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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 3629087" data-attributes="member: 2067"><p>It's also possible that the terms come to mean different things for different speakers, and the loss of value is not in the usage per se, but in different interpretations of the word in different cultural milieu. If I say "fag," as an American, I'll be meaning something quite a bit apart from if I say it as a Brit, after all. And if I'm a Brit speaking to an American, I'll have two choices once I realize the terms have different (both legitimate) meanings: continue to use the term, be often misunderstood, and insist that I have every right to use the term, that it is accurate, and that others should make the effort to understand me. OR, speak in such a way that my language will be understood -- often by using a different term. Perhaps I will loose some of the zingy punch of calling my smokestick a fag, but I will gain an understanding of the content of my message. And if that's not my goal, maybe I'm only talking to hear my own voice after all, and not to actually convey some meaning to those who listen.</p></blockquote><p></p>