I made the big mistake of getting into an exchange of views about this on an
international and non disabiity mail list.
It cannot be doubted that spazz in transatlantic use derives from the same
root term.
Larry
> -----Original Message-----
> From: The Disability-Research Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Matthew P
> Barnett
> Sent: 10 February 2002 17:30
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Language (SpaZz wheelchairs)
>
>
> A concrete example of language and disability with an international
> perspective from a UK newsgroup.
>
> This is the URL to the product being discussed
>
> http://www.spinlife.com/critpath/spec.cfm?prodid=69827&ml=type%3D1
> %26pagenum
> %3D25%26sort%3Dp
>
> and this is the URL to the discussion from Google Groups
>
> http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&threadm=3c73200d.13985864%40
> news.cis.d
> fn.de&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26group%3Duk.people.disability
>
> Does the term 'spaz(z)', a derogatory term in the UK for someone with
> cerebral palsy, have the same connotation in the US? The verb to spaz in
> youth argot can also mean something like 'to go apoplectic, crazy, or mad
> with rage)' but can also refer to an effect that something has or
> does e.g.
> 'Wow, those lights and that music was well spaz(zy) at the club
> last night',
> or 'to let go with no inhibitions' e.g. 'He really spazzed out
> last night at
> the party and had a great time'.
>
> Seems that there are lots of interesting things going on here but I don't
> have to time to write them all in this email!
>
> Bests
>
> Matthew P Barnett
>
> Department of Social Anthropology
> University of Manchester
> UK
>
>
>
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