Political correctness is on the move again. The pc form of "Snow White And The Seven Dwarves" is now "Snow White And The Seven Gnomes" apparently because some people found "Dwarves" offensive to the short people to whom this word refers. It remains to be seen if it will hold, however. I agree with those linguists who say that popular preference always determines which words win out in the end.  ;)

P.S. Please see also any of the following articles:
http://search.msn.com/results.aspx?FORM=MSN8A&q=snow+white+and+the+seven+gnomes

Apparently some people don’t know that gnomes turn to stone if exposed to daylight. Poor Snow White ...

Next it will be "Snow White and the Seven Little People"

PC is just silly.

"Second-in-Line-Male-Heir-to-the-Throne Royal-Person-Charming"

"The Beauty-Challenged Duckling"

"The Three Little Ungulates"

Etc.

V

Very funny, VB!

I found this:

Recently, I heard on talk radio that there was a production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" being performed live in England. Only, the term "dwarves" has been deemed offensive by people who were born with the condition of dwarfism. So the musical is now being billed as "Snow White and the Guardians of the Forest." Which, as impressive as it sounds, evokes a much different image of the play. I confess I’ve only seen the Disney version of the story, but I don’t remember the little guys "defending" anything. And weren’t they miners?
Political Correctness strikes again.

Caucasian Male Origami Author

Sitran

[quote author=melissa link=board=omni;num=1130570693;start=0#1 date=10/29/05 at 06:17:15]Apparently some people don’t know that gnomes turn to stone if exposed to daylight. Poor Snow White ...

I thought that was trolls?

And if it is, there’s a certain person of canine persuasion around that should beware

Azh

Upon further research, it seems they are both in the turning-to-stone category. According to medieval scholarship (!)
Distinguishing characteristics:
Gnomes are hard-working intelligent creatures, therefore very defensive of their stores of gold. But otherwise friendly enough.
Trolls are ugly, malicious creatures who hide under bridges waiting to attack whomever passes by, and are known to constantly argue amongst themselves (!)
Compare ‘gnomic’ (ok it’s Greek but it fits) with the current usage of ‘troll’. I like gnomes, as long as they stay underground. Trolls should be banished. My opinion.

-melissa

Shouldn’t it be ‘Snow Caucasian’? ::)

Good one.

V

In Greece we say that for the same subject of argue or discuss  there are so much gno(w)mes as so many  greeks