I have been seeing the word “Canuck” around the boards a lot.
When I was in junior high, we read an essay in English class called “Johnny Canuck is a Yuk” detailing how Canadians were looked upon as basically harmless, backward neighbours of the U.S.; ones that put extra letters into words, wore lumberjack jackets and toques, but didn’t particularly contribute to society. This is now the impression that I get when I hear the word ‘canuck’.
To me, it’s akin to calling a German person ‘kraut’ or Italian person ‘wop’. I just don’t like it, and I would like to know others’ opinions of it.
Never even occured to me that it was a slur, to be honest - in fact, I don’t think it is. Certainly not anymore than refering to an American as a “yank” is.
I’ve never seen it used as a slur but rather an affectionate nickname for our nearby neighbors to the north, who put up with the idiocy of the US but still stand by us.
But then, most of the Canadians I know take the insults aimed at them and turn them into badges of twisted honor. To quote a Simpsons episode (and my coworkers), “Dey think I’m slow 'cause I’m from Ca-na-da, eh?”
Since it does offend you, it wouldn’t be out of line to ask people to refrain from using it around you.
I always figured it couldn’t be too much of a slur; after all, the Vancouver NHL team calls themselves the Canucks. If the term were akin to “kraut” or “wop” I doubt they’d do that.
That being said I am pretty sure I have never used it to describe any of my Canadian relatives or acquaintances. You can’t be too careful.
While we’re collecting and sorting slurs, I think Wop is for Koreans (though I’m quite probably wrong), and guinea is another one for Italians.
Oh, and re: team names . . . the Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians, and Washington Redskins? Indigenous peoples to this continent get plenty mad about those names, though not all of them (I’m partly descended from two such tribes and I’ve nothing against 'em).
You don’t like Canuck? I won’t call you one. There are other Canadian posters who don’t seem to mind (some consider it an endearing term), though I don’t think that should serve as a benchmark for you or others.
Having just watched The Untouchables (I love that movie), they use both ‘wop’ and ‘dago’ as slurs on Italians.
I’ve also heard ‘dago’ on the show Faulty Towers as being a slur against Spanish people.
I remember seeing Richard Pryor doing a stand-up bit about going into a neighborhood populated by Puerto Ricans, blacks, Italians and shouting “Guinea! It means all of ya!” Does anyone else remember this, as I fear I may be misremembering the bit.
But I never thought the term Canuck was anything meant as a slur or a put down, just some friendly joshing, along the lines of calling me a ‘yank.’
And, in one of the greatest unrecognized jokes in Simpsons history (I’ve found no reference to this in the Simpsons Archive or in any of my Simpsons books) the Canadian kid’s name is later revealed to be Gordie. GORDIE. As in Howe. Cracks me up every time, and I don’t think anyone else has noticed it.
Just like Rod and Todd being numbers 6 and 66 on the football team.
I’m not bothered by the term “Canuck” (beside the NHL team, the CF-100, the first Canadian built and designed jet fighter was called the Canuck). On the other, you better smile when you call me “Frog” or “Pea soup”.
My mom taught me growing up that it is not polite to refer to people as ‘wop’ ‘polack’ ‘frog’ etc. To this day I have a hard time calling a person from India and Indian, 'cause around here we call 'em Natives.
Canuck can’t be an insult. I mean, people call Wolverine a canuck, and really…who’s going to dare to insult Wolverine?
snkkt!!
Tsugumo (I have no idea of the origin of the word though…Vancouver Canucks is where I first heard it and I’ve never heard it used as an insult, except for canuckle-head, which is more amusing than insulting, heh)
Grenouille!