Every Friday, Cienna Madrid offers solutions to life’s most vexing literary problems. Do you need a book recommendation to send your worst cousin on her birthday? Is it okay to read erotica on public transit? Cienna can help. Send your questions to advice@seattlereviewofbooks.com.

Dear Cienna,

I volunteer to read magazines and books that aren't on tape yet for the blind community. I was reading about a study the other day, and the study was "double-blind." I paused, then just read on (because my job is to present the words as written not edit), but I started wondering about the derivation of possibly offensive terms.

But now I don't even know if that term is offensive. Maybe it's a previously innocent word, like “niggardly,” that is best to avoid because it is better to be thoughtful than pedantic. But I don't know how to know. Is there a definitive place to find a list of terms that are offensive and ones that are safe to use?

Scarlett, downtown

Dear Scarlett,

First off, I recycle, so don't think you're better than me.

Just kidding!

I was actually speaking to a blind woman about accessibility last week and she said this: “When a certain population can’t access the content that you’re creating, you’re saying that they’re not human enough to have the chance to access it, whether you want to say that or not."

Your voice is giving people valuable access to other peoples' creative work. Thank you for that, and congrats on having a gold-plated soul.

As for whether "double-blind" is offensive, I am a terrible person to ask. My favorite words are the offensive ones. I love "cunt" as a pejorative; it feels good to say. (Friends and various cunts have suggested I find a new pejorative, so I did: "cunt-licking cocksucker." It's not gender specific, it also has a very good mouthfeel, and I can't think of a scenario in which a cunt-licking cocksucker wouldn't be the most popular person in the room, so it's not really even an insult.)

I do think that using "blind" as a metaphor for ignorant or unknowing seems ableist. I recommend reading this fascinating blog discussion on that very topic (don't skip the comments! Politest fighting you'll find on the internet!). It convinced me that there's no reason not to employ "anonymous" in lieu of "blind" whenever possible.

That said, language is a living, evolving thing. There will never be a master list of words that are offensive and words that are "safe" to use, and even if there was, no one would agree on it. The most you can do is what you're already doing – being thoughtful and sensitive to the multitude of ways words can be interpreted.

Kisses,

Cienna