Is The Term “Empty Nest” Offensive Now?
Is this a fair point, or another case of people being offended by everything? A writer for Slate.com thinks we should stop saying “empty nester.” She thinks it’s a subtly offensive or even damaging term, because in her words, “The word ’empty’ conveys only absence.” And it’s a word you almost never use in a positive way. She also thinks it’s an outdated term because a lot of “empty nests” don’t really stay that way anymore. The term “empty nest” was coined in 1914, and came to describe a sort of malaise that can set in once your kids are gone. Her suggestion to replace the term . . . “NEXT CHAPTER”. As in “My kids are finally gone, and I can move on to my next chapter.” The only problem is, it doesn’t really work as a noun. You can’t say, “You’re a next CHAPTERER.” (???)