# Does the product name "Jig-a-loo" offend anyone? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 18, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851 "2011-02-18T20:57:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/1 "2011-02-18T20:57:49Z")
Without searching to see how the name originated (or it’s country of origin,) tell me if the product name offends you. Later I’ll let you know which of my friends are/are not offended and why/why not (if you’re interested!) It’s an invisible silicone-based lubricant, fyi. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/2 "2011-02-18T21:02:40Z")
Am I offended? No. Is it a name others would understandably be offended by? Yes. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/3 "2011-02-18T21:03:58Z")
It sounds like a toilet cleaning device, something like a toilet snake. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/4 "2011-02-18T21:10:26Z")
It sounds quite similar to a term once used for African-Americans here in the Old South. Hmmmm… let me remove my rose-colored spectacles and amend that to include that some benighted individuals still use such terms. Sigh. I just checked and, yes, it is still the 21st century. However, it also sounds like a great name for a fishing lure. So there! ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/5 "2011-02-18T21:22:05Z")
Seems _extremely_ ill-advised. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/6 "2011-02-18T21:41:23Z")
It doesn’t mean anything to me, although it sounds rather lame. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/7 "2011-02-18T21:44:40Z")
Wasn’t there a “Denny’s” type restaurant named “Sambo’s” which either went out of business or changed its name because of the racial prejudice the name invoked? Same goes for this product. Hell yeah, it’s offensive. Q ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 18, 2011, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/8 "2011-02-18T22:10:59Z")
No, it’s not offensive, but many people will misread it and assume it means the same as _jigaboo_. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/9 "2011-02-19T00:29:33Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Wasn’t there a “Denny’s” type restaurant named “Sambo’s” which either went out of business or changed its name because of the racial prejudice the name invoked? [There’s one left.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambo%27s) ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/10 "2011-02-19T00:34:18Z")
Our window installer steered us toward Jig-a-loo to keep them from sticking, and we had the same thoughts. Works great, though. mmm ---
**Author:** ![CT\_Damsel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CT\_Damsel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CT_Damsel)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/11 "2011-02-19T00:48:11Z")
It should be the name of a manual toilet. You must jiggle the entire bowl to get the stuff to go out. ---
**Author:** ![zombywoof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/9e8a1a/32.png) [@zombywoof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zombywoof)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/12 "2011-02-19T00:53:28Z")
Doesn’t offend me personally, but given that some people will be offended by absolutely anything (just look at the hubbub over the “Skinny” Diet Pepsi can in the news this week) I’m amazed an actual product is called that. ---
**Author:** ![seanchai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@seanchai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/seanchai)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/13 "2011-02-19T01:22:39Z")
I had the mental image of having to jiggle the loo (toilet) handle to get the loo to flush. So no, don’t want the product in my home. an seanchai ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/14 "2011-02-19T01:32:03Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Wasn’t there a “Denny’s” type restaurant named “Sambo’s” which either went out of business or changed its name because of the racial prejudice the name invoked? > > Same goes for this product. > > Hell yeah, it’s offensive. > > Q Sambo was an India type Indian. He also outsmarted 3 hungry tigers. Not sure what about that is offensive . . . 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 1:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/15 "2011-02-19T01:34:04Z")
> [@seanchai](#): > > I had the mental image of having to jiggle the loo (toilet) handle to get the loo to flush. > > So no, don’t want the product in my home. Yeah, that’s pretty much what went though my head. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/16 "2011-02-19T01:42:53Z")
> [@seanchai](#): > > I had the mental image of having to jiggle the loo (toilet) handle to get the loo to flush. > > So no, don’t want the product in my home. Well, I never! Jig-a-loo doesn’t offend me. In fact I could probably land some big bass with it. But yeah, I can see the potential for it being a bit of an issue. ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/17 "2011-02-19T01:58:58Z")
> [@Heyoka13](#): > > Sambo was an India type Indian. > > He also outsmarted 3 hungry tigers. > > Not sure what about that is offensive . . . > 😕 Yeah, I know, and you’re right: why should it be offensive? It shouldn’t be, given your description. But somewhere in time _somebody_ decided to associate that name with a hatred for black people. It pissed enough people off and they made an issue of it. End of story. Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Heyoka13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Heyoka13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Heyoka13)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/18 "2011-02-19T02:13:34Z")
> [@Quasimodem](#): > > Yeah, I know, and you’re right: why should it be offensive? > > . . . . > > End of story. > > Quasi We’re SDMB!! It is a challenge from the ignorant masses to right this wrong! Cecil would be proud!! ---
**Author:** ![Quasimodem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e274bd/32.png) [@Quasimodem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quasimodem)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/19 "2011-02-19T02:22:31Z")
You’re paraphrasing my comments, aren’t you? Please don’t do that. There was much more in what I wrote than what you decided was at issue. My thoughts were as complete as I could manage. Were yours? If I mistook this for sarcasm, tell me. Thanks Quasi ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2011, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851/20 "2011-02-19T02:29:02Z")
> [@Heyoka13](#): > > We’re SDMB!! > > It is a challenge from the ignorant masses to right this wrong! > > Cecil would be proud!! Little Black Sambo was a dark Indian child, not African. It was written by a Scottish author who wrote children’s books based in southern India deemed racist in the American South because they are a slur on black Africans. If that is not a major league intellectual fuck up, I don’t what is. Tigers don’t live in Africa for god sakes. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-the-product-name-jig-a-loo-offend-anyone/571851.md?page=2)