Oops! Don't say "dinosaur"
New York City’s new sensitivity guidelines for standardized tests ban 50 undesirable words that might “evoke unpleasant emotions” in students, including “dancing,” “dinosaurs,” and “birthdays.” Fundamentalists might be upset by dinosaurs and dancing, while Jehovah’s Witnesses don’t celebrate birthdays. Also banned are “Halloween” and “junk food.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Rob Jetten: the centrist millennial set to be the Netherlands’ next prime ministerIn the Spotlight Jetten will also be the country’s first gay leader
-
Codeword: November 4, 2025The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
JD Vance wades into choppy religious waters about wife UshaTHE EXPLAINER By emphasizing his hope that the Second Lady convert to Christianity, the Vice President of the United States is inviting controversy from across the religious spectrum
