<html><head></head><body><div style="color:#000; background-color:#fff; font-family:garamond, new york, times, serif;font-size:13px"><div dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082" class=""><span id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158081" class="">The use of gypsy as a contra dance term is almost as offensive as a contra dance containing a shadow swing. (JUST KIDDING)</span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082" class=""><br clear="none" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40253" class=""></div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082" class=""><span id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158177" class="">I would suggest a response of the following nature:</span></div><div dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082" class=""><br clear="none" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40258" class=""></div><blockquote id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158477" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082">Hello _______</div><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082"><br clear="none" class="" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158359"></div><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082">As you noted, (i) you were impressed by the <i id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40265" class="">friendliness </i>of the dancers, the quality of the musicians, and the overall <i id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_159428" class="">fun</i> of the dance; and (ii) this was probably the best first experience Iyou had when meeting a new dance community. </div><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082"><br clear="none" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40269" class=""></div><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082">On the political spectrum, contra dancers on average are far to the left of center, with quite a few very far to the left. They would not tolerate a term with intent of disparaging any group.</div><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082">The term gypsy (walking around another dancer shoulder to shoulder) has been used in contra dancing ever since the motion was introduced into contra dancing--probably several decades ago. [<i>Insert information about the origin of the use of gypsy from previous posts on this thread.]</i></div><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082">Many words and expressions have origins long forgotten in the context of their current usage. You can find many examples of such at </div><a rel="nofollow" shape="rect" class="" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158668" target="_blank" href="http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/words-literally-changed-meaning-through-2173079" style="color: rgb(25, 106, 212);">http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/words-literally-changed-meaning-through-2173079</a><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082">In xx years of contra dancing, yours is the first lament about this word that I ever heard. For contra dancers the word has no other meaning than walking around another shoulder to shoulder.</div><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082"><br clear="none" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40277" class=""></div><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082">Our contra dance community takes great pride in the friendliness and fun of our dances</div></blockquote><div dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082" class=""></div><blockquote id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158715" style="margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; border: none; padding: 0px;" class=""><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082">Hope to see you at our next dance.</div><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082"><br clear="none" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40284" class=""></div><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082">Regards,</div><div class="" dir="ltr" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158082">____________</div></blockquote><div id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40288" class=""></div><div id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158117" class=""> </div><div class="" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158119"><br clear="none" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40292" class=""></div><div class="" id="yiv3048496932yui_3_16_0_1_1445478082344_158119" dir="ltr">Michael Fuerst 802 N Broadway Urbana IL 61801 217 239 5844</div> <br><div class="qtdSeparateBR" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40318"><br><br></div><div class="yahoo_quoted" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40353" style="display: block;"> <div style="font-family: garamond, new york, times, serif; font-size: 13px;" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40352"> <div style="font-family: HelveticaNeue, Helvetica Neue, Helvetica, Arial, Lucida Grande, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40351"> <div dir="ltr" id="yui_3_16_0_1_1445719741672_40350"><br></div> </div> </div> </div></div></body></html>