Got told off by everyone today

Easily done. Your posting though got me to remember phrases that we used often in the past and now confined to history
- now downs syndrome but previously mongolism
= half caste - now mixed race,when I was growing up it was rude to say black yet now is preferred than coloured (yet a person of colour)
special needs but was educationally subnormal ( I am very grateful that has gone yet some schools still say ESN)

icanhandthemback

The words "Chinkie Nosh" were always used to describe the type of food therefore a lot of people, including myself back in the day, did not consider it to be racist. Although my intent was never to be racist, I can see that it could be so when I was picked up on it, I stopped using the term. I wouldn't have ever used the term to describe a person nor did I know any one did.
When I think about it, it is odd that we call an Indian Meal an "Indian," a Chinese meal a "Chinese" but we never call American, Italian or Spanish meals by their similar names.

I’m not sure the point about restaurants stacks up when I think about it. I think saying you are going to a restaurant describes the type of food. So you’d say Indian, Thai, Mexican, Italian, Greek, French, Turkish, Gurkha or whatever, as a description of the type of food you would be expecting to eat which originates in that country. I don’t think it’s derogatory in the same sense as other expressions. (We would for example say we are going for an Italian tonight, I think most people would)

I used to get called a sassenach when I was up in the highlands, in a jokey way.
Perhaps it isn't something to joke about, but I wouldn't know.
Is it something to do with people from the lowlands or something?

Yes, that is a good point, taken onboard by me.

Is the term "Sassenach" a derogatory one? I wouldn't think twice if somebody called me one but maybe my lack of historical knowledge would explain why I'm not offended.

MissAdventure

Well, do we want to pretend otherwise, or water down how slaves were treated?

No, not at all.

But to describe them as slaves is to use the parlance of the oppressors.

To me they were people who were victims of crime and oppression.

Just because powerful people in Ancient Rome or in Stuart and Georgian England designated some people as being slaves does not mean that we need to regard that as being how they should be described by us. They were human beings who were victims of enslavement.

volver

Oh dear. Have I just inadvertently implied Marydoll is a lady of advanced years ☹. Sorry Marydoll!

I certainly feel ninety at the moment, Volver. However, I know you would would intentionally, ruffle my feathers. You would dare. ?

FannyCornforth

Marydoll always calls me, ‘my Sassanach pal’ ?

Yes, but it is meant to be tongue and cheek Fanny, in no way meant to be derogatory. Now you have landed me right in it. ?I better put my armour on and wait for the onslaught.
As I am a Lowlander, it could also apply to me!

NOUN
Scottish and sometimes Irish
an English person or a Lowland Scot
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word origin
C18: from Scottish Gaelic Sasunnach, Irish Sasanach, from Late Latin saxonēs Saxons

Oh dear. Have I just inadvertently implied Marydoll is a lady of advanced years ☹. Sorry Marydoll!

Marydoll always calls me, ‘my Sassanach pal’ ?

Here's a thing...

Whenever I'm on one of my pro-Scotland rants on here, somebody will pop up and say "its because you all despise the Sassenachs".

Now nobody under the age of about 90 uses the word Sassenach, unless they are a Gaelic speaker. But it's meant to imply that we are all racist bigots who use derogatory names about the English, isn't it?

Well, do we want to pretend otherwise, or water down how slaves were treated?

His slave shows it is his possession.

Wow.

Did anybody watch Life after Life?

She comes back to life in different parallel versions of lots of different worlds. That's what this is like.

vegansrock my thinking too.

The words "Chinkie Nosh" were always used to describe the type of food therefore a lot of people, including myself back in the day, did not consider it to be racist. Although my intent was never to be racist, I can see that it could be so when I was picked up on it, I stopped using the term. I wouldn't have ever used the term to describe a person nor did I know any one did.
When I think about it, it is odd that we call an Indian Meal an "Indian," a Chinese meal a "Chinese" but we never call American, Italian or Spanish meals by their similar names.

vegansrock, my thinking exactly. ?

And I still remember being called kraut as a child. It doesnt particularly upset me anymore if someone uses that term, I just think they are odd and would tend to avoid them.

MissAdventure

Aagh, it's getting worse! I used to own a golliwog!! Never was keen on it - it had buttons for eyes, very creepy.

The difference between terms like paki, chinkie , the n word, and Jock, Taffy etc is that the first terms refer to people who have been discriminated and differentiated by their racial characteristics and not just their country of origin. White people may be categorised by their country of origin but they are not socially disadvantaged by their skin colour. Those people who say “ I don’t mind being called Jock”, thereby implying that others shouldn’t mind being called Paki or chinkie, fail to recognise that being called Jock does not imply a skin colour and the consequent disadvantages and discrimination that has traditionally brought.

volver

And the Brutus thing?

I think that this arguing over whether it is "victims of enslavement" or "slaves" is why some people get up in arms about not being "allowed" to use certain words.

Volver, spot on.

StarDreamer

Callistemon21 wrote I don't think it would be the Chief Statistician himself who threatened people with fines.

Well the ketter was from the Chief Statistician.

It would be a government decision.

Yes I imagine every single country has nicknames for other nationalities!
I think we are the roast beefs to the French! I can live with that.

25Avalon

What about Kraut, frog and dago?

I'm always surprised when certain words are accepted in on line word games, dago being one of them.

Not acceptable in my opinion.
Surely no-one uses those terms nowadays?