deaf and dumb 

"Deaf and dumb" or “Deaf and Mute” or “Deaf-Mute” (or even just "dumb", when applied to deaf people who do not speak) is an archaic term that is considered offensive.

Many Deaf people do not use a spoken language, thus they are technically "mute". The word "dumb" has at least an archaic meaning that means "mute". Of course, the word "dumb" also has another more common meaning now that implies stupidity, which is certainly not applicable to most Deaf people.

Deaf-mute is a term which was used historically to identify a person who was either deaf using a sign language or both deaf and could not speak. The term continues to be used to refer to deaf people who cannot speak an oral language or have some degree of speaking ability, but choose not to speak because of the negative or unwanted attention atypical voices sometimes attract. Such people communicate using sign language. Some consider it to be a derogatory term if used outside its historical context; the preferred term today is simply "deaf".

Given the long history of deafness, and the fact that Deaf people have been incorrectly assumed to be mentally deficient just because they do not speak, you can imagine that most Deaf people do not appreciate being called "Deaf and Dumb". Today, anyone using the word "dumb" in such context is .... well ... dumb.

I just saw a deaf and dumb man driving a car today! How can Deaf people drive without hearing?

deaf and dumb by An Articulated S173NT April 22, 2018

deaf and dumb 

Someone possessing the exact opposite of the stereotypes of a deaf person, like the comic book character Daredevil, but in reverse/ Instead of possessing acute senses to make up for their lack of hearing, a deaf and dumb person would probably die of smoke inhalation after starting a cooking fire because they are too unobservant to see the spreading flames, smell the smoke, or feel the heat, or and too idiotic to remember that they were cooking something in the first place -- all as the fire eventually consumed the house.
They have no deaf or hard of hearing friends because they're too lazy to learn sign language. Instead, they force you to use a unique form of pidgin that's a mixture of pantomime, pointing, and sounding things out with your mouth until you both become frustrated and the deaf and dumb becomes angry that you made them put their hearing aid on because they "don't like wearing it." It usually takes them 20 minutes to find their hearing aid but god forgive you if you have somewhere to be, as anything other than patiently waiting will result in them screaming at you while you can't respond. Even if they are able to hear you, they often obfuscate obvious sentences into nonsense. To use the first example of the cooking fire, a family member might run up to them and yell, "The house is on fire!" Even after having a lifetime to learn lip reading, they would probably respond, "The mouse has gone prior?" or, "I'm already using the fryer!! Are you blind?"

I learned ASL to better communicate with my deaf and dumb mother, but she said it was too hard, like learning to text. Instead she insists on screaming into the phone then hanging up on me when she gets frustrated. She will die alone.

deaf and dumb by idgaf187 August 20, 2021

deaf and dumb 

Rhyming slang used to describe the Bum

Aaron= She's so kinky.
Pete= How?
Aaron= Well aftert a few drinks she'll do anything...even take it up the deaf and dumb.

deaf and dumb by Ragnarok Information April 27, 2006