• JustARegularNerd@aussie.zone
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      5 months ago

      I never actually understood why retarded was used by mechanics when a car wasn’t running right “The timing on this is a bit retarded” but now I know. Thank you

      • HackerJoe@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        5 months ago

        surprisingly the opposite is advanced timing, protarded isn’t a word.
        There is retrograde <> prograde but only Kerbal players know what it means ;)

        • nefonous@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          ·
          5 months ago

          Not really surprising. That last part “tard” comes from the Latin tardus which basically means slow or late. The “re” particle originally just had a meaning of repetition, in this case. So being late (not for the first time? ) So changing the first part of the word wouldn’t change the meaning of it so easily. Maybe technically something like “intard” could make sense in that way (similarly as what you find in words like indomitable, impossible, ineffective etc), but it doesn’t really exist. Or if we want to make it more meme-like, tarden’t?

          Protarded actually exists as a slang with completely different meaning, but that’s out of scope

          Overall useless information for most, but anyway

      • barsoap@lemm.ee
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        There’s also a thing called a retarder built into lorries and other heavy vehicles so they don’t melt their brake pads, think engine breaking as the basic version, add special engineering sauce and you get something that is good at slowing stuff down without burning up, but not good at all at arresting it in place. The term is also used with railroads but those are actual breaks. Similar to the ones you see on roller-coasters.

      • kiagam@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        0
        ·
        5 months ago

        you know this is the internet and you are allowed to type whatever you want, right? let me show you: “retarded”

          • Aermis@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            0
            ·
            5 months ago

            Is saying the word retarded without calling some it disrespectful? Is it now a trigger word? I’m genuinely wondering. Because when we were growing up we used the word EVERYWHERE. It was as common as saying “fricken”

            • lost_faith@lemmy.ca
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              0
              ·
              5 months ago

              We used LOTS of words then that are now not ok to use. Growing as individuals and groups is a good thing, being attentive to others is a good thing, understanding that you see no offence to a word where others do and changing that behaviour betters everyone.

                • Cethin@lemmy.zip
                  link
                  fedilink
                  English
                  arrow-up
                  1
                  ·
                  5 months ago

                  Dude, I don’t think you understand what fascism is about. Telling someone something is wrong isn’t fascism or saying murder is wrong would be fascism.

            • Cethin@lemmy.zip
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              0
              ·
              edit-2
              5 months ago

              People used to use the n-word all the time, so it must be perfectly OK to say!

              This is the exact same argument. It doesn’t work, right? Why would it here? Sure, there may (I doubt it, but I’ll leave the possibility open) be other reasons why it’s OK to say, but throw that argument out.