Unfair

It's an old legal term anyway
For
Use of
carnal
Knowledge!
An offence if you weren't married. Ie fornicatation!

Why taking offence is Britain's new national sport – Allison Pearson in the Telegraph.

Movedalot, yes they are a problem am not saying they are not. Its just a matter of scale and being a trusting soul I leave it to Gransnet to draw the line. Just being a bit of a stirrer or a tad argumentative is unpleasant but its not a crime. And yes Bags, I know I go on about it too - but there is a lot to be said for tolerance on both sides. Just as I take some things said in here with a pinch of salt AND often give folks the benefit of the doubt (language skills can make a huge difference - we aint all Jane Austen). I hope others will do the same for me. Hells Teef.....I is borderline dyslexic, post menopausal, etc etc.

If you really hate wtf and suchlike then perhaps the internet is not for you. Because it is widely used.

Join the club. I'm postmenopausal my iPad is dyslexic!

Geraldine, am I allowed to tell them I've read a word many Gn-ers would regard as naughty in a published article by you?

I won't be offended if this post gets deleted, but I doubt it will be because, as with so many words on people's "naughty" lists nowadays, it was used harmlessly.

And besides.... #freedomofspeech

OR! You could interpret it as what the flip. Which of course is what I meant all along.

I agree, hilda – about tolerance on both sides, not that you go on about it. At least, if you do, I hadn't noticed.

jings, quite! The offence is just as often, if not oftener, in the mind of the offended, rather than t'other way round.

#Doneitagainhaven'tI?

Jeni Pedant breaking in here - the word existed long before the term "Carnal Knowledge" - that explanation was coined in retrospect by some clever-clogs or other.

Really? I didn't know that.
But I like my explanation.

Does GNHQ read our PMs?

No - they are, by definition, private, but if someone received a PM that was downright abusive they would have every right to tell HQ about it privately.

Not as far as know!

I rather imagine they can, but I don't know if they do.

I don't think they can - that would be an intrusion of privacy.

Probably in the T & Cs if anyone can be othered.

I wonder......

Kali, With reference to your original question to me which I thought would be rude not to answer. I did not realise that the phrases you quoted were taken from a deleted post. Without seeing it in full its going to be difficult for me to form an opinion. Read in isolation, as in your question I did not see them as offensive. Context has a lot to do with meaning so as I do not have all the facts there is little point me saying any more.

I am a happy and simple soul most of the time but I am fazed by the Internet abbreviations which some posters are fluent In-graduated from Mumsnet perhaps? Perhaps a code breaking list with the emoticons. I have to translate before I can make sense. So Aibu I now understand instinctively but I have to think what WTF means and I suppose that I don't like that expression entering my orbit because I have a sheltered life and use strong language for occasions which merit it.like a leg coming through the ceiling or the car wandering backwards into a few dustbins or the settee collapsing under me.
I cannot believe that people would bother to go and then have to think up ANOTHER name and password. I often think people have very similar thoughts and confuse them terribly-especially if they have vaguely similar names.