[xtiansimon]

I hate writing like this—common sense old-timey advice mixed with dangerous replicators.

What’s the dangerous replicator? “Piss-weak” what the heck does that mean? Who knows, but it’s placed in an article about parenting and pre-adolescent children. So is the author trying to suggest the child or parent have bad toilet behaviors? Or is that question so obvious and uncomfortable idea, that it can’t be anything but fluff—-just substitute any other explicative (or ‘pizza’).

Why is it dangerous? Because if you’re having the problem the author suggests, you might think this sassy writer is trying to give you some “secret to parenting”—be piss strong. “Weak” immediately suggests “strong”. That’s not ‘good’ advice, but a mind frag.

I also commented recently on HN that words matter, and in support of comments on HN which take writers to task for the words they choose.

This is the tip of the alt-crazy world disguised as alt-lazy or alt-cool. It’s insidious use of language. 24h cable News-Infotainment, Fox News. Etc. all with common sense, off the cuff comments on world events and manufactured outrage.

This isn’t advice. This is undermining and something else.

[BLKNSLVR]

Piss-weak is commonly understood vernacular where I'm from.

[xtiansimon]

Don’t be shy. Share.

Just yesterday, WNYC/NPR radio host Brian Lehrer had a program on “far right” talk radio.

One caller said they listen, because the discussions reflect their beliefs. Another caller said they listen to get an idea of the opinions of far right; they’re shocking.

There is a pattern of speech here, where you strengthen affinity with your inside group and you trigger the out group.

I suspect piss-weak is a vernacular that also has an in-group. Maybe it’s military? Or professional sports? Nursing? Farming? Trucking?

I’ve heard piss-poor, but that doesn’t add meaning to the word poor for me. Only emphasis that the person, place or thing is very poor.

Seems like this piss weak is also operates like a joke. If you question it too much, you don’t get the joke.

Is this funny to you? Do I make you laugh? Hehe

I’ll share first. I worked in marketing, design and art. We’re always trying to decode culture, but then think we’re outside of culture (unless always quoting it is a culture in itself—poetic?)

https://www.wnyc.org/story/divided-dial-medias-exploration-f...

[BLKNSLVR]

Australian. I've heard it since I was a kid. No offence intended to those who haven't heard it at all.

It's so familiar to me that there's no thinking twice about it's use in a blog title.

I'm also sure there are more cultural phrases and terminologies that I'm not familiar with than the number I am familiar with, but the usage of them on the internet wouldn't offend me or make me feel like I was on the outer.

Piss weak essentially means you didn't even try, you gave up before you'd even given yourself a chance to actually fail.

Commonly used in the sporting arena, but also applies to children's (or childish) efforts at various things that children often don't like to properly try at.

[xtiansimon]

Hmmm. I’ve never heard it. You Aussies take after British English, so I’m not surprised. I mistakenly jumped to the conclusion you were in the US. And this was a new dangerous replicator

This reminds me of a classic Mad TV sketch: Parody of Al Jazeera, Death to America

All writing is in some form writing for _some_ audience, or an “auditor”.

However you choose to speak with your friends, the use of profanity—is ‘piss’ profane? I’d say it’s a subset whose parent term is the male/female organ—is controversial in writing. Profanity is by definition offensive, and that excludes people.

I believe we all should consider our words more carefully, and also be able to call a ‘spade’ a spade when it’s a shovel.

https://youtu.be/TS4v_kj9rw4