# "Chinese" cuts **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 19, 2008, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240 "2008-09-19T01:20:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\ **Post date:** [September 20, 2008, 9:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/21 "2008-09-20T09:27:13Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Yeah, good luck enforcing that right. Well, I’ve asserted it a few times and I’ve always had a sense of forthcoming support from the other non-assholes in the queue. I’ve also supported others who have asserted that right. It hasn’t happened often, but when it does a few steely stares and a bit of grumbling usually sends 'em packing. I don’t remember this sort of thing happening when I was a kid, either. There were lots of free-for-alls, but not so much in the way of carefully planned queue-jumping with accomplices. I’m guessing they would have gotten beaten up. Maybe the girls did it, but I don’t remember that either. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2008, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/22 "2008-09-21T21:18:21Z")
> [@acsenray](#): > > Yeah, good luck enforcing that right. What’s the difference with the guy just cutting in front of you? How do you enforce that? If they are more and/or bigger than you then you are screwed no matter what and if you are more and/or bigger than them then you just toss them out on their ear. The fact is than in an adult setting with someone to enforce order that would not be acceptable in any way and everyone behind in line would complain. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/23 "2008-09-22T00:02:27Z")
> [@sailor](#): > > The fact is than in an adult setting with someone to enforce order Adult setting? We’re talking about schoolboy hijinks, aren’t we? The reason that “Chinese cuts” works is that playground justice doesn’t allow for enforcing line privileges all the way to the end. ---
**Author:** ![scm1001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c4cdca/32.png) [@scm1001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scm1001)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/24 "2008-09-22T03:43:50Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > And on the “Chinese this and that” theme, there’s an unintentional shot in cricket called a “Chinese cut”. . and not forgetting the chinaman spin delivery in cricket ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/25 "2008-09-22T03:59:27Z")
> [@TheLoadedDog](#): > > Well, I’ve asserted it a few times and I’ve always had a sense of forthcoming support from the other non-assholes in the queue. I’ve also supported others who have asserted that right. It hasn’t happened often, but when it does a few steely stares and a bit of grumbling usually sends 'em packing. > > I don’t remember this sort of thing happening when I was a kid, either. There were lots of free-for-alls, but not so much in the way of carefully planned queue-jumping with accomplices. I’m guessing they would have gotten beaten up. Maybe the girls did it, but I don’t remember that either. Apropos quote: “I’ll tell you what. Maybe if you got a note from each of these people saying that it was all right, then we’d reconsider, but until that day, take a hike you elitist fraternity scumbag.” ---
**Author:** ![First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/First_Amongst_Daves)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/26 "2008-09-22T11:48:33Z")
What about the etymology of a “Chinese burn”, where you grab the forearm of your unsuspecting comrade and twist the skin in opposite directions? ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/27 "2008-09-22T11:58:21Z")
When I was in grade school, lined up one day, the kid in front of me proposed “Chinese cuts”: He put his hands on my shoulders and rotated us both around 360 degrees. So that we wound up in the same positions as where we started. I guessed this rather pointless diversion was just a way to alleviate the tedium of waiting in line. I’m glad this thread wasn’t about the “death of a thousand cuts.” ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/28 "2008-09-22T12:06:00Z")
> [@First\_Amongst\_Daves](#): > > What about the etymology of a “Chinese burn”, where you grab the forearm of your unsuspecting comrade and twist the skin in opposite directions? That’s an Indian burn! “Indian” is/was often used to denote something that is fake- “Indian summer” is unseasonably hot weather, etc. In this case it feels like a burn, but it’s not really a burn. ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/29 "2008-09-22T13:58:26Z")
> [@even\_sven](#): > > That’s an Indian burn! “Indian” is/was often used to denote something that is fake- “Indian summer” is unseasonably hot weather, etc. In this case it feels like a burn, but it’s not really a burn. Chinese burn over here, bud. Again, China/India is obviously interchangeable, as per Cecil’s explanation. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/30 "2008-09-22T20:52:31Z")
We always called it “gypping”. As in, if someone cut in front of you without permission, you’d say “Hey. You GYPPED me!” in outrage. The “chinese cut” version of this is “If you let me gyp you, then you can gyp me”. Never heard of any of the other terms. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/31 "2008-09-22T20:57:09Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > We always called it “gypping”. As in, if someone cut in front of you without permission, you’d say “Hey. You GYPPED me!” in outrage. > > The “chinese cut” version of this is “If you let me gyp you, then you can gyp me”. Never heard of any of the other terms. It’s really interesting how so many of the names for…well, lousy social manners…are ethnic in nature. ---
**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/32 "2008-09-22T21:17:06Z")
We called them “back cuts”, as in, “Hey, can I back cut you?” How unoriginal. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2008, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240/33 "2008-09-22T21:51:38Z")
> [@malkavia](#): > > We called them “back cuts”, as in, “Hey, can I back cut you?” How unoriginal. Yeah, but at least you weren’t bad mouthing an ethnic group. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chinese-cuts/464240.md?page=1)