We were always referred to as “Black.” I know the term “UK Black” gained some currency in the 80s and 90s.
Now the racial epithets, that’s fodder for another thread…
We Germans have always been enchanted with the “Wild West”, to the point of once trying to make our own Westerns.
I have since discontinued it, but used to get German movies on my satellite dish, and saw one of those poorly-made (but well-intentioned) films.
One of the signs in their version of whatever town it was, read Unternehmer.
Yeah, it means “Undertaker” translated literally, in English, but in German it just means “enterpreneur”.
Yeah, I’m splittin’ hairs, I know, but the correct term would have been “Leichenbestatter” or “Beerdigungsinstitut” or for short (since us Krauts love to make such long words) : Beerdigungen. (“Burials”).
It’s only been like three years ago I saw that film, but I remember laughing so hard I was about to bruns meine Hosen, Mensch! 
Don’t we have a wrestling guy named “The Undertaker”?
Can you imagine a wrestler with that name entering the ring in Germany?
"Ich bin…
Der Unternehmer!****"
I am… “The Enterpreneur”!
I know, I know: “What’s that got to do with your OP, Quas’, and aren’t you hijacking your own thread again???”
Sorry, kids, but I have to find my humor where I can! 
Quasi
Schoolmarm for teachers.
My grandmother and some of her contemporaries used to refer to “tooth dentists”, a redundancy I never understood that while not pejorative would count as archaic.
There’s a lot of words for professions that have remained but the profession is almost completely different.
Surgeon for example: it’s still used and still refers to somebody in the medical field, but today a surgeon is at least among and often the most skilled, educated, high-prestige, highly paid and highly respected type of medical professional. It used to be among the lowest of medical professionals- a guy who did amputations or set broken bones or patched wounds, more like an EMT or ER nurse, except unlike EMTs and ER nurses it only required a few months of training; it was an occupation about on par with midwifes who could be completely illiterate and yet it wouldn’t hurt them in their field.
Physicians were the professionals you went to if you were sick and they were incomparably more respected- they had to either go to school or else serve a lengthy apprenticeship and their knowledge was a lot more holistic.
Among the oddest namechanges is restauranteur. Today it means a person who owns a restaurant, but at one point (admittedly this was centuries ago) and in some places it meant a person who gave enemas. (Enemas were known as restaurants or ristorantes from the Latin word for ‘restore’, because they ‘restored’ regularity and were believed to restore health by getting toxins out; enemas went through a floating buttload of popularity between the 16th-18th centuries.)
When I hear archaic, I don’t think of words that were in common use a decade ago.
Anyway, I nominate dragoman.
Just an idea, in that I’m a Brit and don’t find ‘bloke’ offensive, is maybe because an American was saying it?
I could imagine some Americans being offended if I was to call them ‘bub’, for example, even though its not that offensive, really. It’s a colloquial term like bloke but might sound bad coming from someone you wouldn’t expect to use it?
Again, it’s just mere speculation, but I know what I mean!
I agree. Maybe the bloke just had a bad day, and that’s how he reacted to my Dad?
Also dragoman: I had to look it up. Meant “interpreter” at one time, right?
I’d be willing to bet that word wouldn’t be in use at The United Nations these days.
Congratulations, Gala Matrix Fire! 
Q
Hooray for me!
Here are two more: chandler and cooper.
They make candles and barrels, respectively. Or does it have to be a profession that is still practiced?
Just thought of an obvious one: scribe.
I dunno about archaic, but so far as old-fashioned derogatory terms go, there’s “shyster” for lawyer
From William Safire: “thumbsucker” for “pundit” (itself slightly arch). As the man would have known full well.
:)Wellllll. it kinda has to do with a profession which once had a name considered “acceptable” in its “day”, but “frowned upon” now…
Consider the word “whore” for example.
In Germany (and other countries), that is considered a profession, right?
However, if a school-friend ever asked some kid what his Mom did for a living, he might not say, “Well, she’s a whore”, would he?
In Germany (if he chose to answer at all), he might say “Sie ist Prostituierte” (“She’s a prostitute”), which would be perfectly fine.
But move that same question to the US, and that term might change from either of the two aforementioned, to… what…?
I rest my case.
In the US, it appears to be a “silent profession”.
Thanks
Quasi
I jump every time someone who doesn’t know me from Adam (always on the internet) calls me “mate.” “Me mates don’t call me mate, an’ if you do it again you’re gonna eat boomstick, got that?”
Quasi, the term you’re looking for is “Public Relations Specialist,” much to the chagrin of those who really want to work on clothing-compulsory PR.
Some terms which are common in the local hospital but you have to be part of the “in” crowd to be able to use them without needing the hospital’s services: vampires (blood bank and blood-sample-takers), frankenstein (morgue), the NASA folk (the lab techs, who never see a patient and have lots of computers).
Nava, have we sunk that low… really? :(
And yes, thanks also for those other “nicknames”, which we (in my case former) hospital folk agree with, and may I add “Diener” as someone (with no prior medical training) who assists with autopsies?
Not that this name itself is “derogatory” (and perhaps I should chide myself for insinuating such a thing in the OP), but in German “Diener” means “Servant” , “Server”. or “Butler”.
I capitalize some nouns as part of my German heritage and also claim “Poetic License”
I would also like to add that y’all honor me with your contributions to this thread!
I spend a lot of time (it pisses D off when my ankles swell) in front of the computer these days, and it’s like talking to friends when I can write my thoughts here.
Thank you very much, Kids!
Love,
Quasi
Worthy of a song, at least.
I was functioning on very little sleep, and thought those two statements combined well. Glad you figured out what I meant. The actor thing is just something I’ve noticed on late night talk shows.
My favorite slang term for a physician (not heard much these days) is “croaker”.
In William Burroughs’ writings, he refers to preferred docs who’d come across with narcotic prescriptions as “croakers who’ll write scrip”.
Mrs. J. and I approvingly describe our current primary care docs using the same terminology.
Pssst!
I just “noticed” my excessive “use” of quotation “marks” again!
I’m trying to do “better”.
Really!
“Jesus Christ”!
Quasi
How about “sleuth” and “gumshoe” for investigator or detective?