There has been published work in Disability & Society showing that the social model of disability may be re-invigorated if its emphasis reflects current social conditions and their specific context and if relevant questions are applied to specific impairment labels by each country. In this paper, I further address the issue of terminologies, concerning the notions of impairment, disability, the social model, as well as some terms with negative connotations surrounding these notions. I argue that, in attempting to detangle part of language's complexity, it may be important to re-focus on the dynamic nature of relevant chameleon-like terminologies and their impact on attitudes towards disability, which seem to be prolonged. This scope, when coupled to a clearer focus on a materialist approach to disability, may act as a catalyst towards a re-invigoration of our understanding of the social model's potential. [Résumé d'auteur]