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Numbers whore. Terrain whore. The word 'whore' is used in this forum fairly frequently...almost always incorrectly. It is used for shock value, not because it is the appropriate word for what the user wishes to convey.

 

Merriam-Webster at http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whore defines 'whore' as follows:

 

Main Entry: 1whore

Pronunciation: \ˈhȯr, ˈhu̇r\

Function: noun

Etymology: Middle English hore, from Old English hōre; akin to Old Norse hōra whore, hōrr adulterer, Latin carus dear — more at charity

Date: before 12th century

 

1 : a woman who engages in sexual acts for money : prostitute; also : a promiscuous or immoral woman

2 : a male who engages in sexual acts for money

3 : a venal or unscrupulous person

 

None of the uses of that word fall within the guidelines of acceptable use for this forum.

 

The word simply has no place in our game nor in this forum.

 

I hereby make two requests:

 

1) Will the Moderators put their heads together and decide if calling people whores is acceptable in this forum?

 

2) Will posters here think before calling people whores and see if maybe there might be a more appropriate and acceptable word which does not reflect so poorly on the user?

 

If the word is found to be appropriate and acceptable here, then when anyone calls me a whore I demand to be paid!

 

Thank you.

Edited by TheAlabamaRambler
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Used it for years, like in Darts playing Cricket someone will rack up points instead of completing the remaining numbers - Point Whore.

 

Most word definitions did not start in a dictionary.

 

Maybe most word definitions didn't start in a dictionary, but don't you think there are a lot of word used inappropriately? ;-) I get the OP's point and I sure wouldn't want to be referred to as a whore of any kind.

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Used it for years, like in Darts playing Cricket someone will rack up points instead of completing the remaining numbers - Point Whore.

 

Most word definitions did not start in a dictionary.

 

Maybe most word definitions didn't start in a dictionary, but don't you think there are a lot of word used inappropriately? ;-) I get the OP's point and I sure wouldn't want to be referred to as a whore of any kind.

 

I believe based on the etymologically whore would be the same context as "lover". (derogatory of course)

Edited by BlueDeuce
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Different words have different impact around the world and sometimes within different regions/states within a country. I am not a prude and do not find any "words" offensive in the context of it as just a word. However in Australia, if you call someone a whore (and they are not one), be prepared for a fight.

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Perhaps you can just come out and tell us what has brought you to this point. The whole thing is not new yet suddenly it is a problem? Would you feel better if we used the words "numbers prostitute"? Perhaps you have a better, more gentle, term we can use. The implication is the same no matter the words used. One who would lay down their reputation or participate in actions thought to be unacceptable to increase the tally of finds recorded on their profile at GC.com.

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Used it for years, like in Darts playing Cricket someone will rack up points instead of completing the remaining numbers - Point Whore.

 

Most word definitions did not start in a dictionary.

 

Maybe most word definitions didn't start in a dictionary, but don't you think there are a lot of word used inappropriately? ;-) I get the OP's point and I sure wouldn't want to be referred to as a whore of any kind.

 

I believe based on the etymologically whore would be the same context as "lover". (derogatory of course)

 

It appears then that you agree that it is a derogatory word. Even though I do agree with the OP's point, I think it would be quite difficult to change anyone's usage of the word.

Edited by cycler48
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Perhaps you can just come out and tell us what has brought you to this point. The whole thing is not new yet suddenly it is a problem? Would you feel better if we used the words "numbers prostitute"? Perhaps you have a better, more gentle, term we can use. The implication is the same no matter the words used. One who would lay down their reputation or participate in actions thought to be unacceptable to increase the tally of finds recorded on their profile at GC.com.

Nothing in particular spurred my request. I think that it was used in a number of fairly heated threads this last week, more than I remember seeing it used, and it just struck me how ugly and inappropriate it is for folks to be calling each other whores. So I asked folks not to, that is all.

 

It's just one geocacher's request to the others. Do with it what you will. :D

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It appears then that you agree that it is a derogatory word. Even though I do agree with the OP's point, I think it would be quite difficult to change anyone's usage of the word.

 

Derogatory sure, but that doesn't make it outside of the forum guidelines. Cache maggot has been around for quite a while.

 

You can tell me I’m using the word incorrectly but considering I and others I know have been using the word in that context for years means I’m not likely to change now.

 

So if the Mods feel I’m using in the word incorrectly and think I am (innocently) inferring to a definition that is not within guidelines they can certainly tell me to stop.

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English is a living, dynamic language. Words eventually mean whatever we say they mean. New words are added to dictionaries every year. As a previous poster said, words don't start out in dictionaries, they are added because people use them to describe something. While I sympathize with your sentiment, I can't agree with your premise. There are some words that are in general usage that make me cringe, and that I would never use (anything "aholic" like "workaholic" or "cache-aholic" or the word "suicide" used as a verb), but I would not bother to try to impose my own standards on anyone else. When people use the term "numbers whore" the meaning is clear, and that, after all, is the main point of language.

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Perhaps you can just come out and tell us what has brought you to this point. The whole thing is not new yet suddenly it is a problem? Would you feel better if we used the words "numbers prostitute"? Perhaps you have a better, more gentle, term we can use. The implication is the same no matter the words used. One who would lay down their reputation or participate in actions thought to be unacceptable to increase the tally of finds recorded on their profile at GC.com.

Nothing in particular spurred my request. I think that it was used in a number of fairly heated threads this last week, more than I remember seeing it used, and it just struck me how ugly and inappropriate it is for folks to be calling each other whores. So I asked folks not to, that is all.

 

It's just one geocacher's request to the others. Do with it what you will. :D

 

Fair enough.

 

Do you happen to have another phrase that you feel would convey the intent without the use of the word you find distasteful? While you think about that remember, "A rose, by any other name".

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It appears then that you agree that it is a derogatory word. Even though I do agree with the OP's point, I think it would be quite difficult to change anyone's usage of the word.

 

Derogatory sure, but that doesn't make it outside of the forum guidelines. Cache maggot has been around for quite a while.

 

You can tell me I’m using the word incorrectly but considering I and others I know have been using the word in that context for years means I’m not likely to change now.

 

So if the Mods feel I’m using in the word incorrectly and think I am (innocently) inferring to a definition that is not within guidelines they can certainly tell me to stop.

 

lol I'm not suggesting that it might be outside the forum guidelines or that you stop using it in the way you want to. Personally, I don't use the word that way just like I don't use the word bad when when something's actually very good/cool/rad. Each to their own. Just ... please don't call me a xxx whore. I'd have to get nasty. lol

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Perhaps you can just come out and tell us what has brought you to this point. The whole thing is not new yet suddenly it is a problem? Would you feel better if we used the words "numbers prostitute"? Perhaps you have a better, more gentle, term we can use. The implication is the same no matter the words used. One who would lay down their reputation or participate in actions thought to be unacceptable to increase the tally of finds recorded on their profile at GC.com.

Nothing in particular spurred my request. I think that it was used in a number of fairly heated threads this last week, more than I remember seeing it used, and it just struck me how ugly and inappropriate it is for folks to be calling each other whores. So I asked folks not to, that is all.

 

It's just one geocacher's request to the others. Do with it what you will. :D

 

Fair enough.

 

Do you happen to have another phrase that you feel would convey the intent without the use of the word you find distasteful? While you think about that remember, "A rose, by any other name".

 

Maybe numbers addict?

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English is a living, dynamic language. Words eventually mean whatever we say they mean. New words are added to dictionaries every year. As a previous poster said, words don't start out in dictionaries, they are added because people use them to describe something. While I sympathize with your sentiment, I can't agree with your premise. There are some words that are in general usage that make me cringe, and that I would never use (anything "aholic" like "workaholic" or "cache-aholic" or the word "suicide" used as a verb), but I would not bother to try to impose my own standards on anyone else. When people use the term "numbers whore" the meaning is clear, and that, after all, is the main point of language.

 

Mr Gerlock would have failed you so fast your head would spin. I know, he darn near failed me for suggesting that very thing.

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To me it is a perfect metaphor.

 

A prostitute whore lowers her/his morals to gain something they value, usually money but sometimes drugs.

 

A numbers whore lowers her/his cache find standards to gain something they value, usually another smiley face but sometimes the misplaced admiration of their fellow cachers.

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Perhaps you can just come out and tell us what has brought you to this point. The whole thing is not new yet suddenly it is a problem? Would you feel better if we used the words "numbers prostitute"? Perhaps you have a better, more gentle, term we can use. The implication is the same no matter the words used. One who would lay down their reputation or participate in actions thought to be unacceptable to increase the tally of finds recorded on their profile at GC.com.

Nothing in particular spurred my request. I think that it was used in a number of fairly heated threads this last week, more than I remember seeing it used, and it just struck me how ugly and inappropriate it is for folks to be calling each other whores. So I asked folks not to, that is all.

 

It's just one geocacher's request to the others. Do with it what you will. :laughing:

 

Fair enough.

 

Do you happen to have another phrase that you feel would convey the intent without the use of the word you find distasteful? While you think about that remember, "A rose, by any other name".

 

Maybe numbers addict?

Numbers Hunters? Numbers Chasers? There are many options besides 'whore'.

 

I guess one of the things that jars me about 'numbers whore' is that I don't think they exist! I know some cachers who prefer micros, I know some who on occasion like to get a lot of finds in a day, I don't know anyone who would qualify as a 'numbers whore'. So it is both the word and the fact that it is a generalization used inappropriately and incorrectly to belittle someone who caches in a different fashion than the poster approves of.

 

Again, it's just me, a cacher with a request and zero power to enforce it, though I would like to see the mods do so as I believe such name-calling violates the forum guidelines. I seriously doubt that I will see a post from a Moderator stating "Sure, it's okay to call cachers whores in the forum" :D

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Perhaps you can just come out and tell us what has brought you to this point. The whole thing is not new yet suddenly it is a problem? Would you feel better if we used the words "numbers prostitute"? Perhaps you have a better, more gentle, term we can use. The implication is the same no matter the words used. One who would lay down their reputation or participate in actions thought to be unacceptable to increase the tally of finds recorded on their profile at GC.com.

Nothing in particular spurred my request. I think that it was used in a number of fairly heated threads this last week, more than I remember seeing it used, and it just struck me how ugly and inappropriate it is for folks to be calling each other whores. So I asked folks not to, that is all.

 

It's just one geocacher's request to the others. Do with it what you will. :laughing:

 

Fair enough.

 

Do you happen to have another phrase that you feel would convey the intent without the use of the word you find distasteful? While you think about that remember, "A rose, by any other name".

 

Maybe numbers addict?

Numbers Hunters? Numbers Chasers? There are many options besides 'whore'.

 

I guess one of the things that jars me about 'numbers whore' is that I don't think they exist! I know some cachers who prefer micros, I know some who on occasion like to get a lot of finds in a day, I don't know anyone who would qualify as a 'numbers whore'. So it is both the word and the fact that it is a generalization used inappropriately and incorrectly to belittle someone who caches in a different fashion than the poster approves of.

 

Again, it's just me, a cacher with a request and zero power to enforce it, though I would like to see the mods do so as I believe such name-calling violates the forum guidelines. I seriously doubt that I will see a post from a Moderator stating "Sure, it's okay to call cachers whores in the forum" :D

 

I don't believe it's just you since I feel the same. Referring to someone as a numbers whore, etc. in the forums is potential flame bait depending on how thin skinned someone may be. Don't get me wrong, I love flame wars to a point but I don't see them as being productive. ;-)

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Perhaps you can just come out and tell us what has brought you to this point. The whole thing is not new yet suddenly it is a problem? Would you feel better if we used the words "numbers prostitute"? Perhaps you have a better, more gentle, term we can use. The implication is the same no matter the words used. One who would lay down their reputation or participate in actions thought to be unacceptable to increase the tally of finds recorded on their profile at GC.com.

Nothing in particular spurred my request. I think that it was used in a number of fairly heated threads this last week, more than I remember seeing it used, and it just struck me how ugly and inappropriate it is for folks to be calling each other whores. So I asked folks not to, that is all.

 

It's just one geocacher's request to the others. Do with it what you will. :D

 

Fair enough.

 

Do you happen to have another phrase that you feel would convey the intent without the use of the word you find distasteful? While you think about that remember, "A rose, by any other name".

 

Maybe numbers addict?

 

Perhaps close, but not the same thing.

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I like getting FTF. A lot.

 

I'll sometimes get up in the middle of the night and race out into the cold or rain to try to get one.

 

<-------- That's why I've been accused of being this. In fact, I've taken to calling myself that.

Edited by Okiebryan
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Those who r after numbers perhaps...

 

Really though this topic could be found anywhere in life,its no surprise to me to see a variety of ways

people express themslves in a public forum.Personally I wouldnt use the term.My code of self conduct

is simple..Everything you say,do and think is statement of who you are.But thats just me...the language

in question depends alot on context as well.

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i think it's entirely acceptable.

 

as in "i have prostituted myself for numbers today".

Unless someone paid you for the use of your body or to lay down your principles to acquire numbers then no, you haven't prostituted yourself... and the word I hope to reduce was 'whore', not prostitute, which is infrequently used here if at all.

 

no, if i go out to find a hundred caches the kind of which i normally disdain just so i can find a lot of caches, it's no better than prostitution and it deserves to be called what it is.

 

i have, in essence, sold myself.

 

since whore is a nice pithy synonym that does not necessarily connote sexual services but rather is used even in the OT to denote chasing after false idols, it works very nicely in this case.

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I agree that words can have colloquial meanings not found in the dictionary.

 

Take, for instance, the term "grammar nazi".

Really? A man quite civilly asks you not to call people whores and you think "grammar nazi"? :D

Is he calling you one? I thought he's just pointing out an example similar to "numbers whore".

 

Anyway, I think perhaps you should look up the Urban Dictionary in addition to Merriam Webster.

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To me it is a perfect metaphor.

 

A prostitute whore lowers her/his morals to gain something they value, usually money but sometimes drugs.

 

A numbers whore lowers her/his cache find standards to gain something they value, usually another smiley face but sometimes the misplaced admiration of their fellow cachers.

 

I take issue with the text in red. Where is the official declaration that one kind of cache is superior to another? There isn't one. This is a matter of taste and as such is completely subjective. My kids love skirtlifters much more than they like hikes through spider-filled woods!

 

There are no "cache find standards" no matter how much skirtlifters and micros are denigrated. It's all a matter of opinion, to which everyone is welcome to their own. Calling someone names because their tastes and opinions differ from yours is something schoolyard bullies do.

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To me it is a perfect metaphor.

 

A prostitute whore lowers her/his morals to gain something they value, usually money but sometimes drugs.

 

A numbers whore lowers her/his cache find standards to gain something they value, usually another smiley face but sometimes the misplaced admiration of their fellow cachers.

 

I take issue with the text in red. Where is the official declaration that one kind of cache is superior to another? There isn't one. This is a matter of taste and as such is completely subjective. My kids love skirtlifters much more than they like hikes through spider-filled woods!

 

There are no "cache find standards" no matter how much skirtlifters and micros are denigrated. It's all a matter of opinion, to which everyone is welcome to their own. Calling someone names because their tastes and opinions differ from yours is something schoolyard bullies do.

 

This poster states well the thoughts that were developing in my own mind as I read through this thread.

 

Some cachers love the quantity of finds they can make, while others side with quality. There's room for both, and the vast majority who play in between the extremes, without the name calling.

I find the term "whore" mildly repugnant - I don't get all hot and bothered when I read it, but I wouldn't use it.

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Numbers whore. Terrain whore. The word 'whore' is used in this forum fairly frequently...

It's ad hominem, and in addition to being a fallacious way to argue, it is inappropriate.

 

I confess to having occasionally using loaded terms to describe those who prize numbers above all, but I try to avoid anything that insulting.

 

I think such terms have no place here in the forums.

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Maybe numbers addict?

 

This to me seems more appropriate.

An analogy would be the addicted cigarette smoker. If a smoker runs out of cigarettes they will head out for more, rain, hail, sleet or dark of night. Just have to have another cigarette. Would you call them a cigarette whore?

To me a whore has only ever meant someone who sells there body for money. If "whore" is commonly used in place of "addict" in the US, I guess I will have to get used to it as it will be common usage in Australia before to long.

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Not only do words change meaning over time, they also soften or harden. I'm thinking of words like "snafu", or "sucker"/"that sucks", whose etymological origins you don't want to go in a public forum.

 

I see "numbers ho" more than "numbers whore". Do "ho" and "whore" really mean the same thing?"

 

Anyway, "whore" is in Shakespeare. A lot. To the extent that they appear in the name of this fan site. If it's in Shakespeare, it's family-friendly, surely? :unsure:

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Used it for years, like in Darts playing Cricket someone will rack up points instead of completing the remaining numbers - Point Whore.

 

Most word definitions did not start in a dictionary.

 

It's not just used in that context as a regional term either. I've played darts competively on the west coast, east coast, and at a national tournament in St. Lous and heard it used in all three places.

 

Is "numbers whore" any less appropriate than "radius slave"?

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I like getting FTF. A lot.

 

I'll sometimes get up in the middle of the night and race out into the cold or rain to try to get one.

 

<-------- That's why I've been accused of being this. In fact, I've taken to calling myself that.

 

I like doing puzzle caches. I won't be offended if someone refers to me as a "puzzle slut".

 

I didn't really care for "numbers addict" in lieu of "numbers whore". To me, "addict" can have very negative connotations as well. It implies a lack of wil power, self control, etc.

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To me it is a perfect metaphor.

 

A prostitute whore lowers her/his morals to gain something they value, usually money but sometimes drugs.

 

A numbers whore lowers her/his cache find standards to gain something they value, usually another smiley face but sometimes the misplaced admiration of their fellow cachers.

 

I take issue with the text in red. Where is the official declaration that one kind of cache is superior to another? There isn't one. This is a matter of taste and as such is completely subjective. My kids love skirtlifters much more than they like hikes through spider-filled woods!

 

There are no "cache find standards" no matter how much skirtlifters and micros are denigrated. It's all a matter of opinion, to which everyone is welcome to their own. Calling someone names because their tastes and opinions differ from yours is something schoolyard bullies do.

 

I didn't take that as a mark against any particular cache type but more as comment on the finders personal standards. What caches found is not the whole story. What is or isn't a find is also a part of it.

 

But that is my take on it. In the context that many seem to use it isn't always necessarily a bad thing, or rather it doesn't hold the same level of negative impact as in the origin of the word. In other words "He is a numbers ho." doesn't have the same meaning as "She is a whore."

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OK, I do find the term "whore" mildly repulsive, depending on the context. I've used the term "icon whore" a few times to describe myself when someone has asked why I always want to at least "discover" the geocoins in a cache. Oddly enough, the first time I heard that term, it was a woman using it to describe herself........ :unsure:

 

Now if someone called me a "micro whore" yep, them's fighting words!

 

I do agree with the OP that we should at least consider removing the term from the forums, this is supposed to be a family friendly place, and I'm sure that there are many adults out there who really don't want their kids exposed to the word, no matter it's usage.

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English is a living, dynamic language. Words eventually mean whatever we say they mean. New words are added to dictionaries every year. As a previous poster said, words don't start out in dictionaries, they are added because people use them to describe something. While I sympathize with your sentiment, I can't agree with your premise. There are some words that are in general usage that make me cringe, and that I would never use (anything "aholic" like "workaholic" or "cache-aholic" or the word "suicide" used as a verb), but I would not bother to try to impose my own standards on anyone else. When people use the term "numbers whore" the meaning is clear, and that, after all, is the main point of language.

Oh dear! I find myself agreeing with most of your points. However, I suspect we'll have to agree to disagree WRT "-aholic" :unsure:

 

Seriously, English certainly is a dynamic language and we often "misuse" words without realising it. For example, "dynamic" means "energetic" or "active", yet the marketeers have morphed it to the context in which you used it and in which most would understand your meaning. Both American and English (which are distinct but related languages IMO) have evolved from the common root in 17th Century England. Consider how someone from the Shakespearian era would regard our dialect; or how we would his.

 

FWIW, "whore" has been in colloquial use on the left side of the pond for well over a decade to mean "one who is obsessed by" the other part of the noun phrase. For example, a "label whore" is someone who will only wear clothes with "designer" labels and an "attention whore" is an obsessive attention-seeker. In that context, "numbers whore" seems correctly applied and appropriate IMO.

 

Geoff

 

(who's yet to get over marketeers' habit of using nouns as verbs - e.g. products that threaten to fragrance my house :unsure: )

Edited by Pajaholic
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To me it is a perfect metaphor.

 

A prostitute whore lowers her/his morals to gain something they value, usually money but sometimes drugs.

 

You are wrong sir. Please excuse my ignorance but I'm going on the assumption that you do know any prostitutes. I do. I was at one time married to an ex prostitute, I currently consider a madame a very good friend of mine, I have driven escorts to their destinations, and I've collected the fees to return them to their employer. I've been invited to their Thanksgiving dinners, and bounced their perfect babies (whose father's know of their wife/girlfriend's job) on my knee.

 

Note a single one of the women who work in this industry that I've met think they have lowered their morals. They perform a service and get paid for it. Think of them as consultants. Both parties in the transaction are consenting.

 

What might be bothering you is that they are performing a service which offends your moral standards, but you were not party to the financial transaction.

 

(And yes, prostitution is not all as pretty as I put it out above, but the better word for that is sexual slavery. Yes, it exists, see http://www.freetheslaves.net/Page.aspx?pid=183 and much of today's slavery trade is sexual slavery. That, of course, is despicable.)

 

But please don't go around assume that prostitutes are doing things against their morals. They are doing things against your morals, and that's your problem, not theirs.

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i think it's entirely acceptable.

 

as in "i have prostituted myself for numbers today".

 

Like a lot of terms, it's probably better to call yourself that rather than label others.

 

i believe that wherever i have used these terms, i am speaking of myself, or at least a group of people in which i include myself.

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I'm with the OP. Both it and s*** are terms still widely used in a vulgar derogatory way towards women and

I would be extremely disappointed to ever hear either term come out of one of my son's mouths. It would be awful if anyone's child first saw or spoke either word after reading it here.

 

Yes both terms now also have alternate meanings used by men and women alike but they have not lost their original ones. Until they do (if they do) they are definitely not family friendly.

 

There are a lot of fun slang terms out there but (I would hope) we all moderate when and where we use them.

 

Family friendly alternative? "He'd do just about anything to get a FTF". Boring maybe but sometimes you have to make sacrifices in what you say or do when there are children watching.

 

All this said I wonder how old some of the youngest forum readers/writers are.

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BassettHoundBandit2Years.JPG

 

It's that your neighbour's dog?

 

He's very nice but I'm not sure how he fitted into this thread. :unsure:

 

Anyway...

 

I don't like the use of "whore" in relation to geocaching. It's not a word I'd use in referring to Number Chasers but I get the feeling it's more commonly used in a jokey manner on the west side of The Pond, rather than in a derogatory way. I don't hear it used often amongst geocaching friends over on this side, anyway.

 

MrsB

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I'm late to this party, but I'd like to call attention to this in the original post:

 

3 : a venal or unscrupulous person

 

I think this is the usage of "whore" that is implied in compounds like "numbers whore."

 

"Venal," according to Merriam-Webster, means "capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration." So a numbers-whore is a person who can be bought in exchange for a smiley. Someone who will visit any cache, no matter how mindless, just to inflate his numbers.

 

Sounds like a good fit to me.

 

EDIT: corrected typo "variable" to "valuable"

Edited by GeoGeeBee
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