Minor peeve

[cjsmith]

Minor peeve: people who are not military, police, or firefighters using the word "civilians" to describe those-who-are-not-them in a self-serving, I'm-better way.

I'm fairly content when I see it used in a way that just sort of looks like the writer couldn't figure out how to say "outsider" because he'd forgotten there was a word "outsider". That's just somebody being a bit dorky, and God knows I have enough dorkiness myself. I forget words all the time.

The peeve for me is people who use it to puff themselves up somehow, like they're extra total macho cool because those OTHER people are CIVILIANS. To me, that kind of puffing up is valid for -- yet almost never bragged about by -- folks who put their lives on the line in some seriously shitty situations in order to serve or save or protect others. Don't try to fake that status with this ex-military gal. It no worky.

Comments

[billeyler.livejournal.com]

Interesting. Wondering what the context was.

[cjsmith.livejournal.com]

The recent one, the reminder of my peeve but not an example of it, was a writer trying to figure out who else in a coffeeshop was participating in NaNoWriMo. The peeve examples tend to be Super Macho Manly Guys Of The Type Who Wouldn't Take Orders If They Were Put On A Plate With A Side Of Mashed Potatoes trying to make like they've got half the guts it takes to sign up as a soldier. I haven't seen that one lately. Probably not for years.