Crazy

This term is widely considered to be
This term is generally agreed to be offensive toward a person or group of people. We strongly recommend you do not use this term and instead use a term not usually thought to be offensive. While it is possible that some people will not be offended by this term, just as some people will be offended by other terms when no harm is intended, it is best to avoid. Remember that what is considered offensive can also change over time, by scenario, and by relationship. We provide this library of terms for informational purposes and we welcome feedback to help us get it right.

Meaning

A term often casually used to describe things or people that are wild and surprising. Many feel that this term is associated with negative ideas about people with mental health conditions and find it offensive.

According to Merriam-Webster, the word has historically been defined as:

full of cracks or flaws[...] not mentally sound: marked by thought or action that lacks reason[...] distracted with desire or excitement 

Background

According to Merriam-Webster, the term "crazy" was first used as an adjective in 1566. In 1842, Charles Dickens used the word to describe a plantation he visited in "American Notes", describing the scene: 

All I saw of them, was, that they were very crazy, wretched cabins, near to which groups of half-naked children basked in the sun, or wallowed on the dusty ground.

According to The/Thirty, the term "crazy" was not used in a positive way until the 1920s: 

when jazz culture reappropriated the word to mean "cool, exciting" in a slang context.

Today, many professionals and people with mental health conditions feel that the word “crazy” is very stigmatizing and demeaning to people with such conditions.

 

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