Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
OFFENSIVE EPITHETS AND DISPARAGING LABELS
Most people are conscious of the offensiveness of the more obvious and publicized racial, sexual, and ethnic locutions (see ETHNIC SLURS AND TERMS OF ETHNIC OPPROBRIUM; RACIST LANGUAGE; SEXIST LANGUAGE; see also OBSCENE (1); PROFANITY; and TABOO WORDS). But other terms—clearly, those of homophobia, such as queer, fag, dyke, and queen, but also others simply disparaging, such as fatty, baldy, skinny, and the like—can also be offensive, even though not under the same strong taboos. Here as elsewhere the best advice is to call people only what they want to be called. Apply sharp-pointed epithets only to yourself.
