# Words people don't realize are slurs **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 23, 2004, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741 "2004-09-23T20:10:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9fc348/32.png) [@The\_Flying\_Dutchman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Flying_Dutchman)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/61 "2004-09-24T16:44:13Z")
Re “Indian giver” I’ll betcha this slur has some basis in fact. I’ve lived on Indian reservations and socialized with “whitemen” who’ve married Indians. The concept of private property appears to be foreign to a lot of them. So if you’ve been given a gift by an Indian who hasn’t fully assimilated into “white” society he most likely regard that gift as for your temporary use until someone else, maybe the giftgiver himself needs it more. That is why when the redman told the whiteman that he could set up his abode over there, for a shiny knife, the redman had no idea that he was ceding a couple of acres in perpetuity to someone else. When the whiteman was told to get lost, then the redman was described as an Indian giver. ---
**Author:** ![Voodoochile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/898d66/32.png) [@Voodoochile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voodoochile)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/62 "2004-09-24T17:10:26Z")
> [@Xgemina](#): > > Shoot, this morning my local channel’s weather man described the warm weather for the next week as an Indian Summer and then talked about it with the co-anchor. This isn’t the first time I’ve heard it on the news. Thats because, fortunately, most people are aware that the meanings of words/terms are based on how they are used in contemporary usage, not on how they were used however many years ago. If a term today is not used/intended in a derogatory manner, then no matter if it originally was, it no longer is. ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/63 "2004-09-24T17:12:44Z")
> [@ouryL](#): > > dubious :dubious: No, it isn’t. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/64 "2004-09-24T17:16:01Z")
> [@Meurglys](#): > > Apparently in Germany some businesses use the term ‘Scottish Prices’ in their advertising to indicate that their goods or services are cheap. > According to the newspaper reports on the practice here, nobody there seems to think this is derogatory at all… Don’t Safeway supermarkets in the U.S. still sell budget-line “Scotch Buy” products? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/65 "2004-09-24T17:16:56Z")
> [@Colophon](#): > > And, of course, you wouldn’t want to offend the humble [wren](http://www.arthurgrosset.com/europebirds/wren.html). 🙂 Or the equally humble [chimpanzee](http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/pictures/Pan_troglodytes.html). ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/66 "2004-09-24T17:39:27Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > The first time I met a person from Oklahoma, I called her an “Okie”. She got all pissed, and I’ve never said it again. Never ran into any other Oklahomians either. As a native Oklahoman, I’ve never met another Oklahoman who considered “Okie” derogatory, although it was used so during the depression to describe migrant workers from Oklahoma. We just didn’t use it much at all. In fact, wasn’t there a restaurant in California that had to change its name from “Okie Annie’s” or some such, because Okie was considered perforative? ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/67 "2004-09-24T17:50:34Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Interesting side-point: I’ve been doing some unrelated reading about the 1919 race riots in England. It looks like ‘negro’ was the commonly-used term, eg in newspaper reports, and that ‘nigger’ was the common slur (such as the attacks on ‘nigger-town’ in Cardiff). Anybody know the pre-20th century history of these words? As I was doing research with 1930’s - 1940’s articles from Oklahoma newspapers, “colored” seemed to be the word of choice as an attribution. For instance, I often ran across quotes like, ‘"I didn’t see the guy who did it,’ stated John Smith, colored". ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/68 "2004-09-24T17:52:19Z")
> [@PoorYorick](#): > > In fact, wasn’t there a restaurant in California that had to change its name from “Okie Annie’s” or some such, because Okie was considered perforative? Make that **perjorative**. Jeez, three posts in a row . . . and I’m not even trying to build up my post numbers. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/69 "2004-09-24T19:02:42Z")
> [@](#): > > I remember using the term “Indian giver” a lot as a kid, before I had any idea what it really meant. Of course it should be obvious that “Indian giver” was inspired by those who gave stuff _to_ the Indians and then took it back. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/70 "2004-09-24T19:21:10Z")
> [@Zoe](#): > > Many years ago I used to refer to insensitive boors as “slack-jawed cretins.” I didn’t realize that the word _cretin_ was also used to describe someone with a congenital abnormality. To compare someone with such churlish behavior to anyone with cretinism was not only a poor analogy, but also an insult to the cretin. From [http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary-tb?book=Dictionary&va=cretin](http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/dictionary-tb?book=Dictionary&va=cretin) > [@](#): > > Etymology: French _crétin_, from French dialect _cretin_, literally, wretch, innocent victim, from Latin _christianus_ Christian ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/71 "2004-09-24T21:35:13Z")
While the M-W cite on cretin is right as far as it goes, it doesn’t go far enough. My Chambers, _Dictionary of Etymology_, which I consider to be the final word on such things, says about _cretin_: > [@](#): > > 1779, borrowed from French _cretin_, from French Alpine dialect, a kind of dwarfed and deformed idiot, from Vulgar Latin \*_christianus_, from Latin _christianus_ CHRISTIAN. In many Romance languages the equivalents of _Christian_ have the general meaning of human being, but as a euphemism carry the sense of poor fellow. ---
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/72 "2004-09-24T22:17:28Z")
I was surprised to meet someone a while ago who did not know “frog” was considered offensive to some of French nationality or descent. Personally, if someone called me a frog meaning to insult me, I’d probably burst out laughing, since the word seems to have lost its sting for most Americans of French heritage, and now just sounds kind of silly. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/73 "2004-09-24T22:28:21Z")
OK, here’s one you might not have thought of… I was watching some old show on TV Land the other night, and it had protestors in the '60s calling the arresting officer a “Cossack”. Yeah, the Czars may have used some Cossack troops to do their dirty work, but you are still slurring the entire Kazakh population… ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/74 "2004-09-24T22:34:13Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Yes, “Scotch Tape” was originally an ethnic slur. The steorotype of Scotsmen were that they were extremely cheap. When 3M was first marketing Scotch tape, they tried only putting two small strips of glue instead of covering the entire backing. The tape didn’t stick. Someone returned them, saying, “You tell you Scotch bosses to put some glue on these.” The name stuck (as did the tape.) > > Note that officially it is Scotch brand tape. Otherwise you get the lawyers at 3M writing you stern letters. But it was a case of lemons into lemonade. :eek: 😃 ---
**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:** [September 24, 2004, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/75 "2004-09-24T22:52:55Z")
Not a word, but a phrase: “Mighty white of you”, said when someone has done something nice for you. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/76 "2004-09-24T23:07:17Z")
I tend to have heard the phrase, “That’s mighty white of you” as a derogatory comment on someone who is making big out their ‘generosity’, as a sarcastic remark to mean something along the lines of saying that it was the least that the first speaker could have done, and it was not worth special mention, an attack on someone blowing their own trumpet. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/77 "2004-09-24T23:39:25Z")
> [@](#): > > **casdave** : tend to have heard the phrase, > > “That’s mighty white of you” as a derogatory comment on someone who is making big out their ‘generosity’, as a sarcastic remark to mean something along the lines of saying that it was the least that the first speaker could have done, and it was not worth special mention, an attack on someone blowing their own trumpet. I think that its original use was intended to be a compliment for some reason. But much like the expression _He’s a real winner_, its use has become mostly scarcastic. I cannot cite for that, but I’ve watched it happen. I don’t like either use. **samclem** and **rowrrbazzle** , I appreciate the additional info on _cretin_. Thanks to the both of you, the song _Good Cretin Men, Rejoice!_ is ringing in my head. I’ve noticed that few people ask for my “Christian” name these days. Instead, they ask for my “given” name. Does anyone remember calling Germans _Gerries_ during WWII? Was that supposed to be derogatory? Was that the best we could do? ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2004, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/78 "2004-09-24T23:59:20Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > More likely, because of confusion with pickaninny. (The _niggardly_ analogy still works, but it would not be quite as egregious as assuming that any initial /n/ automatically becomes confused with nigger.) > > * * * > > In the link provided by **Blake** , [http://athena.english.vt.edu/~appalach/essaysA/cracker.htm](http://athena.english.vt.edu/~appalach/essaysA/cracker.htm) , the author, Karanja Burke, is, in my opinion, much too dismissive of the idea that _cracker_ originated from a slang termfor boasting. That, in fact, is the most prevalent supposed derivation of the word, as noted by [The Word Detective](http://www.word-detective.com/100699.html#cracker), Random House’s [Word Maven](http://www.randomhouse.com/wotd/index.pperl?date=19980604), and the [Wordorigins](http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorc.htm#cracker) web site (complete with a citation to the O.E.D.). So far, Michael Quinion has not addressed the issue. > > Given the late citations for origins associated with whips or liquor, I would ignore Burke’s dismissal of braggart and hold to that as the origin. (I have not seen any printed support for this, yet, but given the early association of _cracker_ with bullying, I have wondered about the correlation between cracker taking hold in North America in Georgia and Georgia’s brief stint as a penal colony.) > > * * * > > Well, it is always possible to find someone who will take offense at most things, but Negro is not generally seen as an insult, only as dated, as mentioned. As in Jimmy crack corn _And I don’ care!_ ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/79 "2004-09-25T03:07:51Z")
> [@CBCD](#): > > I have two friends from from Ireland who each used the infamous ‘N’ word to describe someone to me. Neither had any idea of how explosive that word can be to an American. It was used by them as a mild perjorative, to mean something equivalent to ‘lackey.’ I asked they never, ever, ever say that word in front of me again. I guess that’s what is meant by ‘unspeakable.’ My guess is that they used the word “[niggard](http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=niggard)” (the root word of “niggardly”), and you mis-heard them. ---
**Author:** ![Badge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Badge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badge)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2004, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741/80 "2004-09-25T05:33:08Z")
I’ve always been amazed that no one seems to be upset by the term “cotton-picking” (as in, “_get your cotton-picking hands off of me_”. Ever since I was a child I assumed that this must surely be a racial slur against blacks (since the slaves in the American South picked cotton). Yet I’ve never heard anyone complain about this phrase. Am I completely wrong about the origin of that term? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-people-dont-realize-are-slurs/265741.md?page=5)