Are you intellectually challenged?

[canadalynx]

Hello.

How do you understand the question "Are you intellectually challenged?"?
Is someone asking
a) if you are disabled intellectually?
b) if you feel there's an intellectual confrontation on a particular subject?

Does it sound rude?

 

[Tarheel]

Sometimes a question is not a question. In this case you would be suggesting that I am not very bright.

Are those your phrases?

 

[canadalynx]

Yes.

How about "Do you feel intellectually challenged?"?

 

[Tarheel]

Sometimes I do. Like if a chess game is complicated you could say that's an intellectual challenge. (Some positions are really complicated.)

 

[Tdol]

It's a way of calling someone stupid.

 

[canadalynx]

How about ‘Is he intellectually challenged?’?

Is there something wrong with his brain?

 

[Tdol]

The speaker is asking whether the person is stupid rather than whether they have mental health issues for me.

 

[jutfrank]

I think Tdol's interpretation is almost certainly right, but you have to get into the habit of giving us much more context, canadalynx.

What text was this a part of? Who was the writer? What was the purpose of the text?

 

[SoothingDave]

It's not politically correct nowadays to ask if someone is "retarded" when they are acting stupid. This seems like a way to ask the same question but not use the offensive word.

 

[canadalynx]

I think Tdol's interpretation is almost certainly right, but you have to get into the habit of giving us much more context, canadalynx.
Okay.


What text was this a part of?
It could be part of a conversation among close friends.

Who was the writer?
Yours truly.

What was the purpose of the text?

I wanted to know if the phrase could be offensive or be interpreted in different manners.

 

[canadalynx]

It's not politically correct nowadays to ask if someone is "retarded" when they are acting stupid. This seems like a way to ask the same question but not use the offensive word.

Okay.

 

[canadalynx]

The speaker is asking whether the person is stupid rather than whether they have mental health issues for me.

I see.
I think the meaning would depend on whether the word "challenged" comes after or before "intellectually".

 

[emsr2d2]

I see.
I [STRIKE]reckon[/STRIKE] think the meaning would [STRIKE]weigh[/STRIKE] depend on whether the word "challenged" comes after or [STRIKE]the verb[/STRIKE] before "intellectually".

emsr2d2

 

[canadalynx]

emsr2d2

Based on the corrections done by emsr2d2, here are two possible sentences to demonstrate the difference.

1) He is challenged intellectually.
2) He is intellectually challenged.

If I understand correctly, the first sentence says that "He receives a confrontation about something that requires some deliberation" whereas the second sentence says " His intelligence is below average"?

 

[jutfrank]

I wanted to know if the phrase could be offensive or be interpreted in different manners.

You should have told us in the original post that you'd made up this sentence yourself. I understood that you'd seen it somewhere and were asking us what it meant. Please make your questions clearer. If you make up sentences yourself, tell us how you want them to be used. Thank you.

 

[jutfrank]

I think your line of questioning is getting at the use of the semi-fixed phrase _______ly challenged as used as politically correct euphemism. Right? (Or rather as deliberately ridiculing PC language—think: vertically challenged).

When we hear intellectually challenged, since it fits this particular frame and this particular use, we interpret it as meaning something like 'not very intelligent'. If the words are reversed as in your sentence 1, it doesn't fit the frame so we interpret it 'normally', if you like, whereby his intellect is challenged by some particular thing. There is no sense of his being stupid at all.

So you're basically right, yes.

 

[canadalynx]

With all due respect, I don’t think I made it up.
I might have seen it somewhere but couldn’t recall exactly where and when.

My original post did ask how would you interpret it and I did give options. On top of that, I did ask if it would sound rude. Sometimes, a phrase or a sentence can be straightforward to some people.
The question was simple, would the sentence be ambiguous to you or it would mean only one thing based on the structure or word. If it sounds rude?
That’s what I wanted to know.

I would draw on your inputs to make a conclusion. You or any other moderators are very welcome to express your constructive remarks.

Thank you.

 

[canadalynx]

I think your line of questioning is getting at the use of the semi-fixed phrase _______ly challenged as used as politically correct euphemism. Right? (Or rather as deliberately ridiculing PC language—think: vertically challenged).

When we hear intellectually challenged, since it fits this particular frame and this particular use, we interpret it as meaning something like 'not very intelligent'. If the words are reversed as in your sentence 1, it doesn't fit the frame so we interpret it 'normally', if you like, whereby his intellect is challenged by some particular thing. There is no sense of his being stupid at all.

So you're basically right, yes.

Okay. Thank you.

 

[Tarheel]

Based on the corrections done by emsr2d2, here are two possible sentences to demonstrate the difference.

1) He is challenged intellectually.
2) He is intellectually challenged.

If I understand correctly, the first sentence says that "He receives a confrontation about something that requires some deliberation" whereas the second sentence says " His intelligence is below average"?

No. You made up a sentence that fails to say whatever it is you wanted to say.

I have no idea what that sentence means, and I suggest that you don't use it again.

I already gave you my opinion about "intellectually challenged". I have no opinion about the other one.

You are confused about the difference between "say" and "tell". There are one or two threads about that in the FAQ section.

 

[canadalynx]

No. You made up a sentence that fails to say whatever it is you wanted to say.

I beg to disagree.

I have no idea what that sentence means, and I suggest that you don't use it again.

It is okay. It is not a big deal.

I already gave you my opinion about "intellectually challenged". I have no opinion about the other one.

Yes and I was appreciative.

You are confused about the difference between "say" and "tell". There are one or two threads about that in the FAQ section.

Notes taken.