“mentally retarded” and “mentally challenged”

There is no difference. “Mentally challenged” is now considered the polite way of referring to someone who has a mental disability. “Retarded” is considered offensive.

 Here are some more politically correct terms that are often used these days. “Horizontally challenged” (fat person), “vertically challenged” (short person), “aesthetically challenged” (ugly person), “visually challenged” (needs glasses), and “physically challenged” (has a physical disability). There are many more politically correct terms. Here’s another one for the road: “petroleum transfer engineer” (the man at the petrol station who fills petrol in your car)!

S. Upendran , The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, January 28, 2003

“pommy”

“Pommy” is what the Australians call the English. It is considered to be an offensive term.

As you probably know the first Englishmen to settle in Australia were convicts who were rotting in English prisons. As the prisons were becoming overcrowded, His Majesty’s Government decided to get rid of the unwanted criminals by shipping them off to Australia. When the prisoners were on board the ship, they were made to wear shirts with the letters POHM printed on them. “POHM” stood for “Prisoner of Her Majesty”. “POHM” began to be pronounced “pom”, the “o” sounding like the “o” in “hot” and “pot”.

S. Upendran , The Hindu- ‘Know Your English’ Series, January 28, 2003