Hunkie is a derogatory term for Hungarians. Bohunk is similar, covering both Bohemia and Hungary with just one derogatory term. Economical.
Gook is simply the Korean word for ‘person, human being’. And while we’re on it, bint is simply the Arabic word for girl. Both of these terms carry neutral connotations, because they refer to all people en masse, and all young females en masse. It’s only when foreign military forces occupying a country learn these words that they decide to make them into slurs. We’ve seen a new instance of this spring up recently: the Americans calling all Iraqis “hajji” to disrespect them. Probably because in Arabic *hajji *is a term of great respect.
Hunky may or may not have originated as a slur against Hungarians specifically. In areas where the term is still in use, like Pittsburgh, it now more widely refers to people of central and eastern European extraction. Further, I can’t remember the last time I heard it used as an actual slur. The only people who still use the word at all are the hunkies, of whom I am one, and it is actually somewhat of a self-identifier.
My sister looked this up not long ago, after one of my students said to me, “No kidding! You’re a guinea?” So the term is still around, although that’s the first I’ve heard it in a couple of decades. I’ve heard “wop” more recently. I still find them both ridiculous and offensive. I don’t have a cite since I didn’t research it myself, but “guinea” is supposed to be a shortened version of the term “Guinea African,” referring to the dark skin [relative, I assume, to the speaker’s] tone of some Italians.
My mother’s side has some Norwegian ancestry and my mom’s mom always said that ‘troll’ was used as a slur for Norwegians. Has anyone else heard that?
In any event, I also come from a line of krauts, which is interesting as it’s one of the few food-based ethnic slurs I know of. The other is rosbif, for ‘roast beef’, which is an old French slur against the British. Others?
Apollyon: ‘Limeys’ as well. ‘Banana’, ‘Coconut’, and ‘Oreo’ are more cultural than racial, perhaps. I’ve never heard of ‘Garlic-eaters’ or ‘Curry-munchers’, myself.
Yes, the acronym is real and it’s, as Chronos says, a backronym of sorts. The ancient Christians started using fishes as a symbol because of the connection with the original profession of several of the apostles, of the “I’ll make you fishers of men” (paraphrased from Spanish and from memory) and of the acronym, which I guess someone kind of bored came up with (no boob tube back then, you know).
The mildly derogatory is fertile ground for humor. The term is unknown in American English, except among fans of that one movie. According to a British book about sexist language, *Womanwords *by Jane Mills, *bint *was learned by British forces occupying Egypt, and they used it as slang for prostitute. Mills says the connotation has “ameliorated slightly,” but is still kind of derogatory.
It all gets a bit mixed up: race / culture / ethnicity. Would “Limey” get applied to a Brit of West Indian origin? Would “Banana” get applied to someone who wasn’t Asian? (Actually not one I’m familiar with outside of the Wiki list). Not rhetorical questions; I’m really don’t know.
“Coconut” tended to get used locally for Polynesians (and without regard for them “acting White”… whatever that means) – though I haven’t heard it lately, thankfully.
“Curry-muncher” feels a couple of generations old… haven’t heard it for ages, and can only really imagine it in the mouth of some British equivalent of Archie Bunker.
Do they sled a lot in SE Michigan?
One commentator w/ too much time on his hands suggested that Shakespeare really “meant” “pole-axes” a heretofore non-existent weapon.
