[DanZ]

I find these to be interesting examples of English word change.

Gay, - In the 50’s it used to mean someone happy. Today it is means ????

Queer - In U.K. English, again back a few years ago, it meant odd, strange, not normal. Today what does this mean ???

There are other less “striking” - not offensive bastardizations of English. Is this good, is this bad ??? History marches on

[SampleMan]

Queer was aptly used to describe men and women that were odd. Rich people were eccentric or dandy, everyone else was queer. It was so often used to describe homosexuals that it became the primary meaning of the word. When it became a noun, it also became offensive.

I'm guessing that gay was a euphemism invented in the inner bowls of NYC trust-fund snobbery, to describe socially critical homosexuals.