[htsh]

I read about the etymology -- we concluded that early on in the discussion but the point was that there's a recent usage different from it's dictionary definition. I think urbandictionary is perfect to illustrate this sort of secondary usage.

Also, the salad example is a bit weird as sexual innuendo and racist slurs are beasts of a different kind as there's usually a specific target to ethnic slurs as opposed to innuendo like "laying pipe" or "tossing salad."

But I agree that there's a limit to such sort of political correctness. In this case, for example, it's clear that I'd never ever use "niggardly" in any context whatsoever (and I'd find a writer that does tremendously ignorant) but I can see that the word "niggle" is a bit more on the fence. And I've seen it used on Engadget & other blogs, even if magazines and newspapers won't do it.

Personally, I think it's wise to avoid it as I have heard it used in a tremendously racist way. And again, everyone has different experiences in this regard. I do think, however, that it's a bit odd to get offended when someone points out this kind of usage. At the very least, we know that it's happening.

[elblanco]

Personally, I think it's wise to avoid it as I have heard it used in a tremendously racist way. And again, everyone has different experiences in this regard. I do think, however, that it's a bit odd to get offended when someone points out this kind of usage. At the very least, we know that it's happening.

I just think it's weird to raise the "possible accidental usage of a possibly racist term flag" for a word that very few, if any, people have ever heard used in that context.

It has been educational though. I've never heard that word used in that context -- ever. Now I'll be on the lookout for it because it would have simply passed me by.

FYI, during this exchange I was curious that I could have missed hearing such a usage for the term, I actually just went to google to see if I could find an actual real world example of it being used in such a context (outside of Urban Dictionary) and instead found several hundred uses of it most specifically not being used in the racial context. As newspaper headlines, names of companies, titles of works of literature, online handles, pieces of software, programming frameworks, etc. e.g.

  http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/12/27/yes-niggling/
  http://www.telegraphindia.com/1100722/jsp/frontpage/story_12712529.jsp

  http://timesonline.typepad.com/line_and_length/2010/06/longterm-niggle-does-for-bresnan.html

  https://niggleit.com/

etc. etc. etc.

In fact, other than a couple different urban dictionaries and a letter relating a warning by a professor not to use the term because it might get confused with the n-bomb, I actually couldn't find an actual usage of the term that was derogatory -- and I went at least 20 pages in on the search results. If you can find a real, honest to gosh usage, please link it here because I have yet to see one.

"niggardly" on the other hand, I wouldn't use just because it's archaic and sounds silly but also because it's etymology is the same as the n-bomb.

[htsh]

actually "niggardly" and "niggle" have related etymology, neither related to the n-bomb.

[elblanco]

oh apologies, I thought they both derive from the Old English "hneaw". But I see that I am corrected!

I still wouldn't use it though, definitely archaic. It would be like inserting "yonder" and "thee" into my speech.