[danpalmer]

Language is what we make of it, it's not a fixed concept. If people take offense to it then it's offensive.

[netsharc]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzdpxKqEUAw

As Stephen Fry said: "So fucking what?".

A thumbs-up gesture is offensive in the Middle East, should it be banned world-wide?

Funnily enough the original example upthread was the use of the word "retard" which is harmless in French, which ended up getting the user in trouble.