Words That Don’t Travel Well: A Cultural Context Dictionary
Because not every word means the same thing everywhere.
Last updated 21st March 2025
LGBTQ+ Language
Word: Queer
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇳🇱 🇸🇪
Use with caution: 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇮🇹 🇪🇸 🇧🇷 🇲🇽 🇿🇦 🇯🇵
Avoid using: 🇵🇱 🇷🇺 🇭🇺 🇮🇳 🇸🇦 🇳🇬 🇮🇩 🇲🇾
Brief history:
Originally used as a slur, queer was reclaimed in the 1980s–90s by LGBTQ+ activists and academics, and is now widely embraced in progressive and youth-led communities in the West. However, in countries with conservative laws or strong anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment, it remains a slur.
Context example (safe):
“I’m queer and prefer not to use gendered labels.”
Context example (caution):
“Our brand supports queer rights” — may not translate or could be flagged as offensive in more conservative or unfamiliar regions.
Context example (unsafe):
“He’s a queer” — still slur-level in many places and older demographics.
Word: Gay
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇪🇸
Use with caution: 🇯🇵 🇮🇳 🇧🇷 🇰🇷 🇲🇽 🇨🇳 🇹🇷 🇸🇬 🇮🇩
Avoid using: 🇷🇺 🇭🇺 🇵🇱 🇸🇦 🇮🇷 🇳🇬 🇶🇦
Brief history:
From coded term in the early 20th century to mainstream identifier, gay is now standard in English-speaking countries, but still dangerous in regions where same-sex relationships are criminalised.
Context example (safe):
“My brother is gay and recently got married.”
Context example (caution):
“Gay rights are human rights” — could trigger legal trouble in places with anti-LGBTQ+ laws.
Context example (unsafe):
“That’s so gay” — still used as a slur in playgrounds, online spaces, and less informed areas.
Word: Lesbian
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇫🇷 🇩🇪
Use with caution: 🇯🇵 🇮🇳 🇧🇷 🇲🇽 🇰🇷 🇹🇷 🇮🇩
Avoid using: 🇷🇺 🇸🇦 🇮🇷 🇳🇬 🇦🇪
Brief history:
Often politicised and hypersexualised in media, lesbian can feel empowering for some, and clinical or objectifying for others. Safe in feminist/activist spaces, but heavily policed in conservative ones.
Context example (safe):
“She identifies as a lesbian and has a wife.”
Context example (caution):
“Lesbian culture is so cool” — fine in some regions, misunderstood in others.
Context example (unsafe):
“Lesbians are hot” — objectifying and inappropriate.
Word: Trans / Transgender
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇩🇰 🇸🇪 🇳🇱
Use with caution: 🇧🇷 🇯🇵 🇮🇳 🇲🇽 🇨🇳 🇮🇩 🇸🇬 🇹🇷 🇮🇹
Avoid using: 🇷🇺 🇭🇺 🇸🇦 🇮🇷 🇳🇬 🇶🇦 🇵🇱
Brief history:
Originally a medical term, transgender has evolved into a common identifier, with “trans” used more casually. Legal status and cultural acceptance vary wildly by country.
Context example (safe):
“She’s a trans woman and uses she/her pronouns.”
Context example (caution):
“We featured a trans influencer” — could lead to backlash in less progressive countries.
Context example (unsafe):
“He used to be a woman” — offensive framing that invalidates identity.
Word: Homosexual
Safe to use: Mostly deprecated — avoid unless in medical or legal contexts
Use with caution: 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 (seen as clinical or outdated)
Avoid using: As a noun (e.g. “a homosexual”) — universally seen as offensive now
Brief history:
Once a clinical term, now largely replaced by gay or LGBTQ+. Still used in legal/medical literature, especially in non-Western countries, but often carries stigma.
Context example (safe-ish):
“The law criminalises homosexual activity” — legal phrasing
Context example (not safe):
“He’s a homosexual” — outdated and dehumanising
Word: Same-sex attracted / MSM (men who have sex with men)
Safe to use: In medical, research or legal contexts globally
Use with caution: Outside of clinical/public health use, can sound impersonal
Avoid using: As a casual descriptor — sounds distancing or overly technical
Brief history:
Used in epidemiology and health policy when referring to sexual behaviour rather than identity, especially in places where being openly gay is unsafe.
Context example (safe in health setting):
“This clinic provides support for MSM populations.”
Context example (not safe in social setting):
“I think he’s same-sex attracted” — depersonalising and odd in casual speech.
Internet / Online Slang & Activist Language
Word: Woke
Safe to use: ❌ Increasingly weaponised — use with extreme care
Use with caution: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 (context heavily matters)
Avoid using: As an insult or catch-all label — globally misinterpreted
Brief history:
Originally Black American slang meaning socially aware or alert to injustice. Hijacked by media and politicians to mock progressive values. Now mostly used sarcastically or pejoratively.
Context example (safe):
“She’s very woke when it comes to climate justice” (can still raise eyebrows, though)
Context example (not safe):
“Ugh, they’re so woke” — dismissive and politicised.
Word: Triggered
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 (in mental health-specific contexts)
Use with caution: Everywhere — trivialised in memes
Avoid using: To mock or belittle emotional responses
Brief history:
Psychological term for PTSD flashbacks, later expanded to cover emotional trauma reactions. Overused online and now often ridiculed.
Context example (safe):
“The film contains content that could be triggering for survivors.”
Context example (not safe):
“Calm down, you’re so triggered” — dismissive and invalidating.
Word: Gaslighting
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇫🇷 🇳🇱 🇩🇪
Use with caution: 🇯🇵 🇮🇳 🇨🇳 🇰🇷 — often misunderstood or mistranslated
Avoid using: Casually or incorrectly
Brief history:
Derived from the 1944 film Gaslight, it describes a psychological abuse tactic to make someone question reality. Now frequently misused to mean “disagreed with me.”
Context example (safe):
“My ex gaslit me into believing I was overreacting.”
Context example (not safe):
“You’re gaslighting me!” — if it’s just a disagreement, this dilutes the word’s real meaning.
Word: Girlboss
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 (ironically or critically)
Use with caution: In professional contexts or non-Western countries
Avoid using: As a genuine compliment — now seen as performative feminism
Brief history:
Coined to celebrate women in power, now seen as cringe or reductive due to capitalist overtones and surface-level feminism.
Context example (safe-ish/ironic):
“She’s the ultimate girlboss — booked and busy.”
Context example (not safe):
“You’re such a girlboss!” — can feel patronising.
Word: Spirit animal
Safe to use: ❌ Avoid entirely
Use with caution: 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 — offensive to Indigenous cultures
Avoid using: Globally — disrespectful appropriation of Native spiritual language
Brief history:
A sacred concept in many Indigenous cultures, often trivialised by being applied to memes or fashion icons.
Context example (not safe):
“Omg, coffee is my spirit animal.”
Preferred alternative:
“Relatable,” “I totally identify with that,” or “that’s so me.”
Gender Identity Terms
Word: Non-binary
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇸🇪 🇩🇪 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇫🇷
Use with caution: 🇯🇵 🇮🇳 🇨🇳 🇰🇷 🇲🇽 🇧🇷
Avoid using: 🇷🇺 🇵🇱 🇸🇦 🇮🇷 🇳🇬
Brief history:
Refers to someone who doesn’t identify strictly as male or female. Gaining recognition in progressive countries but still criminalised or erased in others.
Context example (safe):
“They identify as non-binary and use they/them pronouns.”
Context example (not safe):
“What even is non-binary?” — dismissive and invalidating.
Word: Cisgender / cis
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇸🇪 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 🇦🇺 🇳🇿
Use with caution: 🇯🇵 🇮🇳 🇲🇽 🇧🇷 🇹🇷 🇰🇷
Avoid using: As an insult or identity weapon (in all regions)
Brief history:
Coined in academic circles to describe people whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. Sometimes rejected by those unfamiliar with trans discourse. Expect “I am not a ciswoman, I am a woman” comments in most countries if shared with a broad and large audience.
Context example (safe):
“He’s cisgender but supports trans rights.”
Context example (not safe):
“You’re cis, so your opinion doesn’t count” — alienating.
Word: They/Them Pronouns
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇸🇪 🇩🇰
Use with caution: 🇯🇵 🇮🇳 🇰🇷 🇧🇷 🇲🇽 🇹🇷
Avoid using: 🇷🇺 🇵🇱 🇸🇦 🇮🇷 — gender diversity not legally recognised
Brief history:
Singular they has been used for centuries in English, now gaining traction as a non-binary pronoun. Still causes confusion in languages without gender-neutral pronouns.
Context example (safe):
“Alex uses they/them pronouns.”
Context example (not safe):
“They identify as a what now?” — mocking tone.
Racial & Cultural Identity Terms
Word: BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour)
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 (mostly activist and academic circles)
Use with caution: 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 — not always well understood
Avoid using: 🌍 globally where these categories don’t culturally map or translate
Brief history:
Coined in North America to centre Black and Indigenous experiences within racial justice work. Criticised outside the US for being too US-specific and lumping all non-white people together.
Context example (safe):
“Our hiring initiative supports BIPOC creatives.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s a BIPOC” — doesn’t work as a noun, sounds clinical or reductive.
Word: POC / People of Colour
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 (though still nuanced)
Use with caution: 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇳🇱 🇯🇵 🇮🇳 🇧🇷 🇲🇽 🇰🇷
Avoid using: As a one-size-fits-all label — can feel flattening
Brief history:
Used to describe anyone who isn’t white, mostly in Western contexts. Feels unifying to some, exclusionary to others. Doesn’t map cleanly to regions with different racial dynamics (e.g. Brazil, India, Japan).
Context example (safe):
“We centre POC voices in our campaign.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s a person of colour from China” — doesn’t culturally make sense in an Asian-majority context.
Word: Latinx
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 (in academic/activist circles)
Use with caution: 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇧🇷 🇦🇷 🇨🇴
Avoid using: 🇲🇽 🇪🇸 and among native Spanish speakers — often seen as anglicised or linguistically awkward
Brief history:
Invented to remove gendered language from Latino/Latina. Adopted by some US-based organisations but overwhelmingly rejected by the communities it’s meant to describe.
Context example (safe):
“Our Latinx student group meets weekly.”
Context example (not safe):
“She said she’s Latinx” — unless quoting directly, better to ask how someone identifies.
Word: BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic)
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 (formerly common in UK government/HR)
Use with caution: 🇮🇪 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 🇨🇦 — unfamiliar term
Avoid using: 🇺🇸 or globally — won’t make sense, often critiqued
Brief history:
A UK-specific acronym created for diversity statistics and government policy. Heavily criticised for lumping too many groups together and erasing differences.
Context example (safe-ish):
“Our BAME representation has increased by 12%” (data/statistics only)
Context example (not safe):
“She’s BAME” — never use as a personal identifier.
Word: Coloured
Safe to use: ❌ Never
Use with caution: 🇿🇦 (specific cultural meaning in South Africa)
Avoid using: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 — seen as an offensive racial term
Brief history:
Outdated and offensive in most of the world, especially where it was used during segregation and Jim Crow. In South Africa, Coloured is still a demographic category — but only appropriate when referring to that specific context.
Context example (safe in South Africa only):
“He identifies as Coloured in the South African context.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s a coloured woman” — highly offensive phrasing elsewhere.
Word: Tribe / Tribal
Safe to use: With extreme care — best avoided in most casual contexts
Use with caution: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇮🇳 🇳🇬
Avoid using: As a trendy metaphor (“My girl tribe”, “Find your tribe”)
Brief history:
Refers to real Indigenous or ethnic groups with specific histories. Using it metaphorically to describe social groups or friendship circles is seen as disrespectful.
Context example (safe):
“The Maasai are a semi-nomadic tribal community in Kenya.”
Context example (not safe):
“I finally found my tribe!” — insensitive and appropriative.
Word: Oriental
Safe to use: ❌ Do not use
Use with caution: Only in historical or antique contexts (e.g. “Oriental rugs”)
Avoid using: As a descriptor for people — universally outdated and offensive
Brief history:
A colonial-era term to describe people from East and Southeast Asia. Feels exoticising and othering.
Context example (safe):
“This antique shop sells Oriental rugs” (only when referring to objects, and still dated)
Context example (not safe):
“She’s Oriental” — totally inappropriate.
Body, Appearance & Health Language
Word: Fat
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 (in body positivity movements)
Use with caution: 🇯🇵 🇰🇷 🇮🇳 🇨🇳 🇧🇷 🇲🇽 — strong cultural weight bias
Avoid using: As a casual descriptor unless reclaimed/self-described
Brief history:
Being reclaimed by the fat liberation movement, but still widely used as an insult. Cultural attitudes toward body size vary massively — in some countries, body shaming is still mainstream.
Context example (safe):
“I’m fat — not as an insult, just a fact.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s kind of fat but confident” — offensive and backhanded.
Word: Obese / Obesity
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 — only in clinical/medical contexts
Use with caution: Everywhere — can be dehumanising
Avoid using: As a descriptor for someone personally unless you're a medical professional
Brief history:
Medicalised term that’s increasingly challenged by fat activists for being pathologising. Seen as reductionist when used outside of healthcare settings.
Context example (safe):
“The research focused on obesity rates in urban areas.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s obese” — often received as clinical and cold.
Word: Plus-size
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿
Use with caution: 🇯🇵 🇰🇷 🇮🇳 🇨🇳 — may be unfamiliar or stigmatised
Avoid using: Without asking how someone self-identifies
Brief history:
Created by the fashion industry to describe clothing beyond standard sizes. Neutral for some, but still carries stigma for others.
Context example (safe):
“She’s a plus-size model.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s just plus-size, you know?” — can come across as apologetic or euphemistic.
Word: Curvy
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺
Use with caution: When used as a body compliment — may sound patronising
Avoid using: As a marketing euphemism or label for someone else
Brief history:
Sometimes used to avoid saying “fat,” often framed as more socially acceptable — but can feel tokenising, especially when applied only to certain body types (e.g. hourglass figures).
Context example (safe-ish):
“She describes herself as curvy.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s curvy — but, like, in a good way.” — backhanded and objectifying.
Word: Skinny
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 (in self-description)
Use with caution: As a compliment — can trigger eating disorder conversations
Avoid using: In comparisons or unsolicited comments
Brief history:
Long used as shorthand for attractiveness, but increasingly recognised as part of toxic body standards. May be triggering or insensitive.
Context example (safe):
“I’ve always been skinny, even when I eat loads.”
Context example (not safe):
“You look so good — so skinny!” — reinforces appearance-based validation.
Word: Disabled
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 (when someone self-identifies or in advocacy)
Use with caution: In regions where euphemisms are preferred (🇮🇳 🇯🇵 🇨🇳 🇰🇷)
Avoid using: As a blanket term if someone prefers “person with a disability” or something else
Brief history:
In many Western countries, disabled is preferred over euphemisms like “differently abled.” In other regions, euphemisms are still more common to avoid perceived stigma.
Context example (safe):
“She’s disabled and uses a wheelchair.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s handicapped” — outdated and generally offensive.
Word: Differently abled
Safe to use: 🇮🇳 🇵🇭 🇸🇬 🇮🇩 🇰🇪 — still common in official language
Use with caution: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 — often seen as patronising
Avoid using: As a euphemism in activist or disabled-led spaces
Brief history:
Coined as a ‘positive’ alternative, but widely critiqued for erasing real structural barriers disabled people face.
Context example (safe in some regions):
“Our policy includes support for differently abled employees.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s differently abled” — sounds sugar-coated and avoids the issue.
Word: Handicapped
Safe to use: ❌ Avoid globally
Use with caution: Only when quoting outdated policy, signage, or legal language
Avoid using: In everyday speech — it's outdated and offensive
Brief history:
Originates from “cap in hand” imagery. Phased out of most progressive language guides decades ago.
Context example (only safe in legal/historical use):
“The building lacked handicapped access, violating the law at the time.”
Context example (not safe):
“He’s handicapped” — outdated and dehumanising.
Religion & Belief
Word: Blessed
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 (commonly used in lifestyle/influencer contexts)
Use with caution: 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇸🇪 🇯🇵 🇰🇷 — may read as overly religious or performative
Avoid using: In secular or conservative professional settings
Brief history:
Common in US Christian vernacular and social media speak ("#blessed"), but can sound spiritual or boastful depending on context.
Context example (safe):
“Feeling blessed to work with such an amazing team.”
Context example (not safe):
“God has blessed me with this brand deal” — may alienate secular audiences or feel tone-deaf.
Word: Religious
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇮🇳 🇵🇭 🇸🇦 🇮🇷 (where religion is central to culture)
Use with caution: 🇬🇧 🇫🇷 🇩🇪 🇯🇵 🇸🇪 🇦🇺 — where secularism is stronger
Avoid using: In ways that stereotype or reduce complex identities
Brief history:
Neutral in theory, but can be loaded depending on the religion or region being discussed. Western audiences often assume "religious" means Christian by default, which can be misleading.
Context example (safe):
“She’s religious and prays daily.”
Context example (not safe):
“He’s religious, so he must be strict” — generalising and culturally blind.
Word: Cult
Safe to use: Only when referring to verified coercive groups
Use with caution: Can be extremely offensive, especially with non-Western religions
Avoid using: As a throwaway term for any intense fanbase or belief system
Brief history:
Originally academic, now highly pejorative. Used to demonise marginalised religious or spiritual groups.
Context example (safe):
“The group operated as a cult and engaged in manipulation.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s into astrology — it’s basically a cult” — dismissive and disrespectful.
Mental Health & Emotional Language
Word: Anxious / Depression / OCD / Bipolar (as slang)
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 — in medical or self-described contexts
Use with caution: When used casually or as jokes
Avoid using: To describe temporary moods or quirks
Brief history:
These are medical conditions — but have been widely co-opted in everyday speech in ways that trivialise them.
Context example (safe):
“I have diagnosed OCD and take medication.”
Context example (not safe):
“I’m soooo OCD about my desk” — invalidates actual struggles.
Word: Psycho / Schizo / Mental / Crazy
Safe to use: ❌ Avoid entirely in reference to people
Use with caution: 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 — some still use casually, but it’s outdated
Avoid using: As descriptors — dehumanising and ableist
Brief history:
Historically used to label and isolate people with mental illness. Still deeply stigmatising.
Context example (not safe):
“She’s completely psycho” — offensive
Alternative phrasing:
“She reacted strongly” or “He’s going through something difficult.”
Word: Triggered (again, for emphasis)
Safe to use: In trauma-informed or clinical contexts
Use with caution: Everywhere else
Avoid using: As sarcasm — it diminishes real trauma responses
Context example (safe):
“Certain sounds trigger my PTSD symptoms.”
Context example (not safe):
“Lol, don’t get triggered” — flippant and mocking.
Slang That Doesn’t Translate
Word: Karen
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 (but culturally loaded)
Use with caution: Outside English-speaking countries — not always understood
Avoid using: Toward real individuals — can feel misogynistic if misapplied
Brief history:
Evolved as internet shorthand for white entitlement, now often misused and over-applied.
Context example (safe-ish):
“She pulled a full Karen and asked to see the manager.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s a Karen” — can quickly become sexist or classist if misused.
Word: Slay / Yas queen / Werk
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 (in queer or pop culture spaces)
Use with caution: If not part of the cultural communities that coined them (esp. drag/Black/queer culture)
Avoid using: In formal or cross-cultural business contexts — can come off forced or tone-deaf
Brief history:
Originated in drag ball culture and Black LGBTQ+ spaces, popularised through RuPaul’s Drag Race and stan culture.
Context example (safe):
“She absolutely slayed that performance.”
Context example (not safe):
“Slayyyy girlboss queen!” — might sound mocking or performative.
Word: Lit / Fire / Lowkey / Highkey / Vibe
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 — mostly younger audiences
Use with caution: In older or non-native English-speaking groups
Avoid using: In corporate or cross-cultural communication unless your audience is definitely on the same page
Brief history:
Modern internet slang constantly evolving — not harmful but often misunderstood or quickly outdated.
Context example (safe):
“That playlist is straight fire.”
Context example (not safe):
“Lowkey vibing this strategy” — probably don’t write this in a quarterly report.
Gendered Language & Roles
Word: Guys (as a group term)
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇬🇧 🇦🇺 🇳🇿 (casually, though more awareness is growing)
Use with caution: In formal settings or with mixed-gender/non-binary audiences
Avoid using: Where gender-neutral language is expected (e.g. DEI or inclusive comms)
Brief history:
Used to mean “everyone” in American English, but increasingly critiqued for centring masculinity in group addresses.
Context example (safe-ish):
“Hey guys, ready to start?” (informal, familiar group)
Context example (not safe):
“Thanks, guys!” — not great if speaking to a group of mostly women or non-binary folks.
Word: Chairman / Fireman / Policeman
Safe to use: ❌ Generally avoid unless quoting historical roles
Use with caution: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇮🇳 🇮🇪 — still used in some industries, but increasingly dated
Avoid using: In any gender-inclusive or HR-sensitive context
Brief history:
Defaulting professions to masculine has long been the norm, but there’s been a huge push toward neutral forms like chair, firefighter, police officer, etc.
Context example (safe):
“She’s the chair of the committee.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s a chairman” — awkward and contradicts intent of inclusion.
Word: Manpower / Manned
Safe to use: ❌ Avoid in modern copy or policy
Use with caution: Still in use in military, engineering, or legacy industries
Avoid using: Where gender-neutral replacements exist
Brief history:
Language from eras where men dominated the workforce. Easy fixes exist: workforce, staffed, crewed, personnel, resourced.
Context example (safe alternative):
“We need more staff to support this project.”
Context example (not safe):
“We’re low on manpower” — old-fashioned and gendered.
Workplace / DEI Terminology
Word: Diversity hire
Safe to use: ❌ Avoid completely
Use with caution: Nowhere. It’s reductive.
Avoid using: At all — it suggests someone was hired for identity over skill.
Brief history:
Meant to refer to intentional efforts to diversify teams, but became a loaded term that undermines someone's qualifications.
Context example (safe alternative):
“We value building diverse teams.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s probably a diversity hire” — offensive and dismissive.
Word: Inclusion / Inclusive
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 — standard in corporate DEI language
Use with caution: 🇯🇵 🇰🇷 🇨🇳 🇧🇷 — not always a familiar framework
Avoid using: In regions where legal protections for marginalised groups don’t exist — it can sound performative
Brief history:
A staple of modern HR language, often paired with equity and diversity. Still not globally understood or applied.
Context example (safe):
“We’re working to create a more inclusive workplace.”
Context example (not safe):
“We’re inclusive of everyone” — can ring hollow without action.
Word: Tokenism / Token
Safe to use: In critique or analysis of shallow diversity efforts
Use with caution: Never label someone as “the token”
Avoid using: Casually — it’s accusatory
Brief history:
Refers to symbolic gestures toward diversity without systemic change. Important term, but heavy-handed if misused.
Context example (safe):
“There's concern this campaign veers into tokenism.”
Context example (not safe):
“She’s just the token” — reduces someone to their identity.
Regional Language Traps
(Same word, wildly different meanings — proceed with care.)
Word: Fag
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 (meaning cigarette — but only in the right crowd)
Use with caution: Even in the UK, it's dying out
Avoid using: 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 — strong anti-gay slur in most English-speaking countries
Context example (UK-only):
“Going out for a fag.”
Context example (not safe):
“Got a fag?” — sounds homophobic in many places.
Word: Pants
Safe to use: 🇺🇸 🇨🇦 🇦🇺 🇬🇧 — but note the meaning flip
Use with caution: UK/US mix-ups
Avoid using: When clarity matters (use “trousers” in UK, “underwear” if you mean actual pants)
Context difference:
🇬🇧 “Pants” = underwear
🇺🇸 “Pants” = trousers
Comedy potential: Endless.
Word: Rubber
Safe to use: 🇬🇧 = eraser
Avoid using: 🇺🇸 = slang for condom — cue awkward looks
Context example (UK):
“Can I borrow a rubber?” (student with a pencil)
Context example (US):
“…what kind of class is this?”
Word: Boot / Bonnet / Jumper / Vest
Safe to use: Varies wildly by region
Use with caution: 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 🇦🇺 🇨🇦 — don’t assume same meaning
Avoid using: Without local context
Quickfire translations:
UK boot = US trunk (of car)
UK jumper = US sweater
UK vest = US undershirt
US vest = UK waistcoat
Five Quick Rules Before You Say It
Is it self-described or projected?
If someone uses the term for themselves, it’s generally safe. If you’re applying it to others, pause and check.Does the word have a charged history?
Check for colonial, racial, or political baggage — especially if it’s been reclaimed or redefined recently.Would this land in an HR presentation?
If you wouldn't confidently say it in front of a diverse professional room, don’t tweet it either.Is it slang that’s already peaked?
If your mum or brand account is saying “slay,” it’s probably time to retire it.Check who coined it, and who critiques it.
Was it created by a marginalised group? Has that group pushed back on how it’s being used? That’s your signal.
Final Thoughts
No one gets it right all the time. Language changes constantly and half the time, you only realise a word’s shifted when someone calls you out or you see it plastered on a merch table at Pride. I remember the first time I saw someone casually say queer and I honestly gasped. It had always been a slur in my head. I hadn’t realised it had been reclaimed, reframed and rebranded all at once.
The thing is, that kind of shift doesn’t come with a press release. You only notice it if you're paying attention.
As someone who works in crisis PR, I’ve seen what happens when a public figure or business uses language that feels even slightly off. Whether it’s genuinely offensive or just poorly timed, it only takes one wrong word to derail a whole message. And in a worst-case scenario, it doesn’t just offend people. It costs you trust. It costs you clients. It becomes a headline.
That’s why this stuff matters. Not because you need to police every word you say, but because if you can avoid upsetting someone just by staying informed, then it’s worth it. Especially when you're speaking to an audience that’s bigger than your own circle. What’s fine in Camden might not land in Cape Town. What feels empowering to you might hit differently to someone else. That doesn’t mean say nothing. It just means take a second and check.
You don’t have to be perfect. Just aware. Curious. Willing to ask the question before someone else turns it into a screenshot.