Words from all over the world that were once insults or racial slurs...

Factual Questions
1

What I’m asking:

To different degrees racial, classist, and nationalist slurs often go from being insults to becoming either a badge to be proud of or at least something to joke about.

I want to know about any words in any languages that used to be considerable personal attacks, but are now either somewhat acceptable (I guess this would be the n-word, as a lot of people use it without the gravity it once had) to normal speech (perhaps the words we use for various Indian tribes, whose English names are actually the insulting nicknames that other tribes used to call them – this was mentioned several times in 1491 )

The only other example I can think of is “Fighting Irish.” A teacher I once had who had studied at Notre Dame said that the term was once incredibly insulting, but then it was embraced. (is that true?)

Why I’m asking:

I recently asked my girlfriend to give me the best translation of “The Only Redhead in Taiwan” (the title of my website) into Chinese. What she gave me was “紅髮台客”?

“Is that an exact translation?” I asked.

“No,” she said, “It’s a cute way of saying it.”

Well, after putting it on my site, I got an email from a more experienced expat in Taiwan who wanted to inform me that many people who read my site and understand Chinese may be offended by “Taike” (the last two words in the sentence), as it was the term that Chinese immigrants used to refer to the “low class” Taiwanese natives.

If I’m not mistaken, the word means “guest” or “Taiwanese guest,” which is to say that the Chinese emmigrated to Taiwan, told the natives they couldn’t speak their languages and then called the natives “guests.”

As the emailer put it, it’s the Taiwanese equivalent of “nigger.” In fact, though, I get the impression that it’s much more like “redneck.”

In any case, it’s been embraced by younger Taiwanese people, and it’s once powerful impact seems to have become in some cases a joke and in others a badge of pride.

I don’t know everything about this. I’m working on learn Chinese, reading up on the last two centuries of Taiwanese/Chinese history, and talking to as many people I can. If I’ve made any mistakes in my recounting, feel free to correct me.

If you’re interested, here are some articles on the aforementioned subject .

2

We’re actually coming full circle on some of these terms. To “welsh” on a bet, for example, means not to pay it. Initially it was an insult to the Welsh, then its origin was forgotten in many places and it became common English, used without a thought of its connection to Wales. Now, it is considered insulting once again.

w.

3

That reminds of how a while back people started saying that you can no longer tell someone they “suck” because it’s insulting to gays. I don’t know if it’s true that the term was used in that way to call someone gay (ie “You suck dick”), but it became a part of everyday speech for all of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s. Though, towards the end of the latter decade a lot of people started saying that it was wrong to say it.

4

“Yankee”

5

Was forgotten? Everywhere I check, the origin of the word’s meaning as “not pay on a bet” is listed as either “Perhaps from Welsh” (the people) or “Origin unknown.” Anyway, I’ve usually seen it spelled as welch. That makes me wonder how the grape juice company of that name got so popular.

6

“Dutch treat” or “go Dutch” is generally not regarded as offensive these days, I think, although in origin a reference to supposed Dutch stinginess.

7

Here’s a better example: Chicano, which was originally derisive or a slur and now is often used as a term of ethnic pride.

8

The easily-offended lobby don’t like to admit to ambiguity about etymologies. The same as with ‘nitty-gritty’ (sometimes explained as reference to the bottom of a slave ship, with no supporting evidence) and ‘niggardly’ (interesting quote on Etymonline)

You’re more likely to hear ‘paddy’ used in a humerous or ironic way nowadays than as an insult. And ‘taking the mick’ has mostly lost its similar origins.

9

While it’s far from a badge of honor, I think the word “honky” has lost most of its sting and is most often used in a joking fashion.

10

In Australia, the term “wog,” originally used as an insult to describe people of Mediterranean origin (mainly Greeks, Lebanese, Italians), has lost much of its original venom and force.

This is partly because the term originated at a time when Australia was almost entirely Anglo-Saxon in composition, and there was considerable antipathy towards the “swarthy” types from southern Europe. Now that Greeks etc. have been in Australia for quite a while, there is rather less racist animosity towards them than used to be the case.

Also, many “wogs” began to appropriate the term, and to use it among themselves as a badge of pride. This appropriation was most obviously demonstrated with the formation of a comedy troupe, consisting mainly of Greek Australians, called Wogs Out of Work.

While some Australians (especially some old-school types) still use the term “wog” in its original, derogatory sense, it is more often used in an ironic or playful manner nowdays. And the disempowerment of the word as an insult has actually progressed far enough now that, in some cases, regular Anglos can call someone a wog without it being taken as an insult, as long as the word is used with an appropriate level of friendliness and familiarity. But i think it’s still better to err on the side of caution, and not use it at all.

It seems to me that the decline of prejudice against people of Mediterranean origin in Australia, and the decline of “wog” as a mortal insult, was, to some extent, simply an indication that Australian prejudices were being directed elsewhere. At the same time that prejudice against Greeks and Italians and Lebanese was declining, many Aussies were transferring their animosity to Asians, such as Vietnamese, Thais, and Cambodians. This coincided with the large influx of Asian refugees during and after the wars in Indochina during the 1960s and 1970s. And while the racist insults applied to Asians (the most common when i was growing up was “slopehead”) have declined in use over the past couple of decades, they are still prevalent enough that they have not lost any of their power to hurt, and they have not been disempowered in the way that “wog” has.

11

I cringe at reading the word ‘wog’ and would never consider using the word. It sounds like terrible 70s style spiteful jocular racism, not that I’m old enough to remember that firsthand. As far as I know it has not been rehabilitated in the UK like it has ‘down under’.

12

The word Fenian has gone from a term for a supporter of Irish Nationalism to a sectarian term of abuse in Northern Ireland and Scotland.

13

Taking the mick doesn’t have similar origins. “Taking the mick” is a short form of “Taking the mickey”. There are two plausible explanations for the term and neither has anything to with the Irish.

A mickey is the bull equivalent of a teenager: sexually but not physically mature, usually from 8-18 months old. Taking the mickey out of a bull is literally castration and the expression is referring to taking the aggression from someone prone to respoding to needling.

The second explanation is simply that it is rhyming slang for “taking the Mickey Bliss”. ie piss.

“Take the mick” is one variation on taking the mickey, “Extracting the Michael” and “Taking the Mike” are also variations, but each derives from “taking the mickey”, which has nothing whatsoever to do with the Irish or people named Michael. Basically this seems to be another case of Welched and Niggardly where people are trying very hard to find something offensive when no evdience of offence exists.

14

Canuck is listed is my ancient dictionary as being “offensive”, yet it is the name of a hockey team, so maybe it isn’t so offensive anymore.

15

This Simpsons thread goes off on a tangeant about Cletus hanging a “coon” from a tree.

16

“Coon” with reference to a racoon was never offensive, while “coon” in reference to a black person is still highly offensive, so I don’t think it fits the OP. In fact, I think “coon” in reference to a raccoon is less likely to be used today because of the other sense.

17

I don’t think Canadians in Canada have ever had a problem with the term, just the opposite in fact. I seem to recall that it has been used as a term of offence in New England, specifically as applied to French Canadian migrant workers.

18

A prime example is “queer.”

19

General feeling is this has nothing to do with Wales.

One suggestion is that it derives from the German word “welken” which means “to fade”. It is supposed to refer to dishonest continental bookmakers, who would slide away when it came time to pay out their debts.

It’s true that many people now object to it, but (as noted) this is based on spurious - or at least inconclusive - etymology.

20

My understanding of ‘Wog’ is actually quite different from the Aussie view.

I understood WOG stood for Worthy Oriental Gentleman, and was coined by the colonial powers in Asia to address the locals of nonsubjugated (Thailand, i.e.) nations.

Of course, in no time it was shortened to Wog and became a slanderous term for any Asian.

And then there is POM. Which I understood initially meant, Prisoner of their Majesties, meaning the British crown. Originally used as a slur against Aussies it was very quickly turned around to mean the citizens of Britain and it’s colonies. The REAL prisoners of their majesties! :smiley:

This is a very interesting thread!