Arata said:
My answer depends on your definition of 'epithet'. Not to put too fine a point on it, but 'epithet' in the context in which I used it ("a religious or racial epithet") means "a defamatory or abusive word or phrase". The second meaning is "a descriptive word or phrase". (Source: WordNet r 1.7; see also www.m-w.com et al.) With that in mind, my avatar is an epithet of the second meaning. It is distinguishable from the first meaning, because it is not defamatory. Defamation is an offensive false statement. In this case, the statement expressed in my avatar is not false; it is true: Dali Racing did rip me off.
Moreover, the offensive phrase "G-D" is a coarse expletive for which any number of nonoffensive expletive phrases would do. As an expletive, no information is conveyed by the substance of the expression itself. Contrastingly, "ripped me off" is a descriptive term which expresses that Dali Racing stole from me, $400 in fact. Actual information is conveyed by that statement. In the former example, the form of the expression is offensive but the content is benign, and could easily be expressed in a respectful, non-offensive manner. In the latter, the content is, shall we say, what it is: no matter how you say it, the fact remains that Dali Racing Ripped Me Off. To the extent it is offensive, it is not so because of my expression. It is so because of Dali didn't refund my $400 core charge as promised.
Still waiting for robr's answer to my question.
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