# If "Paki" is acceptable to use then what other slurs are? Nigger? Spic? Homo? Jap? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [July 16, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375 "2012-07-16T02:51:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/81 "2012-07-16T16:58:21Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Do you think it’s at all possible that the UK military may have slang all its own? Given that possibility, do you think it’s possible not to refer to someone from another country who hasn’t heard the term as either forgetful or ignorant? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/82 "2012-07-16T17:00:30Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > Wrong. You’re either forgetting or are ignorant of its many military slang usages: Actually that still seems offensive. Getting back to the actual discussion: > [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Well, I don’t know about spic but homo can definitely be used in a non-pejorative sense. So, yes, actually it is a word with multiple connotations. Leaving biological terms like _homo sapeins_ out of it, the word is always offensive. And it’s pretty difficult to think of a situation where you couldn’t tell if someone meant homosexual or homo sapiens/habilis/whatever. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/83 "2012-07-16T17:01:59Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I was in the military, and I _never_ heard the term until you brought it up today. I’m guessing you weren’t in the UK, Dutch, Aussie or Kiwi forces, right? ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/84 "2012-07-16T17:02:37Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Well, you should. As has been explained, it’s not commonly used as a slur in some places, like the USA for example. Actually, I don’t think that’s quite right. It’s not used as a slur in the USA because it’s not used at all. I’ve never heard an American use the term. I would say that if an American knows the term at all, he knows it’s a slur. ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/85 "2012-07-16T17:02:45Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > People have argued on this very thread that “Paki” is just a shortened version of Pakistani and that was truth seeker2’s rather unconvincing explanation for his use of the racial slur. You’re still on about how ‘unconvincing’ he was, inspite of my post. Care to respond to it(post #27), instead of repeating your allegations again and again? > [@](#): > > Well, as has been noted by other posters, Trutherseeker2(who’s previous contributions to the board were discussion of the mental inferiority of certain races) was using it in a “dismissive and derogatory fashion”, Wow. Dishonest much? Here’s his post in which he ‘discusses the mental inferiority of certain races’. > [@](#): > > 06-24-2012, 04:11 PM > Hi All, I am a 26yo male from Delhi. Came across this very nice forum and wanted to register. > > On topic, I believe IQ depends on mostly on education but also on genes n culture n eating habits. > In 1947, when the British left India, india had literacy rate of just 16%, now its arnd 75%(still quite low). So the avg. IQ would have increased significantly from '47. I remember we had an IQ test when I was in school, almost everyone had scores in 130’s, 140’s n few 150’s. So the avg IQ figure of 81 for India maybe outdated. I think whites, Hispanics, Indians, East Asians all have almost similar avg IQ. Maybe Blacks have slightly lower average. Although I think whites are by far the most inquisitive n innovative(different from IQ) people followed by Indian n East Asians. > > An Indian I believe, is much less prone to psychological disorders(depression , OCD etc). Because of prevalence of yoga(acceptance , meditation for self-realization), plenty of sunshine, plenty of people(so less chances of insulation from society) in India. But these are cultural n environmental factors not genetic. It’s his first post, he’s clearly not familiar with board culture, and/or the way arguments are typically presented. He notes in the very opening line that he thinks education is the primary determinant for IQ. The primary thrust of his post is to clarify his position on Indians. Then he says, “Maybe Blacks have slightly lower average”. In his entire post he uses one short sentence, with fewer words than you use to reference it, to ‘discuss the mental inferiority of certain races’. And he prefaces that sentence with a “Maybe”. He ends the post stressing the importance of cultural and environmental factors. Yet you decide it’s ok to throw in a reference to this post to tar him and establish his racist credentials. Good job. Oh but hang on. You’re not done yet. You have feathers in the offing. You claim > [@](#): > > Well, as has been noted by other posters, Trutherseeker2 … First of all, cite? > [@](#): > > (who’s previous contributions to the board were discussion of the mental inferiority of certain races) was using it in a “dismissive and derogatory fashion”, since he was discussing crazy Muslims are in the post. That post is reproduced below - > [@](#): > > Strange how even the educated people are blinded by islam. I was watching a youtube video showing policemen shooting dead a petty thief in karachi, a comment from a paki read - they shouldn’t have killed him. They should have chopped his hands off as per sharia. How is any part of this post, if you don’t consider the ‘Paki’ a racist slur, as I think you should, otherwise objectionable? Christopher Hitchens regularly got up on stage and said “To get good people to do bad things, you need religion”. Truthseeker2, who considers education a good thing, (see his post above), is clearly making a very similar statement. He’s just restricting the statement to Islam, and tacking on an example. It is dishonest to imply that he’s talking about ‘crazy muslims’ , and is therefore using ‘Paki’ as a racist slur. > [@](#): > > Based on the arguments you’ve made in this thread and your reasoning behind giving Truthseeker2 a pass for his racist comments, if a poster decided in one thread to complain about how Asian culture has crazy attitudes towards sex and then noted he’d seen a YouTube thread where a “Jap” fantasizes about fucking a 12-year-old girl and other posters complained followed by the poster refusing to apologize but merely claim, unconvingly that he was using the shortened term for Japanese not a racial slur, you would give the poster a pass and merely put a note on the thread declaring there were to be no more discussions as to whether or not “Jap” was a racial slur. Boy do your analogy skills ever need some work. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/86 "2012-07-16T17:03:15Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Do you think it’s at all possible that the UK military may have slang all its own? As will forces from all countries - I’d bet my house on it being the case. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/87 "2012-07-16T17:05:35Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Given that possibility, do you think it’s possible not to refer to someone from another country who hasn’t heard the term as either forgetful or ignorant? But he **was** ignorant of its use in the british military. No, Marley, homo in reference to a gay person is not always offensive. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/88 "2012-07-16T17:08:19Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > Well, you should. As has been explained, it’s not commonly used as a slur in some places, like the USA for example. It doesn’t even _sound_ appropriate. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/89 "2012-07-16T17:12:04Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > No, Marley, homo in reference to a gay person is not always offensive. That’s news to me, but I think this is a separate isue: I think you’re talking about reclaiming a word. That’s not the same thing as a word that has more than one meaning. Reclaiming a word is an effort to remove the sting of the slur, and that’s not the situation with “Paki.” ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/90 "2012-07-16T17:15:24Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > For the same reason that once ‘nigger’ was thought of, and used, as mere badinage - whereas, we both know, that that is no longer the case. There are places in the world where people have never heard or used the word ‘cunt’ - following your reasoning, does that then make it OK for anyone to wander to said place and fling the word around with gay abandon? > > If so - why? Sigh. What part of ‘Paki is half of a country’s name’ do you not understand? Here. Let me, off the top of my head, run a small exercise for how citizens of countries are often addressed. Australia - Aussie Britain - Brit Afghanistan - Afghani Denmark - Dane Sweden - Swede Saudi Arabia - Saudi Mongolia - Mongol Kazakhistan - Kazakh Turkey - Turk Are you beginning to notice a pattern yet? If not, allow me to spell it out for you. It is a common and perfectly normal practice for citizens of a country to be known by some dimunitive form of the name of their country. For Pakistanis (and in my view also Japanese), people, you’re insisting this should not be so because a bunch of hateful bastards co-opted the term at some point in the past. Nigger, kike etc. are nowhere near equivalent to ‘Paki’ , and/or “Jap”, and if only you would try to get out of your highly ethnocentric worldview for a second, you would realise why this is so. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/91 "2012-07-16T17:17:10Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > But he **was** ignorant of its use in the British military. Aye, and no shame in that. > [@Inner Stickler](#): > > No, Marley, homo in reference to a gay person is not always offensive. Agreed: the homo in _homo_sexual deriving from the Greek for ‘same’, and not the Latin homo, meaning ‘man’. Whilst homosexual _can_ be used pejoratively, I doubt you’d get raised eyebrows for saying ‘same sex’. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/92 "2012-07-16T17:19:42Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > Sigh. What part of ‘Paki is half of a country’s name’ do you not understand? Here. Let me, off the top of my head, run a small exercise for how citizens of countries are often addressed. > > Australia - Aussie > Britain - Brit > Afghanistan - Afghani > Denmark - Dane > Sweden - Swede > Saudi Arabia - Saudi > Mongolia - Mongol > Kazakhistan - Kazakh > Turkey - Turk > > Are you beginning to notice a pattern yet? If not, allow me to spell it out for you. It is a common and perfectly normal practice for citizens of a country to be known by some dimunitive form of the name of their country. For Pakistanis (and in my view also Japanese), people, you’re insisting this should not be so because a bunch of hateful bastards co-opted the term at some point in the past. Nigger, kike etc. are nowhere near equivalent to ‘Paki’ , and/or “Jap”, and if only you would try to get out of your highly ethnocentric worldview for a second, you would realise why this is so. With respect, you’re unconvincing arguements and somewhat blinkered approach here aren’t your best allies. Good luck with that. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/93 "2012-07-16T17:21:44Z")
We’re going off topic here, and I’d rather not see this thread turn into a list of racial and ethnic and other slurs. We know how these words came to be seen as offensive - because people used them that way. The issue is how they’re used. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/94 "2012-07-16T17:23:46Z")
> [@Farmer\_Jane](#): > > It doesn’t even _sound_ appropriate. Why? To someone who doesn’t already know that is used as a slur by some, it just sounds like a shortened version of a country’s name. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/95 "2012-07-16T17:27:42Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Why? T **o someone who doesn’t already know that is used as a slur by some, it just sounds like a shortened version of a country’s name**. What, until you’re informed to the contrary? Or are you advocating carrying on regardless, even after being informed? ---
**Author:** ![bldysabba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ecccb3/32.png) [@bldysabba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bldysabba)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/96 "2012-07-16T17:30:47Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > With respect, you’re unconvincing arguements and somewhat blinkered approach here aren’t your best allies. Good luck with that. **My** blinkered approach? Sheesh. Ok dude. May the hypocrisy (and misplaced apostrophes) be with you. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/97 "2012-07-16T17:32:00Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > With respect, you’re unconvincing arguements and somewhat blinkered approach here aren’t your best allies. Good luck with that. With respect, your tone is becoming inappropriate for this forum. > [@bldysabba](#): > > **My** blinkered approach? Sheesh. Ok dude. May the hypocrisy be with you. Please dial it back a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/98 "2012-07-16T17:36:41Z")
> [@bldysabba](#): > > Sigh. What part of ‘Paki is half of a country’s name’ do you not understand? Here. Let me, off the top of my head, run a small exercise for how citizens of countries are often addressed. > > \*\*Australia - Aussie > Britain - Brit > Afghanistan - Afghani > Denmark - Dane > Sweden - Swede > Saudi Arabia - Saudi > Mongolia - Mongol > Kazakhistan - Kazakh > Turkey - Turk > \*\* > Are you beginning to notice a pattern yet? If not, allow me to spell it out for you. It is a common and perfectly normal practice for citizens of a country to be known by some dimunitive form of the name of their country. For Pakistanis (and in my view also Japanese), people, you’re insisting this should not be so because a bunch of hateful bastards co-opted the term at some point in the past. Nigger, kike etc. are nowhere near equivalent to ‘Paki’ , and/or “Jap”, and if only you would try to get out of your highly ethnocentric worldview for a second, you would realise why this is so. Oh, and (with the exception of the slang term, ‘Aussie’, and the straight abbreviation of ‘Brit’, from British) the rest of your list are not mere contractions or abbreviations - they are actual [Demonym](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demonym)s (as you say, diminutive) forms of those nationalities you list - alas, and this is where your argument fails, wholesale, as “Paki” is not the diminutive or demonym for Pakistani, just as Aussie is not the demonym for Australian. _Quod erat demondstrandum_. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/99 "2012-07-16T17:37:22Z")
> [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](#): > > What, until you’re informed to the contrary? > > Or are you advocating carrying on regardless, even after being informed? I didn’t say, or even imply, either of those. I said that there is nothing in the term itself that leads one to automatically assume that it is a slur, **Farmer Jane’s** assertions to the contrary. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/2acd7d/32.png) [@Full\_Tilt\_Boogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Tilt_Boogie)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2012, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375/100 "2012-07-16T17:38:11Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > With respect, your tone is becoming inappropriate for this forum. Fair comment. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-paki-is-acceptable-to-use-then-what-other-slurs-are-nigger-spic-homo-jap/628375.md?page=6)