As society and language change, in the nests of yesteryear there are no birds this year, as Don Quijote told us. And, horrors, now we find ourselves loaded with plenty of phraseology, in English and Spanish, that we can no longer use due to the changes in the outlook society has on certain subjects which were ok in the past but have become, willy-nilly, taboo as of now. Take, for instance, "a Chinese fire drill", a taboo expression that could offend Asians. In Spanish, people of color could also find offense in "merienda de negros", not to mention "tener la negra" which, although not a racial slur, could be misunderstood. Expressions like "I love the movies more than a fat kid likes cake" would not be appropriate today, just as "le gusta leer más que a un tonto un lápiz", which refers to "tontos", like "el tonto del pueblo" or village idiot. And I understand that "to call a spade a spade" is looked down upon in many circles in the States. I guess that "work like a slave" might be a no-no in this day and age, and its Spanish equivalent "trabajar como un chino (negro)" is also frowned upon. It is clear there is a need to be mindful of our language choices and the impact they can have on others. So, don´t tell people in Spanish "que están haciendo el indio", or goofing off.
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