University language guide says ‘grandfather,’ ‘housekeeping,’ ‘spirit animal’ are ‘problematic’ words

A University of Washington language guide is calling everyday words used by Americans “problematic.”

The University of Washington Information Technology department released an “inclusive language guide” that lists a number of “problematic words” that are “racist,” “sexist,” “ageist,” or “homophobic.”

According to the guide, words such as “grandfather,” “housekeeping,” “minority,” “ninja,” and “lame” are considered “problematic words.”

For example, the language guide states that the word “lame” is considered problematic because it’s “ableist.”

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“This word is offensive, even when it’s used in slang for uncool because it’s using a disability in a negative way to imply that the opposite, which would be not lame, to be superior,” the guide states.

The guide also states that the term “minority” implies a ‘less than’ attitude toward a certain community.

“When ‘minority’ is used to refer to other races or abilities, used as a generalized term for ‘the other’ and implies a ‘less than’ attitude toward the community or communities being discussed,” the guide states.

The guide considers “grandfather” a “problematic word” because the term was “used as a way to exempt some people from a change because of conditions that existed before the change.”

“‘Grandfather clause’ originated in the American South in the 1890s as a way to defy the 15th Amendment and prevent black Americans from voting,” the guide explains.

“Housekeeping,” is another “problematic” word that the guide recommends should be avoided by others working in the information technology industry because it can “feel gendered.”

Phrases with “man” such as “manpower,” “man hours,” or “man-in-the-middle” is considered “not…