# Isn't "raghead" an ethnic slur? **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 10, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812 "2014-12-10T02:01:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/1 "2014-12-10T02:01:55Z")
I know the rules are loser in in the Pit, but I thought that ethnic slurs were still not allowed. [Raghead is OK?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743070) ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/2 "2014-12-10T02:08:12Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I know the rules are loser in in the Pit,… They are looser too in the pit. But I agree with you too. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/3 "2014-12-10T02:09:13Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > They are looser too in the pit. But I agree with you too. That would be “looser, too, in the pit”. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/4 "2014-12-10T02:11:06Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > That would be “looser, too, in the pit”. 😃 Guess I’m the loser. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/5 "2014-12-10T02:18:10Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Guess I’m the loser. Or your grammar is looser. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/6 "2014-12-10T02:28:44Z")
I think it might be. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/7 "2014-12-10T02:32:15Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Or your grammar is looser. Are you gonna let him talk about your grandma like that, **Morgenstern**? ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/8 "2014-12-10T02:44:42Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Are you gonna let him talk about your grandma like that, **Morgenstern**? Gramper can defend grammar, I really didn’t like her. She was a looser. ---
**Author:** ![Lobohan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobohan/32/79_2.png) [@Lobohan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobohan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/9 "2014-12-10T02:46:45Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > Gramper can defend grammar, I really didn’t like her. She was a looser. Well, Gramper was pretty well hung. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/10 "2014-12-10T02:47:22Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I know the rules are loser in in the Pit, but I thought that ethnic slurs were still not allowed. [Raghead is OK?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=743070) Did you report the post? It was just a few hours ago. We can’t exactly expect round the clock coverage. I agree that it is against the rules but give them a chance to get to it. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/11 "2014-12-10T03:23:02Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Did you report the post? It was just a few hours ago. We can’t exactly expect round the clock coverage. > > I agree that it is against the rules but give them a chance to get to it. Agreed, particularly since isn’t there only 1 mod who covers the pit and I’m sure Miller does have a thing called a life that something keeps him away. Miller doesn’t strike me as the type who has much patience for bigots. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/12 "2014-12-10T05:24:24Z")
[OK, question answered.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17963967&postcount=36) ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/13 "2014-12-10T17:08:37Z")
Interestingly enough, “raghead” in the Pit gets a Warning. “Black Repiglickin” [in MPSIMS](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17964914&postcount=9)gets a gentle “dial it back, pls”. Go figure. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/14 "2014-12-10T17:10:00Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > Interestingly enough, “raghead” in the Pit gets a Warning. “Black Repiglickin” [in MPSIMS](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=17964914&postcount=9)gets a gentle “dial it back, pls”. Go figure. > > Regards, > Shodan both are insults. One the first is a racial slur. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/15 "2014-12-10T19:03:44Z")
Also, **Squall Winds** doesn’t seem to hate everybody, so he’s probably a bit farther from the line than **Chetumal**. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/16 "2014-12-10T19:10:33Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > both are insults. One the first is a racial slur. I took the "black Repiglickin’ " to be a racial slur. The implication is that there’s something wrong with a black person who chooses to support the Republicans. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > Also, **Squall Winds** doesn’t seem to hate everybody, so he’s probably a bit farther from the line than **Chetumal**. So whether a term is a racial slur is subjective, depending on the assessment of the motives of the person using it? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/17 "2014-12-10T20:50:01Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > So whether a term is a racial slur is subjective, depending on the assessment of the motives of the person using it? :rolleyes: No, I was referring to however much of a history someone has of being a \ and how many warnings they’ve received for it. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/18 "2014-12-10T20:51:38Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I took the "black Repiglickin’ " to be a racial slur. I frankly don’t see how it can be anything else. But I have been confounded before - IIRC “oreo” or “house negro” are not considered racial slurs either. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/19 "2014-12-10T20:53:18Z")
In my mind, one is a racially based insult and the other is a slur. They’re two distinct things. A slur is a word historically used to diminish an entire ethnic group. Just putting the word “black” in an insult doesn’t make it a slur, it’s a specific insult directed at a specific person or subset of people. I think they’re both shitty, but one is a slur and the other isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2014, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812/20 "2014-12-10T21:54:48Z")
> [@GrandWino](#): > > Just putting the word “black” in an insult doesn’t make it a slur, it’s a specific insult directed at a specific person or subset of people. Putting “black” in doesn’t make it a slur; it makes it racial. The “pig-licken” part is what makes it a slur. Regards, Shodan [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/isnt-raghead-an-ethnic-slur/706812.md?page=2)