"Mouth-breather" as a derogatory

[otakuneko]

I know, it may seem odd, and quite a few people use it without a second thought.

But for me, it's not just close to home, it's dead center on the plate.

I breathe through my mouth. I always have. Maybe I was born with a stuffed up nose. I could believe it. Even when I'm not having allergy troubles, I can barely breathe through my nose. Thus the mouth-breathing, and along with it, the need to have gum or breath mints with me all the time, as it makes me very self-concious about my breath. Just ate Italian? It's not like I can hide it by keeping my mouth shut. I quite literally can't keep my mouth shut. I can try, but my oxygen-starved brain eventually forces my mouth open for air.

I'm not dumb, either. I may be a little (alright, a lot) socially inept, but I'm not an SC or EW, and you won't see me on Jaywalking any time soon.

So there you have it. Some can't help it.

And incidentally, knuckle-dragger is extremely insulting to certain primates.

[Greenday]

When my nasal passage is actually clear, I do both. I don't generally pay attention to it, but I just find myself do either/or. Though, when my sinuses are screwed to hell, like now because my new insurance doesn't cover allergy medicine, I do a lot of breathing out of my mouth. It sucks.

[Norton]

I'm a mouth-breather too. As long as I can remember, I've breathed through my mouth more than my nose, and never realized it was odd. A dentist pointed it out to me within the last year. My pallet is much higher than normal because of breathing through my mouth as a small child.

I'm just not comfortable breathing through my nose for long periods of time. I find myself yawning from the lack of oxygen when I try, and my nose dries out and feels unpleasant.

The only negative thing I find about being a mouth-breather is that less-experienced dentists have more trouble working on me. My intelligence is in no way diminished because of it, and having a high pallet may be why I have a nice singing voice.

I don't take offense when I hear the term mouth-breather being used in a derogatory way, though. I know it's not really a bad thing, so it just doesn't bother me.

Interesting topic to bring up, though. I wonder how many of us there are out there?

[Lace Neil Singer]

I've never actually used it as an insult; I use "numpty" more so, mostly cuz some people don't realise what it means. XD Also, would you consider "nutswinger" insulting? That's more of a Metal Sludge term, meaning someone who is obsessive to the point of stupidity about a band or singer. XD

[Boozy]

I'm not familiar with "numpty" but I sure like the sound of it. Enlighten me as to its meaning, Lace?

[Lace Neil Singer]

XD It basically means someone who's an idiot. As in "My collegue was a right numpty today."

[Amethyst Hunter]

*waves* Fellow mouth-breather here. Never thought it was odd either, and I don't get how it becomes an insult.

[Plaidman]

I've always breathed through my nose, but I sleep with my mouth open. Go fig.

[Devilboy]

Habitual Mouth-Breathing is not normal for humans.
It is an oddity if someone habitually breathes through their mouth and not their nose.

Mouth breathing is a serious matter. In children of growing age, it may have devastating effects on general health and growth. Many seemingly unrelated conditions are related to mouth breathing.

Source: http://www.sarkissiandds.com/articles/1009.html


As to how/why it is derogatory:

You see the term "mouth-breather" used when someone is compared to the "mentally challenged."
The slack-jawed, open gape of a mouth-breather can make a person appear as a simpleton to some.

One also sees it in a context such as, "I had to sit next to a mouth-breathing, sweating lump for 12 hours last time I flew overseas."
The "mouth-breathing, sweating lump" is a euphemism for an overweight person.
Basically, people use it when they are talking about fat people.
Many extremely overweight people do breath through their mouths. This makes them to always appear out of breath... presumably a result of the extra strain on their lungs.

[anriana]

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=numpty

Apparently it's Scottish.

[Shangri-laschild]

I also tend to breath through my mouth a little more readily as opposed to my nose. Until about 2nd grade I had enlarged adenoids which meant that I couldn't smell anything and had very limited sense of taste. It also meant that breathing from my nose was harder for me. I also tend to have a low level stuffy/runny nose during any cold weather and sometimes during warm weather too. It means that even if I do breath through my nose, I don't tend to get air in as well and during the times when I can't breath right (still trying to find out why for that one) I have to breath through my mouth to get a full breath in as breathing through my nose will only deprive me of air and make me dizzy.

Most of it is habit though because during normal day to day breathing, I can breath out of my nose and get air in fine usually. Years of breathing through my mouth have been very habit forming, but my expensive chapstick costs have been helping me remember to breath through my nose more though. Other than the chapstick cost though there's really not much of an internal push for me to break the habit (though I would say it's probably 50/50 at this point).

[Boozy]

After reading how many people breathe with their mouth open, I decided to watch my customers and co-workers carefully yesterday. A lot of people breath through their mouth. And only one or two of them actually looked stupid, and I'm not sure that the mouth-breathing was even a factor in that appearance.

Of course, there's also a cold going around that causes nasal congestion, so that might have been a factor.

My very non-scientific, highly-localized study has concluded that "mouth-breather" is not an accurate term to describe someone as stupid, but it still makes this researcher's husband chuckle.

Now - how many of you also drag your knuckles?

[Shards]

Hey guys! Guys! I have snot in my nose, have ever since I was born! I'm not an entitlement whore, but I think I'm entitled to not have people say snot-nosed brat around me! Guys! Guys!

Alright, that came out more patronizing than it was intended to, but that doesn't change the fact that you're making a mountain out of a molehill.

Are you aware that the term 'rule of thumb' was originally used to refer to a law that stated that a disobedient wife could be beaten with a stick that would be no thicker than her husband's thumb? I'm sure that's offensive, but women in general don't let that little tidbit stop them from saying it.

I sympathize with you, but I really think that it's something that you just need to take in stride, get over it, and keep on keepin' on.

Just my $.02

EDIT: If you're just venting, carry on. This post was made because it sounded to me like you were actually trying to say people in general shouldn'y say it, or should be forced not to say it. In which case, this applies.

[AFPheonix]

Personally, "troglodyte" is my favorite derogatory term for morons.

[kiwi]

I have always taken "mouth breather" to be those people that huff and puff right in your face rather than just the general public who breath through their mouth

Ive had a few puffers, one young teen was such a huffer my arm was ON FIRE by the time I could get away from him, he stood maybe 2 inches away from me (I kept moving back and everytime he would move closer) and BREEEETHED on me every few seconds

the other mouth breathers are smokers who breath their disgusting smelling breath right in your face.... holy crap talk about instantanious vomit!

I breath through my mouth when my nose is blocked, but dont consider myself a mouth breather because my huffing and puffing doesnt go on right in peoples face!