I quite like political correctness. It just seems like good manners. Being conscientious of other people's feelings or preferences isn't a burden, it's a gift. It builds trust and comfort. And like all good manners, a dash of debonair respect helps a good time swing. But critics of political correctness have one decent point. If we get obsessed with it, heightened language-awareness becomes stuffy and dull. Like the table manners expected at Buckingham Palace. Yes, we're all correctly using the precisely appropriate salad fork. But are we having fun? Hell no.