The English language needs more words for peopleAdult- An adult is person who is physically, emotionally and socially mature, able to take responsibility for themself and to care for others. The ego of Mature Adults extends beyond the skin to concern for others and for the world they live in. An Adult Bookshop contains the treasures of our civilisation. An Immature Adult Bookshop does not. Classifications of Mature Adult and Adult Content describe entertainment that stimulates thinking and understanding, and gives pleasure by a vision of the good in any of its many forms. Immature Adult Category for psychosexual or social immaturity about violence, sexuality, irresponsibility or intoxication. Label for shows, shops, products and activities not fit for children or Mature Adults, because they are destructive, horrible, selfish, harm others or stir imaginations in destructive directions. "This is the most Immature-Adult show of the year." Subdult. Person over 18 who patronises Immature-Adult Bookshops and Sexshops, and Immature-Adults Only shows. "He was only a subdult until he was around forty." Nearly Adults. 'Kids' to describe adolescents is meant to sound friendly and 'down' at their level, but attributes childishness and irresponsibility to homeless kids and kids in school. Less demeaning and less patronising words are needed to replace 'kids' as a term for nearly adults. Adlings or Yungen (cf German Jungen) Young teenagers. Terms to supersede the infantilising word 'kids' to describe or address adolescents. "Never forget that adlets will soon be adlings with votes and drivers' licences." He's a Growing-Up, nearly a Grown-Up. 'Homeless Adwards' changes the atmosphere and attitudes of both subjects and observers to 'kids'. (If you think of a better term, come up with it.) Adward - An older teenager, nearly an adult. Alasses and Aladdins - teenagers who do not yet have homes. Not 'homeless kids'. Community Godparents People who act as relatives to local children with none around. Diskdil. Someone whose intelligence has been affected by over-loud noise. Humrezzers. A once-person now employed by an organisation with a Human Resources Section, once a Personnel Department. Muttering classes - whingers not prepared to do anything about their whinges. Locust Class. Class of people who want to get all the resources of the earth used up now, Poojah. Rich man in a poor country, with an income over ten times that of the lowest paid full-time worker. (Deriv. Korean. Now useful in Australia too.) Public Transport Heroes win acclaim from the media and thanks from car drivers. Termato. Used in a family to describe would-be martyrs. It effectively prevents the martyr-ploy from being successful. "Wash up if you like, but don't be a termato about it." Slothaholic. A Workaholic works compulsively without enjoying it -contrast someone who works hard because they enjoy it. A Slothaholic can't enjoy doing anything, even being lazy. Spongers. Billionaires as well as dole cheats can be spongers, living off the efforts of others, without making a reasonable reciprocal response. A child who delights its parents is not sponging, nor is a sick person who cheers up carers. Urkclass. A social, not an economic concept. Members of the Urkclass have a socially and personally destructive life-style, whether they are rich or poor. They live only in the present, ignorant of the past, careless of the future; prefer waste to personal effort; and believe in impulsivity and that any inhibition on their part will be psychologically harmful to them. Their pejorative vocabulary includes Puritan work ethic, do-gooding, too good to be true, harsh reality, horrible truth, sickmakingly nice. They tend to write and think in oxymorons. Wumps label other people as wimps. "Feral wumps are largely responsible for the extinction of that rare bird, the gentleman." Back to OzIdeas Home Page |