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What is racist, what is banter?


ssomon
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I have no idea which word you mean but in general I would say that words such as you quote for British  people have no racial undertones.

On the other hand similar one that imply a racial rather than a national origin might be considered as being  racist especially if there is a history of them being used perjoratively

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Norman, Balance called a team man from Pakistan a "Paki". Apparently, they were close friends.

Any expression could be taken as being a perjorative, if someone else wants to make a cause célèbre out of it, in these insane woke days. 

Ssomon: As I am sure you know, the word "Limey" used by Americans - mainly - in describing English sailors was short for "Lime Juicer", as the Royal Navy had discovered, by accident, fresh citrus fruit juice helped to avoid scurvy (Vit C Deficiency). And the word or expression was often used in a perjorative fashion.

 

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9 hours ago, pip24 said:

An Australian sportsman/sportswoman is called an "Ausi"  and proud to be called it.

Bur would Abo been equally welcome?

I re-iterate my point that some  familiar expressions of Nationality are not the same as those which imply race.

The topic here is 'racism' or lack of it.

French people are sometimes called 'Frogs' but that is not the same as calling French people of North African origin "Arabs" which in any case may not even be technically correct..

 

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  • I think the problems in Yorkshire cricket are much more deep seated than the casual use of racist language. I believe that the men at the top of Yorkshire cricket are aware that there is a large untapped pool of talent among the young Yorkshire moslems who are not allowed to go ‘courting’ or to drink alcohol and whose energy goes into cricket.  If these young men were given a fair chance they may well end up being in the majority in the Yorkshire team.
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I haven't lived in UK for almost 60 years, nor or even visited it for a long time, so I'm not familiar with the latest terminology.

I can understand that the term "Paki" may have acquired a derogatory implication, but that doesn't mean it is racist, a term which nowadays is used to create and inflame outrage to the maximum.

I think a different, less emotive, term would be more appropriate, but I'm not sure what it should be. Maybe just xenophobic. But that would probably be eventually put on the politically incorrect list, like many previously innocuous words.

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As a kid growing up in London there is no doubt that 'Paki' was a racist term. As a youngster I didn't appreciate the 'finer' points of racism. I almost certainly used the word along with many others that described blacks, Jews, Italians, Greeks and just about everyone else including 'Jocks and 'Paddies' No one was exempt!  There is no doubt, in my mind at least, that some terms are benign in a certain context whilst the same term in another context is definitely racist. How to tell the difference? Only the speaker knows that and has to be aware of what he/she is saying and to whom. These days it seems everything is racist. The whole issue is a hopeless and impossible to discuss mess!!!

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