While popular usage is extremely versatile in coining ever new short-lived synonyms, old terms with originally no pejorative colouring may come to be considered inappropriate over time.
For example, queer can be used as an insult by those seeking to deprecate homosexual, bisexual, and transgender or transsexual people, but the word has also undergone reclaiming, such that it can be used positively within that community.
The most common slurs directed against men historically include accusations of being a passive homosexual (Aristophanes notably enjoyed using such allusions) or of being effeminate; for example, in the Hittite military oath, oath-breakers are threatened with being made into women (a promise of either actual castration, or of divine revenge on the traitors' manhood).
The popularity of contemporary comedians who indulge in sexual humor, from George Carlin to Andrew Dice Clay, reflects the appeal of this form of speech.
[citation needed] With the advancement of the internet and social media, it has gotten increasingly easier to communicate and share information rapidly and to a wide audience.