# So is ''swarthy'' politically incorrect term nowadays? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078 "2005-01-16T21:12:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/1 "2005-01-16T21:12:37Z")
I have an acquaintance who related a story where she was talking to two of her friends, and described someone in her story as “swarthy.” Both her friends upbraided her for using a “racist” term like that. So, is that a bad word, now? (All three women are mid-40s WASPs.) ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/2 "2005-01-16T22:37:36Z")
As a person who loathes and avoids general knowledge of PC etiquette… yes, I do have to say that it grates on my nerves. Gosh sakes, what are you speaking, Tolkeinese? It’s 2005. No one’s “swarthy.” ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/3 "2005-01-16T22:40:28Z")
Gosh, I hope not. I love the word “swarthy”. It sounds exotic and makes me think of Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow… ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/4 "2005-01-16T22:42:23Z")
I don’t know how this is supposed to be racist. And Google (normally supplying plenty of revolting links) doesn’t help. Without evidence of any racist connotation, I’d be happy to continue using the term. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/5 "2005-01-16T22:46:48Z")
I don’t really think of it as code word for black. I’ve always thought of “swarthy” as being descriptive of Arabic or Mediterranean skin tones like Greek or southern Italians. ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/6 "2005-01-16T22:48:39Z")
I’m a black male in my 30s and I wouldn’t consider it politically incorrect, racist or insensitive. But then, my tolerance of descriptive (if somewhat archaic) racial terminology endures more than most. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/7 "2005-01-16T22:49:54Z")
I’ve heard swarthy used to describe certain Europeans like Greeks and residents of Slavic countries. Dark hair and skin. The men usually have thick and abundant facial hair. The women are usually shorter and stockier than most “Western” women. I haven’t heard the word used in quite some time. In fact the last time I can recall hearing it was in the lyrics for [“Creepy Girl”](http://www.mst3kinfo.com/ward_e/Song204.html) from MST3K. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/8 "2005-01-16T23:03:53Z")
Count me in among those who thought that “swarthy” referred to certain groups of darker skinned white people, especially those from around the med. ---
**Author:** ![SteveG1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@SteveG1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SteveG1)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/9 "2005-01-17T01:08:17Z")
To me “swarthy” means dark, but not black, and weathered. Images like sword wielding Bedouins, or pirates. I don’t know why, it just does. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/10 "2005-01-17T01:28:46Z")
I have, with remarkable consistency, been referred to as swarthy (Sicilian, if you must know). I take no offense. Though Johnny Depp is a imperceptably better looking, I guess. You, know, if you like that stunningly handsome, charming and wealthy combination. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/11 "2005-01-17T02:04:22Z")
I think this is one of those cases in which some people are just too damn touchy. OK, so yes, _SOME_ people _sometimes_ use swarthy as a euphemism for "not my ideal shade of ‘white’ ", but really… ---
**Author:** ![yBeayf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e274bd/32.png) [@yBeayf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yBeayf)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/12 "2005-01-17T04:15:23Z")
I’ve never ever heard “swarthy” as referring to black folks – it’s always used to describe the Mediterranean look, anything from Monica Bellucci to Jeff Goldblum to that Lebanese guy down the street who sells falafel. Most of my family is swarthy, being descended from Sicilian and Calabrian stock. I, alas, could be better described as pasty. \ ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/13 "2005-01-17T06:33:17Z")
I would not consider “swarthy” racist either. Like others here, I think it means dark in hair, tanned or olive colored skin. “Swarthy” is often beautiful, and I don’t associate it with any particular race, just certain physical characteristics. It’s not negative to me, anymore than “fair” is negative. It’s just a way of describing someone’s appearance. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/14 "2005-01-17T07:08:13Z")
> [@Larry Borgia](#): > > Count me in among those who thought that “swarthy” referred to certain groups of darker skinned white people, especially those from around the med. I agree with **Larry** , and while I don’t consider it a particularly good term (there are other, clearer ways to describe "darker skinned person of Mediterranean extraction), I don’t see it as Politically Incorrect either. Like **Larry** , I consider that it references “olive skinned” and similar people, of Caucasian ancestry – that it might be used for a black person never entered my mind until I opened this thread. It’s the antonym for “fair” in describing skin color within the “white” category of people, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Nobody](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/94ad74/32.png) [@Nobody](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nobody)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/15 "2005-01-17T13:19:07Z")
I’ve heard it used on TV and radio and have seen it in magazines, and never as offensive, just as a synonym for olive complected. ---
**Author:** ![monica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@monica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monica)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/16 "2005-01-17T13:59:31Z")
I hear “swarthy” and for some reason, immediately think of pirates. I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/17 "2005-01-17T14:08:13Z")
> [@monica](#): > > I hear “swarthy” and for some reason, immediately think of pirates. I don’t know why. Me too! I suspect it was used in Treasure Island(novel), though. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/18 "2005-01-17T14:12:36Z")
Heave to Dopers, we mean to board this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5e9695/32.png) [@Licentious\_Ectomorph](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Licentious_Ectomorph)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/19 "2005-01-17T15:09:02Z")
I almost chose “Swarthy Nordic” for my user name because I have dark hair and eyes, as opposed to the blond and blue often expected of people of Norwegian ancestry. However, I decided on just plain “Nordic” because I don’t think I quite qualify as swarthy; I too perceive the term as describing a somewhat darker skin tone, with no racist connotations. Political correctness has gone too far when you can’t describe someone in perfectly factual and accurate terms without its being “racist.” ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078/20 "2005-01-17T15:12:22Z")
When I’m griping about my 5 o’clock shadow at 9 o’clock, my wife will tell me I’m “just swarthy”. Not sure where I’m going with this, but I don’t think swarthy is a derogatory term. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-is-swarthy-politically-incorrect-term-nowadays/285078.md?page=2)