Re[4]: [tied] "Niggers of India"

At 12:57:38 AM on Friday, December 16, 2005, Patrick Ryan
wrote:

> From: "Brian M. Scott" <BMScott@...>

>> At 8:23:45 PM on Thursday, December 15, 2005, Patrick Ryan
>> wrote:

>> [...]

>>> If I called you 'discriminating', you would be insulted
>>> today. 15 years ago, you would have been flattered.

>> 'He's a discriminating fellow' is normally intended
>> positively, and 'He's discriminating against X' is normally
>> intended negatively; this hasn't changed in the last 15
>> years.

> And if I said:

> 'You are discriminating'.

> How would most people take that today?

That's entirely dependent on the context: without one,
there's no way to distinguish between 'you are engaging in
discrimination against someone or something' and 'you are
perceptive and capable of making fine distinctions'.

Brian