There have been a few occasions on this forum where several of us have objected to the word "spastic" being used to describe jerky movements. It seems that no one in the U.S. knows how offensive this word is. So much so a U.S toy company have tried to launch a Transformer toy called "Captain Spastic"
The reaction has been quite obvious as detailed in this story:-
Discussing this with one of my children last night he said he thought there was a toy called Captain Scope (joke for the U.K. only)
I'd always go for "jitter" if it's small and "thrashing" if it's a large movement. Mind you some may question the last one 
It does work both ways. My son just came back from the U.S. and when he said "I am just going outside to smoke a fag" they were horrified.
Translator's note:-
U.S. - I am going out to shoot a homosexual
U.K. - I am going out to consume a cigarette
Could've been worse - he could've tried to bum a fag.
Bum == scrounge
My wife worked with and became good friends with a British woman a few years ago, but the first few months were rough. Wife said she would suddenly become aggressive and stand-offish for no reason. They finally narrowed it down to the fact that when the British woman said something my wife didn't hear or understand she would say "What?" which here in the US is a casual way of saying "I didn't hear/understand that, could you repeat it?" but over seas is considered rude and disrespectful. I suppose quite a lengthy message for such a small word I've never felt offended when it was said to me.
P.S. Isn't a "fag" also a bundle of small sticks or twigs? Either way, I've known about it's use as a term for a cig for years so i guess it doesn't bother me.
I am not really sure when spastic became generally OK, as a kid it was used in a negative meaning to those with muscle control problems, which unless you were a crackhead or something was usually not under your control and really should not be made fun of
Faggot is also a meat dish in the Midlands.
But then there used to be a bus company called PMT*, so they're all a bit odd.
*Potteries Motor Traction.
I've also read that "can I knock you up in the morning" can raise eyebrows in the US.
I am not really sure when spastic became generally OK, as a kid it was used in a negative meaning to those with muscle control problems, which unless you were a crackhead or something was usually not under your control and really should not be made fun of
I grew up in California, during the whole "valley girl" years (1980s, mainly); the term "spaz" (and "awesome", "rightous", "gag me with a spoon", "gnarly", etc) was used to denote someone being shifty/stupid/waffling/moody - that kind of thing.
Its roots were in the whole "medical" term of spastic and spasm; allover uncontrollable body tremors, that kind of thing, and it was a word of denigration - but I don't remember it being offensive...
Stupid, yes - but offensive? I guess we didn't have many real people with spastic problems around in my town...?
Meh - old word nobody in their right age uses, anyhow, I would hope...
:-/
I don't really have anything to add, I just wanted to say this thread has amused me.
I used to share a house with a cerebral palsy sufferer. He walked in to a Scope shop and demanded the contents of the till, the staff were absoltuely flummoxed.
Isn't rubber classed as rude in the US or something?
Instead they use 'eraser' which to most people in the UK sounds weird.
A "rubber" is a condom. So you wouldn't use a condom to correct a mistake, you use it to prevent one. ;D
Also hearing someone say "Put on your rubbers, it's wet outside." just sounds wrong.
the term "spaz" (and "awesome", "rightous", "gag me with a spoon", "gnarly", etc) was used to denote someone being shifty/stupid/waffling/moody - that kind of thing.
This sentence of mine was a little "spazzy", I'll admit.
I didn't mean to imply that those other terms ("awesome", "rightous", "gag me with a spoon", "gnarly", etc) were equivalent in meaning to "spaz" (they obviously aren't), but I didn't word that sentence properly...
...thus my being a "spaz"...
;D
I caught that but was going to let it go. (Grew up with a sister who was a bay area version of a valley girl)
I've never really used "spastic" and never knew it could be offensive. But, again here in Cali, we grew up with "spazing out" which is like "freaking out".
I guess the equivalent here in CA/the states is "retarded" which was used A LOT growing up. Although I have used it I'm a bit torn on my feelings for it. I won't say I haven't used it in the last year cause that would be a lie, but I don't use it often.
And living in the bay area with San Francisco just 20 minutes away "That's so gay" is another term that is used quite often but has a large group that can be offended by it.
"That's so gay" is another term that is used quite often but has a large group that can be offended by it.
El Goonish Shive - 2003-03-12 
(superior web comic, IMO. Though not much to do with this crowd.)
We used to wind up the septics with British slang all the time when they visited from the US office.
Rhyming slang, septics = septic tanks = yanks.
US, we referred to the Un Serviceable office.
They got very wound up when one the girls slapped one of the Helpdesk guys on his backside when he was under her desk. The visiting US girl actually reported the British girl for sexual harassment.
They couldnt understand what was going on when we would start a conversation by slagging each other off, jokeingly, before we got down to business.
It usually took at least 6 months till we broke them in to a British sense of humour.
Gordon
Best UK joke I heard this week.
(Ireland prime minister on the economic measures)
"Well, we have good feedback from UK and US, all we are waiting for is the response from U2"
In the UK, both 'spastic' and 'cripple' are pretty unacceptable.
So much so, that its a struggle to write them here.
Its almost as disrespectful as the N word to refer to someone who is black.
I was shocked when my nephew who has lived in the US most of his life, introduced us to his cat called 'Spaz'!
Hope you don't think everyone in the US is that stogy. If you could only sit in on one of our meetings. The VP (yes, Vice President) of our department takes pot shots at us and keeps score on a white board. Of course we do our best to do the same and he'll put our name up and keep score as well.
USA perspective
I've known more than one person who called one of their animals "SPAZ" and I'm sure they meant it in a most comical, loving and positive way.
Of course, then there are words I have no clue what they mean initially. A coworker, originally from the UK, says his cousins are all "chav"... I'm thinking WHAT is Chav? Like "little shavers"? I have no clue.
Then he says: Go to HULU.com and watch a show called "Little Britain"... he says Vickey Pollard is "chav" I'm like... oh... we have those in the US too with a different name.
I pity the Etymologists...
... and anyone trying to learn English... I mean... "which English are you learning?"