Question 1

Who decides what's OK and what's not?

Accepted Answer

You do. Well, you and everyone else. This isn't a council of elders deciding the fate of the word "lame." It's crowdsourced. People vote, leave explanations, and the ratings reflect the collective sentiment. Think of it less like a rulebook and more like a weather report. We're not telling you it should rain. We just noticed a lot of people happen to be carrying umbrellas.

Question 2

Are you guys woke snowflakes or what?

Accepted Answer

Look, we get it. Another website telling you what you can and can't say. Except... that's not what this is. We're not here to language-police anyone. We're not going to cancel you. We don't have that power, and frankly, it sounds exhausting. This is just information. Some words carry baggage you might not know about. We think you'd probably like to know. What you do with that information is entirely your business. Say whatever you want. We're not your mom. If anything, we're pro-you-not-looking-like-an-idiot-at-work. That's the mission. Very woke. Much snowflake.

Question 3

I say what I want, when I want, at all times.

Accepted Answer

That's not really a question, but go off. Here's the thing: when you speak, your words have a certain meaning to you. But meaning is shaped by where you grew up, who raised you, what you've been exposed to. When your meaning aligns with the listener's, communication happens. Success. High fives all around. But sometimes a hidden meaning hitches a ride on your words: a sneaky little psychological payload. Maybe you know it's there. Maybe you don't. And when you don't, your intended meaning can get lost or twisted. Wouldn't you rather know? You might still choose to use the word, and that's fine. But at least you won't be blindsided when the person in front of you reacts like a bomb just went off in their head.

Question 4

What about context? A word can be fine in one situation and not another.

Accepted Answer

Yep. You're absolutely right, and this is the eternal asterisk on everything here. A word that's fine among friends might not fly in a work presentation. A term that's neutral in the UK might make Americans do a spit-take. Reclaimed language is a whole thing. We can't capture every context, and we're not going to try. What we can do is tell you: "Hey, this word has some stuff attached to it. Here's what people are saying." You're a grown-up. You can take it from there.

Question 5

Isn't language always changing anyway? What's the point?

Accepted Answer

That's... exactly the point? Language evolves. A word that was fine ten years ago might be cringe now. A slur sometimes gets reclaimed. New terms pop up, old ones fade out. That's not a reason to throw your hands up - it's the reason a resource like this is useful. We're tracking a moving target so you don't have to.

Question 6

Why isn't [word] in here?

Accepted Answer

Probably because nobody's submitted it yet. We're building this thing as we go, and we need your help. If you searched for something and came up empty, that's your cue. Submit it. Be the change. Future confused people will thank you.

Question 7

Who's behind this?

Accepted Answer

Just a person who got tired of learning the hard way that a word had baggage. This started as a personal project, and now you're here, so that's pretty cool. If you want to know more or get involved, check out the About page or hop into the Discord.

Question 8

How do I submit a new term?

Accepted Answer

Click "Submit a New Term," fill out the form, and try not to treat it like a diary entry. Give us the term, an example sentence, some tags if you're feeling helpful, and your vote. Alternatives are nice too—if you're saying a word is problematic, it's cool to suggest what someone could say instead. Then hit submit and bask in the warm glow of contributing to society.

Question 9

I have feedback / found a bug. Where do I send it?

Accepted Answer

We love feedback. We tolerate bug reports. (Kidding. Sort of.) Hit us up through the Contact page or swing by the Discord. If you found a way to break something, please tell us nicely. We're fragile snowflakes.

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