Word Choice

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I have been scolded by a very influential person for using the word “crap” in my blogs for describing human excrement in terms that are quite understandable. Here are a few words about this issue.

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Word Choice

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I thought using the word “crap” to describe human excrement would be quite acceptable to the world of blog readers. It is much milder than alternatives such as shit, hockey, or turds and quite understandable to the layman reader who may be a bit sensitive about these alternate words. Since this was a medical issue, I did occasionally refer to the stuff as “stool” some, but this word can be a bit confusing in sentences such as ….and he picked up his stool and moved it so that he could stand on his stool to reach the pickles…. So I limited the use of this word to reference the nasty stuff as much as possible.

 

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I thought about using the word “feces” to describe the stuff, but this again is a doctor word and I sure don’t want to sound like a doctor. The words “doody” or “dodo” might be a bid milder, but I’m not really writing the blog for 5 year olds to read. However, the sentence… His doody was runny… Does kind of sing a little versus the single word “diarrhea” and might make better prose for night time stories.

 

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The word “Poopoo” sounds a bit too much like the word my grandkids use to describe me, so I sure didn’t want them to get their PoPo mixed up with Poopoo. The word “scat” is sometimes used to describe wild animal excrement found in the woods. I may have been a bit wild when I was younger, but I don’t frequent the woods anymore, so this would not work for me anymore. The word “manure” or “dung” makes the stuff sound like something that came out of an animal such as a Buffalo and I sure didn’t want others to think I was that full of crap.

 

 

Is this a pile of Buffalo manure, Buffalo Dung, or perhaps even Buffalo Crap? You be the judge.

 

 

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At any rate, as you can see from the above, careful consideration was given to use of the word “crap” in my blog  “More Deadly Medicines”. I deeply apologize if I have offended any of you readers out there with the word “crap.” I will try to limit the use of the word in the future to cases where it seems to be the only viable alternative.

 

 

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Thanks for reading Word Choice,
Bill