I have lost the ability to stand for long periods, I have lost the ability to get items from the top shelf in the supermarket (if I can get there), I have lost the ability to walk long distances. I am disabled, but I don't want to be called that!
Thesaurus.com has this to say on the matter of being disabled:
| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | incapacitated |
| Synonyms: | broken-down, confined, decrepit, disarmed, hamstrung, handicapped, helpless, hurt, incapable, infirm, laid-up, lame, maimed, out-of-action, out-of-commission, paralyzed, powerless, run-down, sidelined, stalled, weakened, worn-out, wounded, wrecked |
| Antonyms: | able, healthy |
Let me take the synonyms step-by-step:
broken-down
That makes me sound like I'm an unkempt tramp,
That makes me sound like I'm an unkempt tramp,
confined
Close, confined to my home by the DWP thanks to them stopping my DLA.
Close, confined to my home by the DWP thanks to them stopping my DLA.
decrepit
Isn't that a building that's falling down?
Isn't that a building that's falling down?
disarmed
Nope, definitely got two of them, even if the connections are killing me.
Nope, definitely got two of them, even if the connections are killing me.
hamstrung
Erm, no, I think my strings are still attached to my hams.
Erm, no, I think my strings are still attached to my hams.
handicapped
Only when meeting a lady or entering a bilding, otherwise my cap is on my head.
Only when meeting a lady or entering a bilding, otherwise my cap is on my head.
helpless
I have help in the form of glamorous assistant Sally, who I help in turn.
I have help in the form of glamorous assistant Sally, who I help in turn.
hurt
YES!!! I'll go for that, I'm definitely hurting especially in my arthritic joints.
incapable
Ah, no, I am capable of many things; I just prefer them not to be negative things.
Ah, no, I am capable of many things; I just prefer them not to be negative things.
infirm
Afraid not, just poked my tummy and it's definitely solid and firm.
Afraid not, just poked my tummy and it's definitely solid and firm.
laid-up
No, I'm sat up at the moment, it's not bed-time yet
lame
ah, hm, close - movement, especially walking, is difficult or impossible,
ah, hm, close - movement, especially walking, is difficult or impossible,
maimed
Nobody did this to me.
out-of-action
If I weren't fighting the symptoms of osteoarthritis, I might go for that.
out-of-commission
Excuse me??? As all Armed Forces NCOs would say I work to survive.
paralyzed
Bah! My limbs move.
Bah! My limbs move.
powerless
Not until the electricity prepayment meter runs out of cash.
Not until the electricity prepayment meter runs out of cash.
run-down
Never in my knowledge has a car hit me and run over me.
Never in my knowledge has a car hit me and run over me.
sidelined
Never been a game player, so can't have been sidelined.
Never been a game player, so can't have been sidelined.
stalled
This is a house, not a stable, I'm not a horse even though my wife sometimes nags me (geddit?).
This is a house, not a stable, I'm not a horse even though my wife sometimes nags me (geddit?).
weakened
Yes, true, but so is a tree branch when half cut through.
Yes, true, but so is a tree branch when half cut through.
worn-out
No, I'm not a piece of clothing.
No, I'm not a piece of clothing.
wounded
No holes in me that shouldn't be there.
No holes in me that shouldn't be there.
wrecked
Not sunken, not crashed, not wrecked.
Not sunken, not crashed, not wrecked.
So it looks like I can't rely on a "proper" old-fashioned word, it'll have to be more modern, more street-speak. The problem is I don't do street-speak!
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