The editors of the Journal of Animal Ethics have called for re-vamping animal language. So-called negative words like "pets" or "wildlife," they say, should be replaced by "companion animals" and ...

Being “politically correct” meant exactly what the plain language of the phrase implied: that the speaker was saying something that was politically in the mainstream.

Through the decades, "politically correct" has been regarded as shield and club, as cowardly and courageous. But it has meant one thing above all: confusion.

To better understand the conversational implications of using language that appears political, Gino and her colleagues first asked 201 people what it means to be politically correct.