A year or so ago, I was going to help a stranger jump-start his car. He didn't have jumper cables with him, but I keep a set in all of my motorized vehicles. I generally assume (often rightly so) that folks who don't own a pair of jumper cables do not know how to correctly utilize them. Whilst giving him the 15-second explanation on their use, he interrupted me.

"Man... why black always gotta be NEGATIVE?"

I took my jumper cables out of his hands, tossed them into the back of my car and drove off, leaving him with his hood (and his jaw) wide open. I haven't the time for crap like that.

I guess you showed him.

I've had customers complain that using the terms whitelist and blacklist are offensive. We switched them to "allowed" and "denied."

Not to mention killing processes. And aborting operations!

And executing processes.

Don't even get me started on the male/female ends of a cable interface.

My ex-wife was not a native speaker, and I once asked her for the male end of an extension cord. Hilarity ensued.

I see I am not the only one who has awkwardly tried to explain what I need to baffled sales staff.