Terms that make no sense

[RitalinKid]

I was thinking about the term student athlete this weekend. Here in the US, anytime that a college sporting event comes on television, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) loves to point out in commercials that collegiate athletes are students first and athletes second. They insist that the order of the words, student first, athlete second, is proof of this. I don't think they're serious.

Following the same reasoning, people who consider themselves ethnic Americans, such as African Americans, Irish Americans, or Chinese Americans, are African, Irish or Chinese first, regardless of whether or not they've set foot on another continent, and Americans second. I doubt those people feel that way. Very basically what I'm trying to say is this: in English, the descriptor comes first, then the noun. These athletes also happen to be students, just as some Americans happen to have Irish roots. Once again, the man is trying to blind us with his propaganda.

Do you have any terms that don't really make sense? I know there are plenty out there. It seems likely that there would be a thread out there like this already. If there is, post the link to it please.

 

[jenn]

we got a flyer in the mail from a local funeral home advertising their funeral pkgs. and one of the things written on it was "death benefits".

 

[demetrio]

While I agree that the NCAA commercials claiming because student comes first in the phrase, that it is somehow a priority or inherent order, I disagree about the ethnicity analogy - as it is remarkably similar. Despite the fact that people are born in America, ask them what they think they are and-if they have a distinguishable ethnicity- they will say Irish, Italian, etc, etc. Have you ever heard someone say, I'm an American...oh and my family is from Ireland. Granted, when travelling out of country people will identify themselves as American, but in the US it is assumed.

Push this into the student athlete realm and what you have is the same thing. Everyone knows that a basketball player is an athlete, just like everyone knows that a US born person is an American. So what distinguishes them, these are STUDENT athletes, and AFRICAN Americans. Granted, you are right that the noun being modifed is athlete/American, but the emphasis is on the modifier. That is why the NCAA does this...these arent just football players or volleyball players...just athletes. These are student athletes.

If people did have the emphasis on the noun being modified, there would be a lot less racial tension. Fact is...people don't really think of themselves as "American" first.

 

[callatiger]

I may be the non-typical American but I actually do think of myself as just American..or American first. I know a few people who agree with that line of thinking. There maybe more, but this isn't something I really bring up in normal conversations. I actually long time ago stop trying to figure out what 'ethic' group I should mark or write (you know on paperwork there's that question that usually ask what ethnic group are you) and just write in American. Oddly enough they don't have a check box for that one--hmmm.... Go figure.

But I will give that a lot of Americans love to identify themselves with other countries, cultures or ethnic groups first and foremost.
I completely agree that if people could drop that line of thinking it would be one step closer to tolerance perhaps.

But anyhoo...
Death Benefits...that's just lovely. I wonder if people really think about things before they write them.
I had one...but after typing all that it has escaped my mind.

 

[Ronny]

I have always wondered what's wrong with "a red headed stepchild" ? I have heard this term here and there all my life and always wanted to know were it came from.

I am a stepchild & have red hair BTW.