personifold
Manitoba
– Personitoba
mankind -
personkind
‘Mansfield
Park’ by Jane Austen is now ‘Personsfield Park’
manta ray
– personta ray
mantra
-persontra
manufacture
– personufacture
manuscript – personuscript
Ha!
ReplyDelete;-)
DeleteMan being person is fine, but I really object to names containing "man" being changed just because of those three letters. Not everything is about men and and place names especially should not be changed. In the beginning "woke" made some sort of sense, but things have gone way too far now and I've shut down. I'm so far from woke I'm almost in a coma.
ReplyDeleteHa ha - me, too . . zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . . .
DeleteIf I was in a discussion with someone who used "woke" as a pejorative word for anyone who was politically left-leaning, I would say "sorry, I must leave". Criticising someone with the word woke is no more gentle than calling them a "idiotic, unintelligent, left wing drop kick who takes ideas from her Russian family".
ReplyDeleteI find it most irritating and I must say that people who use the word seem to be very smug!
DeleteGood one! Woke is a very confusing word. I have really been able to understand the true meaning of it.
ReplyDeleteGender issues have always been a subject of debate. So also about equality of gender.
All said and done, male is male and female is female.
Problems arise, when we consider one is superior to the other.
But the fact is that neither is superior or inferior to the other.
Both have their own well-deserved places in our lives.
I agree, Pradeep.
DeleteHi Janice - good heavens above - I say!! Cheers but good (p'raps) to know about ... happy weekend! Hilary
ReplyDeleteIt's all rather nonsensical. Enjoy your weekend, Hilary:-)
DeleteIt seems to have all become rather silly hasn't it...
ReplyDeleteDefinitely!
DeleteDon't tempt fate - it may still happen!
ReplyDeleteThat's the sadness of it - the silly things we thought impossible have come to pass.
DeleteIn my German dictionary woke is still not being asleep, but old fashioned and more American. Replace man by person is OK if it really a question of sex, like chairman could be a chairwoman, but all the other words are based on "hand" like a manicure (mani is the Italian plural of hand(s) so that wouldn't make any sense, except manhood that's nothing for women !
ReplyDeleteAfter 2 (!) days of shy sunshine and warm weather we are sitting and not singing in the rain again !
Two days of sun - that's really good:-)
DeleteIt tends to be used now mainly by those on the political right as a label for anything they don't like, in order to avoid thinking about it properly.
ReplyDeleteIt is the case with all 'popular' expressions that they relieve the speaker of engaging brain before mouth.
DeleteHello...as a participating Conservative, your generalization of "political Right", is very wrong. We view "woke, or being woke", as the far left trying to indoctrinate our children with Marxism. Even some of those on the far left are starting to "wake Up' at what is happening to our children and freedoms.. Watched any of the latest news reports on the colleges lately?
DeleteRespectfully.
Hi Donna. I'm sure there are many things we would agree about. I was referring to the pejorative use of the word to dismiss an opinion without feeling there is any need for further explanation. It does have a right-left dimension, but I don't see it as necessarily aligned to political parties or as a reference to Marxism (another label?). It could be used by Conservatives against other Conservatives they disagree with on social policy. And similarly on the left. Basically, I think it's a silly word without clear meaning and we should avoid using it entirely.
DeleteIt took me quite some time to fully understand woke and I now define it as a recognition of the wrongs of the past. I don't really think it is a leftie thing, although the right profess to be not woke, which I don't really understand.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with with chair, chairperson or chairwoman. A manned ticket office should be a staffed ticket office. Fisherman can easily just be a fisher.
It is interesting to think about actor/actress, waiter/waitress, conductor/conductress. We don't need to know their gender yet I do like to know their gender. In early days of my blog I began referring to my now sister's wife as Bone Doctor and some did assume Bone Doctor, an orthopaedic surgeon who was then in training, as a man. We try to not make assumptions but we do and I am as guilty as anyone.
I am not for changing any on your list. That would be just silly.
Yes, I was thinking how 'ress' as a suffix is rarely used now - quite right, too. You're right, people make assumptions, often incorrectly, about the gender of people doing jobs. Plumbers can be women, nursery teachers can be men.
DeleteAll the PC melarky drives me nuts. Thanks for making me smile with the word changes.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Wales x
Just messing about, as usual ;-)
DeleteIt's become a divisive label.
ReplyDeleteIt's too easy to adopt a word or phrase without thinking about it. I think the world has gone mad - or is it just me?
Delete‘Personsfield Park’ .... haha!
ReplyDeletewhat should we change the movie "pretty woman" to?
Quite a mouthful . . .
DeleteOh Goodness!
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend.
All the best Jan
Thank you, you too:-)
DeleteWow. That's all I can say. The term 'woke' really annoys me. It's overused and seems like the 'in' word.
ReplyDeleteIt's used so much it's meaningless.
DeleteLike Sharon above me, the "woke" term really annoys me. As does 'in the current climate'. Loving your suggestions, thank you for the laughs! xxx
ReplyDeleteI don't like it when words or phrases are overused and become popular - 24/7 springs to mind!
Delete