Dyslexic? Would this offend?

Alessandra Kelley

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Since college, some friends have referred to me as having "temporal dyslexia" when I get excitable and start talking about historical events as if I had been there. It's been a running joke among friends.

I was considering using the phrase publicly, but it occurred to me it could be insensitive. Technically it ought to be "dystempia" anyway, although that sounds line a canine disease.

Would the use of "temporal dyslexia" in a humorous context be offensive? Because it's totally optional and I'd rather not use it if it's cruel.
 

Maryn

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I'd use it. It seems quite comparable to adding -aholic to a word to make it an addiction. I don't think alcoholics find that offensive, and I doubt dyslexics are going to be bothered by this.

Maryn, weighing in
 

Kitty Pryde

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I wouldn't use it because it makes no sense. Time-related difficulty reading? What? I would assume the speaker has a poor grasp of word roots. I would call you chronologically impaired or temporally challenged. Temporal fixation, perhaps?
 

veinglory

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In my opinion it only makes sense once explained--which makes it not really a great expression to use in the first place? Like, I know a great joke but I'll have to explain the punchline....
 

Guardian

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Yeah, dyslexia really refers to reading and such, and so it kinda doesn't fit what you're trying to describe. That in itself could lead some people to tearing you apart for using it. Not me, though. :D
 

Alessandra Kelley

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Thanks, everybody. All good points. It's a seriously cutesy old in-joke, anyway, like an ancient family nickname. That it's grammatically suspect was part of the joke, sort of like "OK".

Dyschronic sounds better than dystempic, but I think overall I just won't use the phrase.