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What's wrong with the old words?

Mon 10 Oct 02005 07:13 PM
Me, Myself & I
4 comments

I discovered upon reading a magazine recently (I’d tell you which one, but I didn’t keep track of that information) that apparently I’m a flexitarian:

Flexitarianism is the practice of being flexible about the degree one practices vegetarianism or veganism. A flexitarian might make only vegetarian dishes at home, but eat dishes including meat at the home of family or friends.

What was wrong with the good old-fashioned word omnivore?

An animal that eats both plants and other animals.

Do some people find it offensive?

Goofbat wrote at 03:52 PM on 14 Oct 2005

I think "flexitarian" would imply a lack of a militant vegetarianism, just more of a leaning or preference toward it, whereas "omnivore" would imply an indifference or equality. JMO.

dwlt wrote at 06:30 PM on 14 Oct 2005

Bah!

mnem wrote at 08:02 AM on 20 Oct 2005

Omnivore simply states that you eat both. It doesn’t imply equality or lack of it. That’d be a bit like saying vegetarian implies an equal liking of all vegetables, or all quadrupeds are equally mobile.

The real reason to invent a word like that is so that the person can pretend they’re better or different than those who eat meat. Is a easier to lie to yourself if you wrap it up in a bit of linguistic magic. Jargonising is generally used to divide the world into them and us :)

Jessica wrote at 03:14 PM on 29 Oct 2005

I’m going with mnem on this one. "Flexitarian" is for people who want the cachet of vegetarianism without actually being a vegetarian.

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