Tranny's retirement/replacement

[Conza]

While I won't post anything specific, most of us know that tranny has a more explicit connotation, than its use here as 'a shortening for transmission'.

Alternatives like 'gears' or 'trans' are one less letter in length, which is the point of a shortening, so I suggest using either of those instead, further improving any issue anyone might have with writting the full word 'transmission' or 'gearbox'.

Not suggesting forcing anyone, I just find the word to be as bad as other curse words, which aren't allowed, so, by pointing it out it's flaws we may replace it through new knowledge of stated flaws.

If no one cares, fine, but I personally hate reading it because of that connotation, so, want to see what we all think, either we should remove the word from the common GTP vernacular, and move along using transmission/gearbox/gear/trans/ect instead, or continue with it for some reason unknown to me (after trans and gears, cannot see any possible argument, but would still like to hear it if it exists, even if it's purely opinionated).

 

[daan]

We can't stop people using a term in a non-offensive manner. However, if someone says, "go away, you tranny" then that's abusive, but I don't see how we can stop people from saying, "I changed my tranny and now I can go faster."

And the following is a bit extreme, but as a further example, if tranny equals man in dress, what does drag racing indicate? Men in dresses, racing?

 

[Aquarelle]

"Trans" also refers to transsexual, so by your logic how is that better?

This topic is rather personal to me so I'll be blunt.
I don't know if words like this offend some people, but it doesn't offend me, it never has and never will. Nor does it offend my friends.

In an automotive situation anyone will know you're referring to a transmission, if you said to me LSD when we were discussing cars I wouldn't assume you were suggesting we take an illicit drug to pass the time.

Words in certain contexts can be offensive, sure. But as I see it anyone with common sense won't see it in the way you're describing.

 

[W3H5]

EDIT: Nevermind. Post retracted.

 

[analog]

I don't see why using the word tranny in the right context could in any way be offensive to transaxles.

 

[ZoidFile]

Actually I never made the connection between transmission "tranny" and transsexual "tranny", its all a matter of context and mindset I think. Its the same with "driving aids" wich sounds way more disturbing.

 

[Tired Tyres]

The Transcontinental railroad would like words with you.

Pretty much everything someone can say or type will be found offensive by someone.

That's why Banning/not using certain terms just doesn't work.

 

[GTP_CargoRatt]

To be blunt, its all in the persons mindset. If your mind is in the gutter, so to speak, then you are going to have a problem with certain words and no one can do anything about that except you. Get your mind out of the gutter and move on.

 

[thelvynau]

We can't stop people using a term in a non-offensive manner. However, if someone says, "go away, you tranny" then that's abusive, but I don't see how we can stop people from saying, "I changed my tranny and now I can go faster."

And the following is a bit extreme, but as a further example, if tranny equals man in dress, what does drag racing indicate? Men in dresses, racing?

I'm sorry Daan your post the way it came across made me giggle.

But in regards to the OP its only a problem if we see it that way in our mind.

Edit: We are adults and we know what tranny means in the automotive world why is this a problem?

 

[Morgoth_666]

Everyone basically said it already. It's an established, common word. I actually find it more aesthitically appealing than the awkward-sounding "trans." The only thing at all offensive about it is people either taking offense to its use in an inoffensive way(which says more about the offendee than the offender) and morons with a 12-year-old's sense of humor going out of their way to make unfunny double-meaning statements with it - and they'll do that with anything. And to be honest we would all do well to not get upset by language that in context clearly isn't intended to actually hurt or insult anyone, although I realize after facing repeated insults it can be easy for someone to get a bit touchy about things that remind them of it.

Sorry if anyone wishes to be offended by my opinions..

 

[byegad]

I now have a mental picture of a hairy man in a pink dress driving a dragster. I hope it goes away soon!

 

[JohnScoonsBeard]

What a silly question

For example if I said I habitually change the wheels on my car I would understand if people thought I was rimming all the time.

 

[Anathema]

As CargoRat said, it's all in the person's mindset - or how they view the world and the component parts. You have a mind that automatically jumps to the worst connotation of the word, then you're going to think it's offensive when it actually is not.

It's how you as the person views it that makes it offensive.

 

[Guardian]

Anyone who thinks of those words and thinks they mean something derogatory, or purposefully uses them as a derogatory word obviously isn't old enough to be allowed on GTPlanet. 👍

I mean, for fracks sake, it's a Forum based entirely around cars , not lifestyle choices.

 

[Azuremen]

In an automotive situation anyone will know you're referring to a transmission, if you said to me LSD when we were discussing cars I wouldn't assume you were suggesting we take an illicit drug to pass the time.

Well that is unfortunate, because LSD is a quite way to pass the time... driving RWD in snow, obviously.



As for the topic, I don't see much of an issue with and none of my transgender/transsexual friends seem to take offensive to the word used in the typical context. Hell, they don't take offensive to it used in the other context, unless it is clearly in an insulting manner.

 

[niky]

Tranny, used as transmission, is quite okay, though I always use transmission. I've never actually heard it used as an insult, to be honest, and as transvestites themselves use the word, it's not a problem.

It's not like the words "Japanese" or "fag", which carry very, very negative connotations, despite one being a similar shortening and the other being slang for cigar or cigarette.

When any of these words are used as an insult, however, we'll issue an infraction. And since this isn't a cigar afficionado website, we're pretty sure what meaning you'll be using when you use them.

 

[Barra333]

Since the question in the OP has been pretty comprehensively answered, I will just ask here...

Why are terms like Japanese and Paki so offensive, yet terms of seemingly similar origin such as Brit, Scot and Thai all OK?

 

[Northstar]

Thai is an actual ethnic class, it's nothing like the others you listed.

 

[Barra333]

OK, sorry, I was just trying to rattle a few off the top of my head. Question still stands though.

 

[niky]

"Japanese" has a history of being widely used as an ethnic slur in the United States.

The bombing of Pearl Harbor during the Second World War lit a fire of anti-Japanese sentiment and racism in the USA. In fact, the US Government rounded up Japanese-Americans (Japanese blood, American citizenship) en masse, confiscated all their worldly possessions and shoved them into concentration camps, whereas German-American and Italian-American citizens experienced no such discrimination. This fact tended to get glossed over in history class until the 90's, when the government finally admitted to wrongdoing and compensated the victims.

Those who were still alive, that is.

During the war, "Japanese" was used as a derogatory term for all Japanese. It even made its way into cartoons. While Germans and Italians got off because there were specific political parties that people could pin their hatred onto, the Japanese all got tarred with the same, extremely wide, brush.

After the war, upon release from the camps, Japanese-Americans still experienced massive discrimination. My mother used to walk to school listening to people scream "you bloody Japanese!" at her from the sidewalks. Not nice. Especially since she was a third generation immigrant and her (German) father served in the USAF during the war. But then, the truth never convinced a racist, right?

-

Thus, the term has a history of being offensive and being used in a very offensive manner. Much like the "n" word. No matter how much rappers and street thugs choose to use it, it's still offensive to a vast number of black people, so it's verboten, too.

 

[Conza]

I just skipped most of the responses since an incredibly high 90% want to use the word??! Anyway, numbers don't lie.

Still, my two alternatives are superior, just on word length alone, so, if you wanted an alternative, there they are, otherwise, happy 'tranny'ing, I suppose...

 

[Northstar]

Still, my two alternatives are superior

Not really, gears is too specific and it can make quite a few redundancies, i.e. "4th gear doesn't work on my gears" and Trans. just sounds lazy and can easily be confused with other things starting with "trans".

As most people have said, it depends on context, if you are having a discussion on cars I don't see anyone getting confused.

Also, why start a thread if you have no intention on reading responses just because they disagree with you?

 

[BobK]

I see no reason why I should suddenly stop using a word I've been using for decades simply because someone somewhere in the world chooses to deliberately misinterpret what's being said.

 

[Johnnypenso]

Actually I never made the connection between transmission "tranny" and transsexual "tranny", its all a matter of context and mindset I think. Its the same with "driving aids" wich sounds way more disturbing.

One of my favourite movies...well done...lol..👍👍

When I was a kid we used to use the word "gearbox" as a slang for homosexual and I have no idea why. I wonder if the word "tool" offends anyone, as in "hand me that tool please"...lol. I think it's hard to construct a sentence of more than a few words these days without someone taking offense to it, real or imagined, usually the latter IMHO.

I just skipped most of the responses since an incredibly high 90% want to use the word??! Anyway, numbers don't lie.

Still, my two alternatives are superior, just on word length alone, so, if you wanted an alternative, there they are, otherwise, happy 'tranny'ing, I suppose...

Now there's a fella with an open mind...lol. I'm thinking you might want to make a similar thread asking the members to discontinue using the term "Drag" racing, lest any drag queens take offense...lol.

 

[Baron Blitz Red]

I'm sorry but when talking cars and tranny, it's one way of thinking and pretty much unmistakable... it's like saying the Mercury Cougar is an insult to horny 30+ year old women... I just don't see the connection.

Have a good one

 

[Johnnypenso]

I'm sorry but when talking cars and tranny, it's one way of thinking and pretty much unmistakable... it's like saying the Mercury Cougar is an insult to horny 30+ year old women... I just don't see the connection.

Have a good one

Or an insult to the real animal, or an insult to the planet Mercury, or maybe Freddy Mercury...speaking of trannies...