I'm just trying to figure out if that term is still supposed to be a reference, to, well, teabagging, or if it's just what they're called now? Is it still meant to be innuendo, or is merely derisive in the sense that any colloquial term used by lefties to refer to righties is?
I'm afraid I can't answer that. Speaking only for myself, I never think about um... teabaggers IRL or talk about them, so the only time they ever even cross my mind is online, when somebody else brings them up.
When I think of the group I think of them as teabaggers as that's the name I hear. I'll admit I certainly had a "tee hee" moment when I first heard of them on the Rachel Maddow show, particularly in conjunction with NOM and the sexually suggestive campaign name they used, but I don't think of any connotations to the name when I use it now.
I don't know what else to call them. Tea partiers? I try to refrain from using terms that others may feel are snide or mocking (I like my insults to be clear
), so if members of this movement think teabagging is inappropriate, I have no problem using another term. I asked you with the idea that you belong to the group.
As another example, I wonder if right-wing and left-wing are appropriate terms, or if they carry a connotation of fringe or loony sentiments. I tend to use righties and lefties to refer to the handedness of people.
