Re: META: barfsome terminology

Lee Daniel Crocker (lcrocker@mercury.colossus.net)
Tue, 5 Oct 1999 10:11:36 -0700 (PDT)

> I'd like to suggest that people stop using the term `meat'
> about human beings.
> [Now den Otter can take the podium and denounce
> `political correctness'...]

I'll put in a comment for etymological correctness: "meat" originally referred simply to food of any kind, so bread was "meat" too. The usage does have an earthy punch to it, but the connotation of edibility is unfortunate. "Wetware" works pretty well when referring specifically to the brain. "Flesh" has connotations of weakness that work well in some contexts. "Bio-" or "Protein" bodies may suffice elsewhere.

For those who haven't already seen this wonderful short story: <http://www.sff.net/people/tbisson/meat.html>.

--
Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lcrocker.html>
"All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past,
are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified
for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC