Talk:List of ethnic slurs

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Contents


Entry Inclusion Guidelines

Each entry in the List of Ethnic Slurs must have a citation, or it will be removed or moved to the #Quarantine section.

Entries that include a wikilink to an article on that slur, with a citation in that article (referring to the slur, not to some other sense of the word) may stay on the list, but including the citation in both places would be better.

Only ethnic slurs are allowed, including race and nationality along with ethnicity. Other slurs belong at List of regional nicknames, List of religious slurs, or in similar lists. For the sake of having a rule, Muslim turbans are considered religious, and Jews are both a religion and an ethnicity.

Foreign slurs that have become English language loanwords may be included, as long as the definition and sources are in English.

The purpose of this policy is to prevent vandals from adding joke entries we can't disprove, and to prevent endless cycles of re-adding and re-deleting the same slurs due to disagreement on what belongs on the list. Please don't make major changes to this policy without getting a consensus on the talk page.

[edit] Gypsy derogative term to non-gypsy people

The list, despite appearing exhaustive, misses the term "gajo" or "gajón" (var. "gadje"), a term used by gypsies to refer to non-gypsy people. I tried to edit the article, but the article isn't allowe to edition. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Mister Nighttime (talk • contribs) 16:48, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] European ethnic slurs.

I have a problem with this entry:

"Cowboy (Europe) an American, often used by political cartoonists. (Not offensive to many Americans.)[55]"

I'm from Europe and the expression 'cowboy' doesn't imply anything about ethnicity. It's occasionally used as a synonym for rugged machismo or recklessness, but that seems broadly similar to the connotations it has inside the US.

Also:

Cracker (U.S.) poor Southerner, "poor white trash", first used in the 19th century.[56] By extension, white people in general. (Europe) People with blue eyes and blonde hair. (Southeast Asia) White people (usually White Americans).

Isn't a term in widespread use in Europe, although some might recognise it from the US mass media. It certainly isn't used to specifically target people with blonde hair and blue eyes. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.43.216.153 (talk) 15:36, 26 January 2008 (UTC)

Fixed. All dubious removed. `'Míkka>t 20:07, 29 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Eta

Who keeps removing the Japanese slur of "eta?" How is it not qualified to be in this article? --Jacobking (talk) 00:05, 27 January 2008 (UTC)

While I wasn't the one who was deleting the word, I can understand why it was deleted. You're right that it's a slur, but (1) it's debatable whether it's really "racial" or "ethnic" and (2) it's NOT part of the English-language. Eta roughly means "filth" in Japanese associated with the Burakumin (hi-nin is another, albeit archaic, slur along those lines). I've read how sociologists like Tom Gill and even the Burakumin Liberation League strongly object to having the Burakumin identified as a separate "race" or "ethnicity." They are Japanese who were unjustly categorized in the pre-Meiji caste system as the bottom of the ladder. Full stop. Consequently, it doesn't make sense to include eta within a list of "ethnic slurs" in the English-language. Maybe you should try adding it the Japanese Wikipedia? J Readings (talk) 01:49, 28 January 2008 (UTC)
Anyone think "gaijin" is used enough in English to qualify? 24.126.102.48 (talk) 00:34, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Nigger

I have a major problem with this word used for darker skinned people in general. I have never heard it used for Indians and I think it's a complete error to have this word mean "anyone with brown or darker skin, such as an Indian" because it is WRONG. THIS SHOULD BE REMOVED IMMEDIATELY!!

Huh? There was no request for censorship or advocacy; instead, there was a question of accuracy. It doesn't seem to be so frequent now, but the use of "nigger" to refer to Indians was unfortunately common in earlier times. --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 06:52, 20 February 2008 (UTC)
Thank you for the clarification. If it is not so frequent now, then why is it presented as that being the general definition of nigger? It should be updated and not misrepresented.
I've heard in person a number of times 'Nigger' used to insult Indians and Arabs, though for the latter the specification 'Sand Nigger' is more common. D Boland (talk) 02:38, 11 March 2008 (UTC)

This MUST be updated: "frequent;y used between African-Americans". That's an incorrect POV. It may seem frequent if the people you surround yourself with use it. It is not a common slur uttered within the African-American community. It is a derogatory slur. Don't confuse hip-hop culture or something you see on TV as being acceptable within black masses.

I'll refer you to the Random House dictionary.com definition:

The term nigger is now probably the most offensive word in English. Its degree of offensiveness has increased markedly in recent years, although it has been used in a derogatory manner since at least the Revolutionary War. Definitions 1a, 1b, and 2 represent meanings that are deeply disparaging and are used when the speaker deliberately wishes to cause great offense. Definition 1a, however, is sometimes used among African-Americans in a neutral or familiar way. Definition 3 is not normally considered disparaging—as in “The Irish are the niggers of Europe” from Roddy Doyle's The Commitments—but the other uses are considered contemptuous and hostile. –noun
1. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.
a. a black person.
b. a member of any dark-skinned people.
2. Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive. a person of any race or origin regarded as contemptible, inferior, ignorant, etc.
3. a victim of prejudice similar to that suffered by blacks; a person who is economically, politically, or socially disenfranchised.

-Spencer,Leon 13:49, 2 May 2008 (UTC)

I updated the definition to include the history of the term as well as its questionable use within 20th century pop culture. It is important to understand it is derived from the Spanish term negro - meaning black color. Negro itself did not originally refer to a race but color. Derivatives such as negroid and nigger came with the emergence of racial classiciations, racial supermancy and colonialism. Eventually, negro and negroid became to classify black Africans not only by color but physical appearance whether common or uncommon. Obviously with modern DNA testing and a broader view of the diversity of African genes, early labels have been brought into question and contirbuted to the aforementioned influences. -Spencer,Leon 14:57, 2 May 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Spencer leon (talk • contribs)

The article is a bit misleading as it stands - it claims that black people will call each other 'niggers'. This is not the case. The common pronunciation, spelling, etc... is 'nigga'. It may seem like a small difference, but it's an important one. No self-respecting black man would ever call his little brother, his friends, or anyone else he cared about 'nigger'. I really think the article should be editted to emphasize that point.

[edit] Jig, Jigga, Jiggaboo, ect...

It should also be noted that this term "Jiggaboo" or "Jigga" or "Jig" is frequently used in a non-hostile way to describe a good looking girl of any race. Typically it is seen in this way as a complement rather than a slur only refering to black people. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.13.4.229 (talk) 01:02, 20 February 2008 (UTC)

Nothing to do with Jigglypuff, I take it. --Damian Yerrick (talk | stalk) 02:25, 14 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Yank

Yank derived from yankee, is not used as a derogatory term. It is generally used in the U.K., Australia and New Zealand to refer to an American. The same way we would use Brit, Aussie or Kiwi in reference to ourselves. The tone used could make it derogatory, but the same can be said for Brit, Aussie and Kiwi. It is never used in a derogatory sense. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 144.138.152.182 (talk) 15:39, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

""Brit, Aussie, and Kiwi" are all terms used within those nations. New Zealanders often call themselves Kiwis, Australians often call themselves Aussies, and I have heard British people call themselves Brits. However, Americas virtually never use the word "yank" to refer to themselves. In fact, 9/10 times if you were to call someone a "yank" in the US, they would not know what you meant, but most of those that did would take it offensivly. It dosn't matter whether you intend for it to be derogatory, it matters how that culture takes it. The term "yank" is offensive. Travis T. Cleveland (talk) 14:34, 31 March 2008 (UTC)

I'm American. I don't find it offensive at all. Who the fuck thinks Yank or Yankee is an offensive word? We have a patriotic song referring to the word. Yankee Doodle Dandy. Which was meant ot be offensive but is a song of historical patriotism during the Revolutionary and war of 1812...

Seriously, it is not a slur. Face it, even if it was used as a slur Americans would not give a shit.

I concur, if a term is deemed offensive to a culture then there is no argument whether it is or isn’t offensive. --DavidD4scnrt (talk) 06:25, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

It's used within the US by southerners referring to northerners, or even less commonly, by rural types towards urban folks. (Country people vs City people). "Yank", is not a word I have ever encountered to be offensive in my 37+ years of being alive and living in the U.S. -- GHouck (talk) 19:00, 16 APR 2008 (UTC)

The word "Yank" can be taken offensively by a southerner, even if it is not the speakers intention to do so. I suspect it has to do with the southerners ingorance of the fact that many europeans use it to denote an american, regardless of what part of the states they are from. The offensiveness comes from the civil war, where it was southern "rebs" (rebels) vs. the northern "yanks" (yankees). —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gizziiusa (talk • contribs) 02:17, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

Yeah, I'm an American also but I don't find it "offensive" and I don't think it's an "ethnic" slur. However, I think people who are from the Dixie states might find it offensive since their ancestors fought and died against the "Yanks" during the American Civil War. The real Yankees are from the New England states.--Pilot expert (talk) 06:15, 6 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] suggestion for including additional slurs:

additional slurs:

Bumper Lips (United States) a derogatory term for a black person. Refers to the unusual size of their lips compared to Caucasians. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.23.52.21 (talk) 19:52, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

Tommy (Germany, Austria) was widely used in WWI and WWII to adress British soldiers. Similiar to the British term Fritz for Germans. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Atkins

Iwan (Germany, Austria) was widely used in WWI and WWII to adress Russian soldiers.

Froschfresser (Germany, Austria) is a insulting word for a French person. Translated it means frog eater. Comes from the French recipe for eating frogs' legs.

Franzmann (Germany) a mildly derogatory word for the French. It is a very old word, which also can be found in some Goethe texts, f.e. Faust I afaik. If someone has got additional info on Franzmann, please fill in.

Fob Fobby Is a word derived from F.O.B. meaning Fresh Of the Boat. It is used in many english speaking countries as a somewhat derogatory term for new Immigrants.

Jap Is considered offensive by many if not most Japanese themselves. It is what the west called them during World War II. It is no different from the word Nip as abbreviated from Nippon. Many use it nowadays, especially in the U.S., unaware of its racist origins. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 144.138.152.182 (talk) 15:34, 28 March 2008 (UTC)

Käskopf (Germany) is a derogatory term for a Dutch person, and means cheese head. Comes from the fact, that the Dutch are one of the world's biggest producers of cheese and that one of the most sold and most known type of cheese is the Dutch Gouda.

Itaker, also often spellt Itacker (Germany, Austria) is a derogatory term for Italians. The term appeared first in the Austrian army during WWI, but was widely used again during WWII by German and Austrian froces adressing Italian soldiers. Since the 1960ies and 70ies the term was commonly used as a derogatory word for all Italians. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itaker

Spaghettifresser (Germany) is a insulting term for Italians. Translated it means Spaghetti eater.

Jugo (Germany) is a derogatory word adressing immigrants from the former Republic of Yugoslavia. The term derived from the German word Jugoslawien for Yugoslavia.

Inselaffe (Germany) is an offensive term adressing specifically the English, translated it means island monkey. Allthough the Welsh, Scottish and Irish are also situated on the British islands, they are never adressed with this term. Comes from the opinion, that the English have got an anti continental European island mentality with the tendency to seperate themselves from continental Europeans. The term has got connotations of beeing degenerated, because of supposed incestuous relationships, while living on an island.

Kanake, also often spellt Kanacke (Germany, Austria) is a derogatory word used in Germany for immigrants and foreigners. Originally used to refer to Italian, Greek, and Spanish immigrants, it now is more commonly used against immigrants of Turkish, Arab or Persian descent. The word originally derived from the New Caledonian or Kanaky word for human: "Kanaka." Kanak Sprak is a term used for the German dialect and manner of speech used among Turks in modern Germany. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kanake

Schlitzauge (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) is a derogatory term for people of East Asian origin, translated it means slit eye. It is considered to be very insulting, since it's compareable with the English word cunt eye.

Mulucke or Muluck [Mulucks = plural] (Germany) is a derogatory term for immigrants of Turkish, Arab, North-African or Persian descent. Derived either from the inhabitants of the Moluccan islands or, which is more likely, from the historic Mamluks (Mamelucken in German). The term has got a derogatory undertone, which is implying, that the adressed persons are backward, uncivilised and tend to aggressiveness.

Neger (Germany, Austria) is a derogatory term for dark skinned people. The term came into the German language in the 17th century from the French word nègre and the Spanish word negro, which both derived from the Latin word niger for black. Because of its racistic connotation, the term is only used by racists and far right wing people. The term is very much comparebale with the English word Nigger, which more and more displaces the German term. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neger

Hey Joe (Philippines) Suspected to be originated from "G.I. Joe", a tern used to denote a U.S. Military serviceman, and now applies to anyone of caucasian decent. May be derogatory depending on the context/intonation/circumstances of the speaker. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Gizziiusa (talk • contribs) 02:21, 17 April 2008 (UTC)

- corrections of my English and discussions are very much welcome -

  • This is English language encyclopedia and only words that have significant presence in English speech may be discussed in this article. `'Míkka>t 17:09, 20 February 2008 (UTC)
  • Ok, sorry for the misunderstanding on my side. Are you going to let the text stay in here for someone, who may want to write a German wikipedia slurs list or ist it going to be deleted? —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jemand anderes (talk • contribs) 17:22, 20 February 2008 (UTC)


I wanted to suggest an edit on the descrption for "Coolie". This word is present in Tamil language as well (refer to wiki page for this coolie. (North America) unskilled Asian labor, usually Chinese (originally used in 19th-century for Chinese railroad labor). Possibly from Hindi/Telugu/Tamil kuli, day laborer. --Jango7777 (talk) 23:13, 21 February 2008 (UTC)

Additional slur: Why isn't "Jap" in here? It's highly offensive to people of Japanese ancestry.(Myscrnnm (talk) 03:15, 20 March 2008 (UTC))

Niglet, Spiclet, Chinklet, etc. (US) There should be a mention of these terms for babies or young children, or a general entry explaining the versatility of the suffix "-let" as it pertains to racial slurs. At the very least, add Niglet as it is already recognized in Wiktionary. http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/niglet

[edit] Frogs

I thought this came from the green French army uniform in about Napoleonic times, not just eating them. 80.0.101.168 (talk) 15:10, 8 March 2008 (UTC)

One belief, and common motivation for it's use, is the idea that the French, when shot with German sniper rifles, would "pop" out of their foxholes like a frog jumping. The (obvious) insult is the flippant attitude toward, and finding entertainment in, the killing of another human being, and the lack of care due to their ethnicity. GHouck (talk) 19:00, 16 APR 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 146.63.187.82 (talk)

[edit] Gook

g@@k

(U.S. military slang) a derogatory term for foreigners, especially south-east Asians, e.g. Filipinos, Japanese, Koreans, and Vietnamese. The etymology of this racial slur is shrouded in mystery, disagreement, and controversy. The Oxford English Dictionary admits that its origin in "unknown".

  • According to Random House Unabridged Dictionary, "a native of Southeast Asia or the South Pacific, esp. when a member of an enemy military force. any dark-skinned foreigner, esp. one from the Middle East."
  • According to Princeton University Dictionary, it described as "a disparaging term for an Asian person. (especially for North Vietnamese soldiers in the Vietnam War)."
  • According to Online Etymology Dictionary, "1899, U.S. military slang for 'Filipino' during the insurrection there, probably from a native word, or imitative of the babbling sound of their language to American ears (cf. barbarian). The term goo-goo eyes 'soft, seductive eyes' was in vogue c.1900 and may have contributed to this somehow. Extended over time to 'Nicaraguan,' 'any Pacific Islander' (World War II), 'Korean' (1950s), 'Vietnamese' and 'any Asian' (1960s)."
  • According to The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, "Used as a disparaging term for a person of East Asian birth or descent. Perhaps alteration of earlier goo-goo, native inhabitant of the Philippines, Pacific islander."

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/gook

I think Etymology Dictionary is more close to fact. this U.S military slang started from philippine, and spread to other asian enemy of US military. Philippine -> Pacific Islander(Japan) -> Korean war(Korean) -> Vietnam war (Vietnamese)

Nowdays, This slang mainly used to 'dark skin' asian, including middle east people. Manacpowers (talk) 14:25, 9 March 2008 (UTC)

I removed all references to the Philippines that the word Gook originated with them. There's no evidence for this. Dictionary.com as well as wikipedia are not reliable sources since anybody can write anything they want in there. US troops never used the word "gook" on Filipino people during the Spanish American War and Philippine American War. The word US troops used for Filipino people is "Little Brown Brothers" [1] not "Gook". None of the stereotype propaganda posters and news cartoons during the Spanish-American has any references to the word "gook" for Filipinos like "Jap", "Kraut", and "Commies" posters and cartoons during WW2 and the early Cold War. The word comes from a Han based language Guk and Hanguk which means Korean Country. [2] Miguk means America. [3] I heard this from Kyopo friends of mine as well as my former high school teacher and co-workers of mine who served in the Korean War and the Vietnam War. There’s no word called “gugus” or "goo-goo" in tagalog or any of the Filipiino languages. See Tagalog Translation. I never heard of the word “gugus” in tagalog meaning "tutelary spirit" or whatever the heck that is from the "original meaning" in the internet. The only religion Filipinos worship is Catholicism for the past 400 years, some Protestantism from the American evangelical missionaries, and Islam in the southern Philippines. There’s a word in tagalog dictionary spelled “gugo” which is a kind of vine or shampoo used in washing hair or “guguan” which is a verb to clean hair. There’s also two other words in tagalog called “gugol” which means expenses and “gugulan” which is a verb meaning “to finance” or “invest money”. Learn how to speak both languages before you make something up like that. -- James 19:43, 5 May 2008 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Pilot expert (talk • contribs)
various public dictionary are not reliable source? we don't think so. also dictionary.com can't write anything word by anybody. and you said, it comes from a Han based language Guk? sorry, this word existed way long before korean war(1950). this word existed in 1899. don't put your original research. oxford dictionary said, this word origin is unknown. however, this derogatory term for foreigners, especially south-east Asians.(including filipino) Manacpowers (talk) 14:24, 7 May 2008 (UTC)


here is the another source.

Quote:

"The Haitians, in whose service United States Marines are presumably restoring peace and order in Haiti, are nicknamed |Gooks' and have been treated with every variety of contempt, insult, and bestiality." So wrote Herbert J. Seligman in the Nation in 1920."
"he origins of gook are mysterious, but the dictionary-makers agree that it is an Americanism. The authoritarian 1989 Oxford English Dictionary counts the word "orig[inally] and chiefly U.S." and identifies it as "a term of contempt; a foreigner; a coloured inhabitant of (south-)east Asia." It offers a 1935 first usage, applied mainly to Filipinos, and notes use by U.S. troops in Korea and Vietnam, without considering that such usages in fact applied to natives in lands where Americans were foreigners. The OED adds "origins unknown" as its verdict regarding scholarly knowledge on the coining of the term."
in 1920, before the korean war(1950), this word existed.

Quote:

"And it was a question whether or not Americans were really that good, ah, an imperialist in order to pull this off. This was an extremely brutal war that the United States and the Filipinos fought...Americans looked down on the Filipinos as people who were uncivilized... The term "gook" originated in the Philippine insurrection. We looked at this as essentially a superior power fighting an inferior people who deserved their inferiority because they had not been able to organize their society, they had not been able to "uplift themselves," as McKinley liked to say... the United States was willing to use very brutal force in order to bring the Filipinos around."
This "America 1900" film script is good evidence that gook word existed long before the korean war(1950).

Manacpowers (talk) 15:12, 7 May 2008 (UTC)

I'm changing it back. Yes, the word is older than the Korean War but it has nothing to do with the Philippines. The word is part of the Korean and Han based languages Guk meaning Country. There is no such word as "Goo-Goo" or "Gugus" or "Gook" in any of Philippine Languages. Look up those words in the online Filipino dictionary I posted. Another online Philippine Language dictionary. You'll see none of those words exist in the Philippine languages. It's not vandalism. It's the truth. And US troops never called Filipinos "Gook". US troops called them Little Brown Brothers. There is a lot of documentation, propaganda posters, and newspaper cartoons on this including past US Presidents comments during the Spanish American War and Philippine American War. --James 21:11, 7 May 2008 (UTC)—Preceding unsigned comment added by Pilot expert (talk • contribs)
don't change edit by your own will.
1. i proved various public trusted online dictionary sources.
2. you did not break my sources. My edit is based on public trusted english dictionary. but your edit is original researched assumption. you change edit from 'public trusted dictionary based edit' to your assumption edit. `
3. origin of gook word is not relation with korea war. this is baseless original research. 1st of all, this word existed long before korean war(1950). 2nd, no public trusted dictionary said, it originated from korea. this word older than korea war. before 1950, old book and old newspaper used this word.
if you still think diagree, first you must prove public trusted ciation. and use Wikipedia:Dispute resolution


Last, this word refer to not only korean, vietnamese, but also filipino, Japanese as gook. common derogatory term for south-east Asians don't omit sentence "filipino".
again, US military called philippine people as Gook.

Quote: "And it was a question whether or not Americans were really that good, ah, an imperialist in order to pull this off. This was an extremely brutal war that the United States and the Filipinos fought...Americans looked down on the Filipinos as people who were uncivilized... The term "gook" originated in the Philippine insurrection. We looked at this as essentially a superior power fighting an inferior people who deserved their inferiority because they had not been able to organize their society, they had not been able to "uplift themselves," as McKinley liked to say... the United States was willing to use very brutal force in order to bring the Filipinos around."

"The etymology of this racial slur is shrouded in mystery, disagreement, and controversy. The Oxford English Dictionary admits that its origin in "unknown," but that isn’t quite fessing up to true complexity of the matter. It is generally agreed that the term was coined by the US military, the question is: In which war? The farthest back that its genesis is likely to have occurred was the Filipino uprising of 1899. The American soldiers are said to have referred to the natives as "gugus," playing off a Tagalog word meaning "tutelary spirit."

  • 1935 Amer. Speech X . 79/1 Gook, anyone who speaks Spanish, particularly a Filipino.

"Goo-Goos : Possibly from the Tagalog gugus, "tutelary spirit." Adapted as an ethnic slur by American troops during the Filipino-American War."

Quote: "The Forbidden Book” compiled and written by Abe Ignacio, Enrique de la Cruz, Jorge Emmanuel, and Helen Toribio will be launched at the exhibition and copies will be on sale. (To order a copy by post, see page 4 for details.) The centrepiece of the cover is a detail taken from the June 1899 issue of “Judge” magazine. The man in the cartoon titled “The Filipinos First Bath” is U.S. President William McKinley. “Oh, you dirty boy,” he says standing in the waters of Civilisation about to scrub the Filipino with the brush of Education. The McKinley administration aggressively promoted the idea that Filipinos were children incapable of governing themselves, thus justifying annexation of the Philippines by the U.S.A. This is a typical example of what Americans saw in pictures usually accompanied by a racist language that labelled Filipinos as “gugus”, “niggers”, and “monkey” and reinforced by events such as the 1904 St. Louis World Fair, where Filipinos and native peoples from other countries were displayed as uncivilised and savage."

again, My edit is based on various sources and public trusted english dictionary. but your edit is original researched assumption. you change edit from 'public trusted dictionary based edit' to your assumption edit. and i do not have intention to insult filipino people. but philippine people also called as "gook". don't delete "philippine" relation sentence(this is POV). Manacpowers (talk) 01:54, 8 May 2008 (UTC)

Break your "sources"? I posted online Philippine dictionaries where you can look up "Goo Goo", "Gugus", and "Gook". None of it exists in any of the 120+ Philippine Languages. The sources you posted were written a hundred years after the Spanish American War and Philippine American. They're based on this source which "gugus" supposedly means "tutelary spirit" which is false from a person who is not Filipino or a military historian or military veteran.
"Gook" by Kim Pearson
No such word exists in any of the Austronesian based Philippine languages. Filipinos worship the God of Abraham (Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam) not some "tutelary spirit". There are no contemporary documents and statements from the US soldiers, US Marines, and politicians from the Spanish American War and Philippine American War that uses the word "gook" for Filipino people. I have a ton of books of Philippine history and US Marine Corps history from the Spanish American War and Philippine American War. Gook has nothing to do with the Philippines. Please, stop denying it. You know it comes from the Korean languages and Han based languages. When you type in "Guk" or "Hanguk" in Google it directs towards Korea and the Korean related names. So please stop crediting the Philippines with the origin of this word.
Google: "Hanguk"
Columbia Dictionary Hanguk
Han World
BTW, the more insulting word US soldiers and US Marines used on the Filipino people during the Philippine American War other than Little Brown Brothers was nigger not "gook". I'll admit that. "Killing Filipinos was a nigger killing business"-Marine Corps cadence during the Philippine American War. That is what it says in my Philippine and US Marine Corps history books. No mention about the word "Gook". source: "Aug. 13, 1898 and RP’s short-lived republic" By Mariano "Anong" Santos--James 22:16, 8 May 2008 (UTC)—Preceding unsigned comment added by Pilot expert (talk • contribs)
again, your edit is baseless assumption.
you believe it derived from korean word hanguk. cleary, "guk" word existed in korea. but it is no evidence that this gook word link with hanguk. (do you have any factual evidence(before 1950 data, old english book and old english newspaper) that gook word link with hanguk? no. because it is not fact and baseless assumption)
why 'haguk' is impossible? because, this gook word existed long before the korean war. 2nd, that theory is self made original research.
before korea war(1950), old book and old newspaper, 'gook' word existed. and it refer to filipino as gook.
My edit is based on various sources and public trusted english dictionary. but your edit is original researched assumption. you change edit from 'public trusted dictionary based edit' to your assumption edit.

and i do not have intention to insult filipino people. but philippine people also called as "gook". don't delete "philippine" relation sentence(this is POV).

i do not want trolling. please read carefully, old book and newspaper described as filipino as "gook".
even your favored source[4] said this word refer to filipno and it say it is unclear, possibly derived from philippine.i already said, US military called filipino as "gook"(1935 Amer. Speech X . 79/1 Gook, anyone who speaks Spanish, particularly a Filipino. ). currently, filipino also called as "gook"[5].
this "goo goo" word is a native Tagalog language.
1. maybe your favored dictionary did not contain that word mean.
2. most dictionary do not contain dialect.
"Filipinos worship the God of Abraham (Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and Islam) not some "tutelary spirit". >> i do not know Philippines history well. filipino worship Lapu-Lapu as national hero who killed spanish christians. (talk) 03:33, 8 May 2008 (UTC)
That is not my favored source[6]. That is the original source for that word before I deleted it and the source is highly suspicious since the writer is not obviously Filipino, a military historian, or ever visited the Philippines. And "Guk" does come from Korea. It means "nation". It's not based on any of the Philippine languages for heck sakes. I also studied Korean and Japanese history, went to school with a lot of Kyopo Christian students, and watch historical Korean TV shows on the Korean channel like Dawn of the Empire, Emperor Wang Gun, Age of Warriors, Immortal Admiral Yi Soon Shin, Dae Joyoung, and King Sejong the Great. I hear the word "Guk" quite a few times in those TV shows. I've never heard the word "Gook", "Gugus", "Goo Goo" on the Philippine news shows and other Filipinos' lips. I don't know the hangul writing is but Guk means nation in Korean. It is similar to the Chinese word "guo" and the Japanese word "Koku". An American person is "miguk sadham". That's where the US troops learn of the word. "i do not know Philippines history well. filipino worship Lapu-Lapu as national hero who killed spanish christians." Also if you don't know Filipino history and their languages, then why do you keep insisting that "Gook" originated with the Philippines? --James 24:59, 8 May 2008 (UTC)
read carefully from your favored source.
1. that source mentioned that gook word origin is unknown. so, your edit (it originate from hanguk?) is not true. and why 'haguk word is origin of gook(assumption)' is impossible? because, this gook word existed long before the korean war(1950). 2nd, that theory is self made original research.
before korea war(1950), old book and old newspaper, 'gook' word existed. and it refer to filipino as gook.
2. your source said,
"The etymology of this racial slur is shrouded in mystery, disagreement, and controversy. The Oxford English Dictionary admits that its origin in "unknown," but that isn’t quite fessing up to true complexity of the matter. It is generally agreed that the term was coined by the US military, the question is: In which war? The farthest back that its genesis is likely to have occurred was the Filipino uprising of 1899. The American soldiers are said to have referred to the natives as "gugus," playing off a Tagalog word meaning "tutelary spirit.""
3. your favored source said, "1935 Amer. Speech X . 79/1 Gook, anyone who speaks Spanish, particularly a Filipino." is first appeared gook word from publications.


I do not have ANY intention to insult filipino, but you distoring fact. Don't deny filipino called as "gook".(not only filipino but also other south east asian called as gook) here is antoher source, american called filipino as "gook".

Quote: "When I was growing up in San Francisco 60 years ago," writes William G. Ackerman of San Rafael, Calif., "some of the guys referred to Filipinos as goo-goos." And "Back when I was in high school," writes Francis G. Hutchinson of Redwood City, Calif., "I had a friend of Filipino ancestry, for which I was from some quarters scorned for chumming around 'with that goo-goo.' Move me forward in the lingo. Is it now a term for guru? Or goofball? Or an infantile person?"

The slur they have in mind is gook, of unknown origin, reported first by American Speech in 1935 to mean "anyone who speaks Spanish, particularly a Filipino," and was later used in South Korea and Vietnam to denigrate all nonwhites. (The return slur by Asians, based on slant-eyed, leading to the noun slants, is round-eyed.)"

Do you deny american call filipino as gook? Do you deny NY times? Manacpowers (talk) 06:16, 8 May 2008 (UTC)


Yeah, I just wanted to correct a typo in the "gook" introduction in the main article (copied at the top of this Talk section), but wasn't allowed to do so because I'm not "autoimproved": The introduction to "Gook" says that "The Oxford English Dictionary admits that its origin in "unknown"". That should've been _is_ "unknown". —Preceding unsigned comment added by VancouverJan (talk • contribs) 07:49, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Cockney

fourby = jew (four by two) (yes, this is real not a modern reinvention), any other real ones? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 62.49.9.94 (talk) 15:09, 12 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Profession Specific Racial Slurs

I was reading the archives and noticed 'Canadian' was removed because someone mistook it for a racial slur against Canadians, and didn't understand the targets(victims) of the term, and reason for its existence.

'Canadian' is a racial slur for blacks. It is only used by servers in full service restaurants; "I've got a table of Canadians" is substituted for "I've got a table of blacks". The functional reason is to avoid a patron overhearing a server talking about a 'table of blacks'; possibly in a negative way. But additionally, the term 'Canadians', among servers, does carry the negative connotations that they often wish to imply to one another; as blacks are stereotyped as demanding/needy customers and bad tippers. "I've just got some Canadians" groans the server, rolling her eyes. "They're all going to drink like 5 flavored drinks, want extra everything, and then they won't tip." The typical signified of the term, a Canadian national, is in no way connected to the way the sign 'Canadians' as used in this context however. Choice of the term has nothing to do with attitudes toward Canadians.

Other less common terms for blacks among servers are 'Celebrities' (an allusion to a stereotype regarding how younger blacks dress and act, and the stereotype that blacks are more demanding than other customers.) Also, they are occasionally called 'Mondays'; after a joke among servers: "I've got some Mondays, nobody likes them either." These two slurs may actually be unique to the restaurants I've worked at, as I've only heard them used in two different restaurants.

The term 'Canadians' is universal though, it is used in every full service restaurant. Anybody who has been a server for more than a few months at such a workplace will have come into contact with the term. I think it should be on the list.--Winjammer (talk) 07:23, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

For a citation, I found a newspaper article from seattle times. You can also google around a bit and find many recent blog entries. Though most of them tend to refer to it as a "new euphamism" used by "southern racists", neither of which are unequivocally true. The word has been around for at least 10 years not (that's when I started waiting tables, and I've heard it since then). And it is used in both southern and northern restaurants, and primarily by only waitstaff (and not just any racist). For these waiters, it is not an issue of racism thought as much as an issue of business, I promise. They are concerned with money, and don't care who gives it to them. But when you don't give them money, they get mad; even more so when you make them work harder than someone who does give them money would (that is, you are very demanding, particular, and touchy). A euphamism is invented for black people because it is VERY bad to say anything negative about blacks, due to real issues in america. Waiters will gripe about poor whites and europeans by name though; it is quite OK to do that. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/jerrylarge/2003051233_jdl11.html Winjammer (talk) 16:58, 16 March 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Anyone who wants to add my known ethnic slurs

From Philippines


Cano/Kano - (Fil.) Person of American/white descent, not negative in case if used as.

Sang Ley - (Fil. from Chinese meaning "to do business") Person of Chinese (even Korean and Japanese) descent, not negative in case if used as.

Bumbay - (Fil. probably from the Indian city of Bombay) Indians, negative term.

Kelempung - (Fil. probably mimicry of Malay/Indonesian/Kapampangan language) Malays and Indonesians(or even Kapampangans), negative.

Abu - (Fil.) Filipino term for people of Arabic descent and even the Moros.

Abu Sayyaf - (Fil. from the Moro terrorist group) Very negative term against the Moros.

Singkit - (Fil.) People with chinky eyes. Not negative.

Chinito - (Fil. probably with Spanish origin) People with Mongolic features. Not negative and often used on newborn persons.

Ita - (Fil. from the Austro-Melanese tribe) People with dark complexion. Negative.

Anak-Araw - (Fil. Literally "son of the sun") People with fair/light complexion. Negative.

Negrito/Negr(o/a)/Nognog - (Fil. from Spanish) People with dark complexion. Negative.

Tommy - (Fil. from American name) American people. Friendly term.

Piggerz - (Eng.? from combined "Pilipino-Niggerz") Filipino who embraced Afro-American pop culture, or Filipino Gangsters. Sometimes friendly. Used by African-Americans.

Datu - (Fil. literally "chief, king, novelty") Used for Filipino Muslims. not negative.

[edit] Mickey

If "mick" is a British or Irish person, where does the phrase "take the mickey out of someone" (ie trick someone) come from?

[edit] Porch Monkey best known from CLERKS II?

I've heard that term used regularly since before Kevin Smith was even born. My guess is that whoever wrote that is a kid that first heard it used there, or that was the first time they realized what it meant. From my experience, it was actually used much more in the 70s and 80s than it is today.

[edit] Alaskan Natives

Almost any slur for blacks is often applied to Alaskan Natives by simply putting the word "Ice" or "Tundra" before it. Examples: Tundra-Spook, Ice-Nigger, Ice-Monkey, Tundra-Ape.

[edit] Shine

I have observed that Italian-Americans in Chicago use the word shine as their primary slur for blacks, but I don't have a citation to add it to the main page. If somebody would like to research this, it should be added. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.167.114.80 (talk) 21:07, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

I'm surprised it isn't there, given Shine (1910 song)! --jpgordon∇∆∇∆ 16:45, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

"Moolie" is a more common word used by Italian-Americans as a derogatory term for African-Americans, I was told it means "Eggplant" in Italian.Gizziiusa (talk) 02:26, 17 April 2008 (UTC)gizziiusa

[edit] More racial slurs

Pig or Piggy- offencive word for a White man

Oyibo-A word used in Nigeria to refer to Non-Black people, Foreigners, Light skined blacks or Albino Blacks —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.9.0.202 (talk) 15:45, 11 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Alternative words for British

Perhaps overlap with Alternative words for British should be eliminated. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Geo8rge (talk • contribs) 21:24, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Coon is a black person?

Coon is a black person? Again, we're focusing on color, which could encompass other dark skinned people, instead of race. The formal reference should either be 'person of African descent', 'African-American', or 'person of the negro race'. I don't know the history of the term coon. But if coon's usage originated in the Americans, the best reference is 'African-American'. Open your definition with African-American or one of the aforementioned. Then later references to a 'black person' can imply the aforementioned. Something to consider. -Spencer,Leon 15:03, 2 May 2008 (UTC)

Coon is used in Australian English with reference to Australian Aboriginals.Fifelfoo (talk) 15:26, 2 May 2008 (UTC)
Allegedly, it's short for "Africoon". It's supposed to be a play on words. I read that somewhere. Probably of Portuguese or Dutch origin. Someone els should look into that if it's true or not. I think this slang was used in the Back to the Future movie series. --Pilot expert (talk) 09:38, 6 May 2008 (UTC)
See Turkey in the Straw JayKeaton (talk) 11:20, 21 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Should Zhidi be added?

I remember reading a book once where racists called Jewish people Zhidi, so I'm guessing that Zhidi is a racist term for Jewish people. Am I right or am I right? Or am I wrong? —Preceding unsigned comment added by YouMoo! (talk • contribs) 01:13, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Gubba = garbage?

The reference for the Australian Aboriginal term "gubba" states that it is a diminuitive of "garbage". I've always understood this to be a corruption of "government", based on the idea that the gubba man, the representative of the government, is an enemy to aboriginal people. I've found a few sites that are happy to endorse the latter definition but none that claim the former. Does anyone have a definite source for this? Jalohones (talk) 01:52, 31 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Another one

Primate (UK) - Black person, used in a derogatory manner. 80.193.1.106 (talk) 13:32, 3 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Japs

Shouldn't "Japs" be included in this article? It was used during WWII to refer to the Japanese in a deragotive manner. Terrorist96 (talk) 02:42, 5 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Macedonians

I have added Slav Macedonian, Skopjan, Bulgaroskopian and PseudoMacedonian... all are considered racial/derogatory terms by ethnic Macedonians Mactruth (talk) 03:46, 8 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Chav

Chav is not a racial slur. It is an insult directed towards people of lower social class, but it is not specifically directed at white people. On the Chav wikipedia page there is no mention of race. Being white, or 'acting black' is not required to be condsidered a chav. There is no citation for the chav entry, probably because the person who entered it could not find anywhere that stated that chav is a racial slur, or that it was intended to be used only towards white people. Furthermore comparisons to the word 'wigger' are somewhat dubious, because 'chavs' are not really considered to be a phenomenon rising out of emulation of black culture. It might be arrogant and snobby to call someone a chav, but not racist. The OED makes no mention of race in its definition [7] LGG203 (talk) 09:43, 9 June 2008 (UTC)