.
I've been caught unknowingly using the wrong word sometimes.
I discover it when someone corrects me.
It seems to be most important with words that develop pejorative associations when bigots frequently use them for abuse.
An example - retarded became disabled, intellectually challenged, special, and so forth. The new correct word soon develops a nasty twang and has to be replaced with something neutral or positive.
Other than that, I listen to the media which seems to pick up most new terms quickly.
Some changes I resist a long time. An example was when a "parking place" became a "park." Because a park is a beautiful place to walk in nature or gardens, I did not want it to also be a few square yards of asphalt or concrete in which I could leave a car.
Exactly. Years ago someone who was brilliant in one thing and one thing only and way below average elsewise was referred to as an "idiot savant". I used that once and got smacked upside the head for it. Now I am told that the use of the word "insane" is also being unkind. Gay used to mean happy, lighthearted. No longer. I learned that 'thug" seems to refer to people of color in a negative way. It didn't used to but I guess it does now. I cannot keep up with what's hot and what's not. What's okey dokey and what's no no noey. I give up. Thank you for your reply ! Oh I once innocently used an expression and folks poked fun at me because apparently it had something to do with sexual content. So beware. Take care. The word you use today may be suspect tomorrow. Maybe we should all just clam up and 
stifle it? :(
i cant keep up with it either
It does seem to get more confusing the older we get.
Young people use "sick" now to indicate that something is absolutely supercalifragilsticexpealidocious!
Or just plain good.
It can be great fun to explore the changes in language. I have a little book, "Word Watching" by the amateur philologist, Julian Burnside. Among many amusing wonders, he has a whole chapter on the word "nice," which began its career meaning stupid, from the Latin "nescius," meaning ignorant. It has always born several meanings simultaneously and has changed meanings more than 16 times in the history of English language. How confusing would that be for an alien time traveller?
You too! Oh, my!
If even the young and spritely can't keep up, we really must be in deep sh..!
It just happens to be one of the things I am good at. I really pay attention to words. I have a big vocabulary and it is because words interest me. So when I hear a new one, I notice. It sticks. This has served me well because I have had to learn a ton of words. Right now I am learning about at least 2,000 anatomical words that are so complex, it makes me cry sometimes. The only thing that keeps me going is I really want to know about what they mean so that makes it much less of an effort than if I were to have to learn math. I suck at math. But words come easy to me.
And if you ever need assistance as to what one means? Oh by all means google the Urban Dictionary. LOL
I love that.
I studied anatomy at one stage, not in anything like the depth you are now. I'm sure you've already discovered it gets much easier when you recognise the latin roots - demystifies it completely.
Ya gotta be kidding me! I use "sick" meaning ill when I'm ill . I use sick about jokes that are created by folks who are sick in the mind. Neither of those is Super anything. The Supercali word is among my favorite words of all time and I'll be dam*ed if I let some nitwit pollute it for me. A pox on their houses. Dark thoughts to them to infinity and beyond. The English language is confusing as he** period! Earth is pronounced URTH. Hearth is pronounced HARTH but should be HURTH. You have" kind" meaning nice and "kind" meaning type."I wonder what kind of upbringing he had to cause him to be so kind?" Or special. Used to mean above average, better than, singular, rare. Now you have "special needs" people and I guess it means the same thing only it pertains to lack of maturity/ability and not better than. Same with exceptional.I think if you have a good heart and are well intentioned your ignorance about the current lexicon ought not be used against you. Who has time to keep up with that anyway for goodness sakes?
As for alien time travelers? I think we would bore them and they wouldn't hang around long enough to notice the oddness of the language. They would obviously be intellectually superior and emotionally better grounded and would not understand the human proclivity for being hateful or mean or cruel. Who wants to hang about that for very long if you don't have to do so? Thank you for your reply hartfire! :) .
That makes me feel better pearl. Thank you so much for telling us that. You are a kind person.! :) ((hugs))
Thank you for the link Sharonna and your thoughtful answer. :) 
I use whatever words and phrases I like, Rosie. I couldn't care a fig about what is or is not fashionable. I still use words and phrases that were fashionable in the 1970s. Lol:)
Happy Sunday, Rosie!:)
What you say is true Rosie, but politeness never goes out of fashion.
Hello Rosie:
Well, I listen to my groovy grandchildren.
excon
That's the problem then. I have none. Jim has 3. Two males are in the military and one female lives in Michigan. So I'm up a crik without a paddle. Maybe I should just go through you before I open my mouth and then you can pass it through your grandkids to see if it's safe. Geez excon getting older is harder than I thought it would be! Thank you for your reply my friend. Whaddya say? :)
A few years ago on Answerbag I said "idiot savant" and got reamed up one side and down the other. Most recently I used the word insane and was informed that is unkind. They are not insane asylums now. They are mental asylums. I give up because I can't keep up. I don't wanna offend anyone but I do think what the dictionary says about a word should not go out of fashion. He**'s bells, I guess I am just old fashioned AndyB and I'm getting old-fashionder by the day! Thank you for your reply sweet
ie! :) ((hugs))
Touche! I never get smacked upside the head about being polite. Wait a minute. Yes I did. ONCE Years ago on Answerbag someone told me to stop saying "thank you" each time she replied to a question. I told her that was what I do and if she didn't like it she should simply not answer my questions. Then I thanked her. Never heard from her again! I wonder why? Thank you 
for your reply MrWitch! I guess I'm set in my ways and stubborn. NO ONE tells me how to ask a question, what question to ask or gives me permission to say whatever the he ** I wanna say! I mean c'mon! How ridiculous is it to be chided/scolded/chastised for saying "thank you"? Give me a break! Thank you for your reply m'dear! :)
I like the phrase "old-fashioneder". Lol:)
I don't like to offend people myself, but most words which are politically incorrect and liable to offend aren't words I would have used when I was 12 any more than I would use them today. The term "mental asylum" has usually been in in use more than "insane asylum", in fact I don't recall the latter being used in conversation (once or twice in books maybe). What I don't get is why the same kind of humour that was popular in the 1970s isn't so popular today. Why do you think that is, Rosie?
