# Words I didn't realize were pejorative until later in life **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 22, 2024, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604 "2024-07-22T13:00:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/141 "2024-07-24T13:05:49Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > > [@crowmanyclouds](#): > > > > No. The term exists to pejoratively describe environmentalists as hiding their ‘’‘true anti capitalist agenda’‘’. > > Why the “No”?. Nothing I said is false. Whoever coined the pejorative clearly felt there were enough of them to be a concern Or wanted other people to think that was the only reason for expressing environmental concerns, so that they wouldn’t think those issues were real and would ignore them. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/142 "2024-07-24T13:20:48Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > The reason that German soldiers were referred to derogatorily as “Jerries” was because they wore helmets that looked similar to “jerrys” - British slang for “chamber pot” and probably an abbreviation of jeroboam Much more likely that it’s just a phonetic variant on “German”, just like “Japs” for “Japanese” or “Paki” for “Pakistani”. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/143 "2024-07-24T13:25:50Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Or wanted other people to think that was the only reason for expressing environmental concerns, so that they wouldn’t think those issues were real and would ignore them. Not at all inconsistent with what I wrote. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/144 "2024-07-24T13:34:04Z")
> [@eburacum45](#): > > > [@markn\_1](#): > > > > For “bint”, it agrees that it comes from Arabic but doesn’t note any racist connotations: > > > > > from Arabic bint daughter, girl, feminine corresponding to 'ibn son. > > Nonetheless, the term bint is derogatory and sexist, so it shouldn’t be used in any case. I got the impression, from British media, that “bint” is casually, rather than overtly, misogynist; that like “chick” or “babe”, it’s infantilizing, rather than explicitly derogatory. A distinction without a difference, perhaps. ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/145 "2024-07-24T13:55:02Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > Not at all inconsistent with what I wrote. I think that’s inconsistent with > [@CalMeacham](#): > > Whoever coined the pejorative clearly felt there were enough of them to be a concern which assumes that those pushing the term genuinely thought that a significant number of envirommentalists were actually Communists lying about their motives. Some of the people listening to those doing the pushing may have believed them. I doubt the people who started the pushing believed it. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/146 "2024-07-24T14:06:34Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > > [@bob\_2](#): > > > > The reason that German soldiers were referred to derogatorily as “Jerries” was because they wore helmets that looked similar to “jerrys” - British slang for “chamber pot” and probably an abbreviation of jeroboam > > Much more likely that it’s just a phonetic variant on “German” Yes, I’ve always assumed the Brits called the Germans ‘Jerrys’ because they called them ‘Jerry German’ and shortened it. I don’t have a cite. It’s just what I’ve assumed. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/147 "2024-07-24T15:03:32Z")
You’ll notice that in real estate shows on HGTV and the like, and in real estate listings, they are moving away from “master suite” or “master bedroom” in favor of “main suite/bedroom.” ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/148 "2024-07-24T15:09:58Z")
Just today, on a different message board, a poster used the word “mongoloid” to mean “idiotic”. It’s taking longer than we thought, indeed. (For those not up on the history of the term, “mongoloid” used to be a term for East Asians, and then morphed into a term for people with Down’s Syndrome, because some people apparently thought that the physical signs of Down’s Syndrome made people with it look Asian. And of course it was a small step from “has Down’s Syndrome” to “unintelligent in general”.) ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/149 "2024-07-24T15:12:13Z")
> [@minor7flat5](#): > > So has “oriental” passed from common usage completely? Nope. There’s a great Asian market near me named “Kim’s Oriental Foods and Gifts.” The name makes me cringe, but I’m pretty sure the Korean couple that own it don’t want to hear about it from me. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/150 "2024-07-24T15:13:09Z")
By WW2, when chamber pots were not so common, I suspect that many British people would have said the same. ---
**Author:** ![minor7flat5](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/minor7flat5/32/258_2.png) [@minor7flat5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minor7flat5)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/151 "2024-07-24T16:36:25Z")
That usage still fits the “oriental for things, Asian for people” rule. The fact that you found it cringeworthy makes me suspect that the aforementioned rule might have been appropriate 20 years ago, but less so today. Back in the 80s, few would have batted an eye at oriental being used for all cases, so there is a clear direction, and it wouldn’t surprise me if the “o” word were to be deemed no longer appropriate anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/152 "2024-07-24T16:52:58Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > “That sucks”. Back when “sucks” became a popular word meaning “awful”, I’m pretty sure it derived from oral sex. Nowadays, it’s pretty mainstream, to the point where I heard child characters using it on Full House. People are shocked to hear of the source. It may also have derived from the old expression “suck eggs” which has nothing to do with oral sex. > **[Urban Dictionary: suck eggs](https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=suck%20eggs)** > > 1) to come up empty in an attempt to achieve. 2) a command to 'get lost' or to 'buzz off'. often used in the form 'go suck eggs.' ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/153 "2024-07-24T18:57:30Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Just today, on a different message board, a poster used the word “mongoloid” to mean “idiotic”. It’s taking longer than we thought, indeed. The history of “idiot” isn’t great, either. Though if we go way way back far enough I think it originally meant something like “thinking only of oneself”, which often would apply. ---
**Author:** ![veryfrank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/87869e/32.png) [@veryfrank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/veryfrank)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/154 "2024-07-24T19:13:05Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > There’s a scene in one of George Macdonald Fraser’s MacAuslan novels - _The General Danced At Dawn_, I think - where the pipe sergeant of the narrator’s fictional World War II Highland regiment corrects another NCO when he refers to Afghan tribesmen as “n----rs”: “You shouldnae call them n----rs. They wasn’t n----rs; they wis wogs”. Fiction, but the MacAuslan novels are a very thinly-fictionalized account of Fraser’s time with the Gordon Highlanders immediately after the war. Strange, that’s almost verbatim to the scene in _Fawlty Towers_ cited above. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/155 "2024-07-24T19:38:48Z")
IIRC, the n\*\*\*\*\*s were a subset of wogs, just a darker brown; and even that didn’t exclude (Ashkenazi) Jews and Latins, as in the saying “the wogs begin at Calais.” ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2024, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/156 "2024-07-24T21:28:23Z")
> [@robby](#): > > It may also have derived from the old expression “suck eggs” which has nothing to do with oral sex. Unless you’re trying to [teach Grandma how to do this…](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teaching_grandmother_to_suck_eggs)… and if THAT’S the implication, ew. Just… ew. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/157 "2024-07-25T01:25:46Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > Though if we go way way back far enough I think it originally meant something like “thinking only of oneself”, which often would apply. It came from classical Greek meaning “private”, which then became a word meaning “private person” or “ignorant person”, which went into Latin with that meaning, which went into Old French and then into Middle English with the current meaning. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/158 "2024-07-25T02:19:16Z")
_The Fairly OddParents_ has changed the name of a character called Poof. > **[Animated Nickelodeon Series Changes Character’s Name Because It’s ‘A Slur In...](https://www.dailywire.com/news/animated-nickelodeon-series-changes-characters-name-because-its-a-slur-in-many-countries)** > > A writer for the Nickelodeon animated children’s series “The Fairly OddParents” explained why one of the character names had to change. In a new episode of the spinoff series “The Fairly OddParents: A New Wish,” the son of main characters Cosmo and... Apparently nobody involved watched _Arrested Development_. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TiHsJ0Dz7e8/hqdefault.jpg "Arrested Development - GOB - Poof Magazine") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiHsJ0Dz7e8) ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/159 "2024-07-25T02:24:26Z")
(Can’t edit but want to add that I think Daily Wire is a pretty right-wing site, that’s just a link that Google News offered to me.) ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2024, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604/160 "2024-07-25T03:51:21Z")
I’ve taken to using the term "southern engineering " in place of \*\*\*\*\*\*-rigging. However I used it around a good old boy who was doing some repair work for me, and apparently that registered as "she’s ok with semi-racist terminology " I think I need to switch to redneck engineering [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-i-didnt-realize-were-pejorative-until-later-in-life/1004604.md?page=9)