Words having negative culture connotations?

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meaganola

Uh Huh Her
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I realize this is going to be dismissed as picky and overly sensitive, and I'm not quoting a particular person here so I'm not picking them out because it happens a *lot* around here.  I've never spoken up about it until now, but it's making me feel queasy tonight for some reason:  "Gypped" is a racial/ethnic slur (it is an anti-Romani term).  Could we please not use it?  I feel a little stab at my heart every single time I see/hear it or "jipped."  If you wouldn't use the word "Jew" as a verb because that's an ethnic slur, you shouldn't use "gyp" as one, either.  

 
I realize this is going to be dismissed as picky and overly sensitive, and I'm not quoting a particular person here so I'm not picking them out because it happens a *lot* around here.  I've never spoken up about it until now, but it's making me feel queasy tonight for some reason:  "Gypped" is a racial/ethnic slur (it is an anti-Romani term).  Could we please not use it?  I feel a little stab at my heart every single time I see/hear it or "jipped."  If you wouldn't use the word "Jew" as a verb because that's an ethnic slur, you shouldn't use "gyp" as one, either.  
I have to say, a few years ago I used "Jew" as a verb while walking through Sams club with my Jewish husband. He literally stopped walking. I said what wrong and he told me. I know it sounds stupid, but I had no idea where that word originated from. It had been used in my household frequently growing up and I never gave it a second thought. That may be hard to believe but I swear it's true. I appreciate you taking the time to enlighten people because I'm sure anyone who has used that phrase here probably did so really not knowing it was an ethnic slur. Also, you did it with kindness despite being offended. So again way to go. MUT is an awesome place 😊
 
Just wanna chime in on the "gyped" / "Jewed" comments and say that I also didn't realize "gyped" was insensitive until just a few years ago.  I'm really happy you brought that up, though, because speaking non-offensively is very important to me and I'm sure others will feel enlightened by it as well :~)  Thanks for looking out, pals!

 
Quote: Originally Posted by angienharry /img/forum/go_quote.gif


I have to say, a few years ago I used "Jew" as a verb while walking through Sams club with my Jewish husband. He literally stopped walking. I said what wrong and he told me. I know it sounds stupid, but I had no idea where that word originated from. It had been used in my household frequently growing up and I never gave it a second thought. That may be hard to believe but I swear it's true.
I appreciate you taking the time to enlighten people because I'm sure anyone who has used that phrase here probably did so really not knowing it was an ethnic slur. Also, you did it with kindness despite being offended. So again way to go. MUT is an awesome place 😊
From my experience that isn't hard to believe at all. I've encountered so many people lately who appropriate offensive words either out of innocent not knowing because they were raised around it, or just out of plain old hate/intolerance. Its definitely what you learn from it and how you adjust that is important IMO :]

"lame" is actually another one that is so common in our slang but actually is used to describe disabled body parts. i try to keep it out of my jargon but i think it slips in more than i'd like.

 
I never knew "gyped", was a derogatory term. Gypsy is a english name for Romani people. I just read it on the urban dictionary. So if you are saying you are getting "gyped", meaning being short changed. I can see that would be a slur. I Know using "jew" or being "jewed" is derogatory. My kids use the word lame, and I think I may have to put a stop to that. I know that they don't know its derogatory, but I think I'll explain it to them.

 
Quote: Originally Posted by jkfinl /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I never knew "gyped", was a derogatory term. Gypsy is a english name for Romani people. I just read it on the urban dictionary. So if you are saying you are getting "gyped", meaning being short changed. I can see that would be a slur. I Know using "jew" or being "jewed" is derogatory. My kids use the word lame, and I think I may have to put a stop to that. I know that they don't know its derogatory, but I think I'll explain it to them.

To a lot of the Romani (and Irish Travellers), even the word "Gypsy" is a slur.  It's one of those words that I'm usually okay with (depending on the use.  I seem to mostly see it in reference to style/fashion nowadays), but a lot of people are firmly against its use at all times, and even people who are actually of this ethnic background are split on this, kind of the use of the word "Indian" to refer to Native Americans.  (And they're even similar in background:  It was once thought that Gypsy groups -- including but not limited to the Romani -- came from Egypt, and that's where the word "Gypsy" comes from.)

 
I never knew "gyped", was a derogatory term. Gypsy is a english name for Romani people. I just read it on the urban dictionary. So if you are saying you are getting "gyped", meaning being short changed. I can see that would be a slur. I Know using "jew" or being "jewed" is derogatory. My kids use the word lame, and I think I may have to put a stop to that. I know that they don't know its derogatory, but I think I'll explain it to them.
Gypsy has pejorative connotations historically that urban dictionary might not necessarily account for since its all user submitted and not academic
 
Quote: Originally Posted by meaganola /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
To a lot of the Romani (and Irish Travellers), even the word "Gypsy" is a slur.  It's one of those words that I'm usually okay with (depending on the use.  I seem to mostly see it in reference to style/fashion nowadays), but a lot of people are firmly against its use at all times, and even people who are actually of this ethnic background are split on this, kind of the use of the word "Indian" to refer to Native Americans.  (And they're even similar in background:  It was once thought that Gypsy groups -- including but not limited to the Romani -- came from Egypt, and that's where the word "Gypsy" comes from.)
yup i cringe everytime i hear someone call a native american an indian and i'm a cherokee. i totally forgot monday was a holiday b/c that's how much i care about christopher columbus, haha.

 
I am Jewish and my family makes fun of the use of Jewish to mean 'cheap', because frugality is a real cultural trait.  We accuse one another of needing 'Jew lessons' because we all spend too much.  Call me a 'kike' and we have a real problem.  I think there is a line between what is offensive and what is just a turn of phrase, if we start breaking down the origins of every word it could get awfully silly.  Moron is a word that was once used to legitimately describe the developmentally disabled and I wouldn't hesitate to use it in conversation without feeling bad.

On an actual on-topic note, I hate this chapstick, and I'm actually a good old-fashioned chapstick fan.

 
I realize this is going to be dismissed as picky and overly sensitive, and I'm not quoting a particular person here so I'm not picking them out because it happens a *lot* around here.  I've never spoken up about it until now, but it's making me feel queasy tonight for some reason:  "Gypped" is a racial/ethnic slur (it is an anti-Romani term).  Could we please not use it?  I feel a little stab at my heart every single time I see/hear it or "jipped."  If you wouldn't use the word "Jew" as a verb because that's an ethnic slur, you shouldn't use "gyp" as one, either.  
I have to say, a few years ago I used "Jew" as a verb while walking through Sams club with my Jewish husband. He literally stopped walking. I said what wrong and he told me. I know it sounds stupid, but I had no idea where that word originated from. It had been used in my household frequently growing up and I never gave it a second thought. That may be hard to believe but I swear it's true. I appreciate you taking the time to enlighten people because I'm sure anyone who has used that phrase here probably did so really not knowing it was an ethnic slur. Also, you did it with kindness despite being offended. So again way to go. MUT is an awesome place 😊
Sorry for any offense. I did not mean it as a racial slur. And if I say anything about Jews, I don't mean it as a slur, either. I'm not sure I know any expressions with that word anyway, but I will be more careful in the future.
 
I'm not defending this because my username has gypsie in it, but there are seriously so many "racially insensitive" words that are now common place, so do we stop using all of them, or once the sting of the word and its original meaning is lost is it okay? in America I believe jipped does not carry the same stigma that it does in europe, does that make it okay to use? I don't know, its really a persons personal choice. Here is the stated 99/100 times you can say jipped in a sentence and nobody will even stop to think about it, that does not hold true for other words like jew. It's such a complex topic to navigate. But here are some other words:

Hooligan

Vandal

Hip Hip Horray

Barbarian

Bugger

Uppity

Peanut gallery

on and on.. we had a lesson in it in a class, and it all really depends on where you are and using your best judgement as to whether or not you use it. 

 
I'm not defending this because my username has gypsie in it, but there are seriously so many "racially insensitive" words that are now common place, so do we stop using all of them, or once the sting of the word and its original meaning is lost is it okay? in America I believe jipped does not carry the same stigma that it does in europe, does that make it okay to use? I don't know, its really a persons personal choice. Here is the stated 99/100 times you can say jipped in a sentence and nobody will even stop to think about it, that does not hold true for other words like jew. It's such a complex topic to navigate. But here are some other words: Hooligan Vandal Hip Hip Horray Barbarian Bugger Uppity Peanut gallery on and on.. we had a lesson in it in a class, and it all really depends on where you are and using your best judgement as to whether or not you use it. 
Gypsy in itself is not derogatory, using the word gyped, as in getting short changed is.
 
I am Jewish and my family makes fun of the use of Jewish to mean 'cheap', because frugality is a real cultural trait.  We accuse one another of needing 'Jew lessons' because we all spend too much.  Call me a 'kike' and we have a real problem.  I think there is a line between what is offensive and what is just a turn of phrase, if we start breaking down the origins of every word it could get awfully silly.  Moron is a word that was once used to legitimately describe the developmentally disabled and I wouldn't hesitate to use it in conversation without feeling bad. On an actual on-topic note, I hate this chapstick, and I'm actually a good old-fashioned chapstick fan.
I'm Irish, and I do feel a tinge of sadness when people make the generalization that Irish people are drinkers and drunks and terms like Irish twins, etc, etc.
 
Quote: Originally Posted by gypsiemagic /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I'm not defending this because my username has gypsie in it, but there are seriously so many "racially insensitive" words that are now common place, so do we stop using all of them, or once the sting of the word and its original meaning is lost is it okay? in America I believe jipped does not carry the same stigma that it does in europe, does that make it okay to use? I don't know, its really a persons personal choice. Here is the stated 99/100 times you can say jipped in a sentence and nobody will even stop to think about it, that does not hold true for other words like jew. It's such a complex topic to navigate. But here are some other words:

Hooligan

Vandal

Hip Hip Horray

Barbarian

Bugger

Uppity

Peanut gallery

on and on.. we had a lesson in it in a class, and it all really depends on where you are and using your best judgement as to whether or not you use it. 
Paddy wagon....

I recently had a similar discussion with a co-worker.  She is Canadian and Native.  I asked her, "so does that mean you are a Native-Canadian?" She replied, "I am an Indian, its you damn Americans that are so sensitive about these things".  I guess it is all a matter of perspective.

 
Quote: Originally Posted by jkfinl /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Quote: Originally Posted by gypsiemagic /img/forum/go_quote.gif

I'm not defending this because my username has gypsie in it, but there are seriously so many "racially insensitive" words that are now common place, so do we stop using all of them, or once the sting of the word and its original meaning is lost is it okay? in America I believe jipped does not carry the same stigma that it does in europe, does that make it okay to use? I don't know, its really a persons personal choice. Here is the stated 99/100 times you can say jipped in a sentence and nobody will even stop to think about it, that does not hold true for other words like jew. It's such a complex topic to navigate. But here are some other words:

Hooligan
Vandal
Hip Hip Horray
Barbarian
Bugger
Uppity
Peanut gallery

on and on.. we had a lesson in it in a class, and it all really depends on where you are and using your best judgement as to whether or not you use it. 

Gypsy in itself is not derogatory, using the word gyped, as in getting short changed is. not here in america. i'm positive that word came over from europe, but when it was used here, it lost the connection to the gypsy culture, it even had a change in spelling. jipped vs. gyped. I'm only arguing that here in the states it doesn't seem to be used as a specifically derrogatory term like many others. 

complex indeed.

 
not here in america. i'm positive that word came over from europe, but when it was used here, it lost the connection to the gypsy culture, it even had a change in spelling. jipped vs. gyped. I'm only arguing that here in the states it doesn't seem to be used as a specifically derrogatory term like many others.  complex indeed.
Completely wrong. @jkfinl has it right. "Gypped" and "jipped" come from the same place: "Those damned gypsies swindled me!" It's a stereotype, and a hurtful one at that. The fact that the spelling changed doesn't matter. They are still derogatory terms even if you aren't aware of it -- and I'm speaking as someone born and raised in the US. It still means being swindled and shortchanged, and it is still rooted in the word "gypsy." That's what is so insidious about this stuff: it becomes so commonplace that people aren't even aware where something comes from. And if someone continues to use the term after being asked nicely to stop because someone feels literal pain when it is used, I will assume that the word-user is being deliberately hurtful. The sting of the word has *not* been lost. That's a point that seems to be missed here.
 
Quote: Originally Posted by QueenJane /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Paddy wagon....

I recently had a similar discussion with a co-worker.  She is Canadian and Native.  I asked her, "so does that mean you are a Native-Canadian?" She replied, "I am an Indian, its you damn Americans that are so sensitive about these things".  I guess it is all a matter of perspective.
I believe the native people of Canada, or as far as I know, prefer the term "First Nation." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Nations

I also don't think it's offensive to ask if you don't know either. It's the unwillingness to change yourself and plunge forward, being as offensive as you can, that drives people nuts.

Quote: Originally Posted by gypsiemagic /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I'm not defending this because my username has gypsie in it, but there are seriously so many "racially insensitive" words that are now common place, so do we stop using all of them, or once the sting of the word and its original meaning is lost is it okay? in America I believe jipped does not carry the same stigma that it does in europe, does that make it okay to use? I don't know, its really a persons personal choice. Here is the stated 99/100 times you can say jipped in a sentence and nobody will even stop to think about it, that does not hold true for other words like jew. It's such a complex topic to navigate. But here are some other words:

Hooligan

Vandal

Hip Hip Horray

Barbarian

Bugger

Uppity

Peanut gallery

on and on.. we had a lesson in it in a class, and it all really depends on where you are and using your best judgement as to whether or not you use it. 

I don't think anyone was questioning you for choosing a username with "Gypsie" in it, but taking a quick look at the original comment thread that lead to this, it was because someone in question has used it as a synonym for being ripped off. Additionally, I'm not attacking you for choosing your username since you already have, but your argument is also flawed. I don't think someone of Jewish heritage would feel badly about being called a Jew, but they wouldn't be incorrect to be offended if someone equated "jew" with being cheap. But the Roma people refer to themselves as Roma and not "gypsie." I'm too tired to get into this argument, but I'm would definitely be upset if someone called me a ch*nk, not because I'm not Chinese (I am) but because that is an offensive term. :D /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> There is a difference!

It's great to be someone in a position where you don't have to worry about being called an offensive name, but as someone in that position, it's incredibly irresponsible and arrogant to write off other people's criticisms about how they experience discrimination or to determine if that experience counts. As far as I saw, the OP said something she wasn't aware was offensive, people told her it was so, and she felt bad and said she would be mindful of it in the future. This is fine, because she didn't know. This is the correct reaction when something happens, as was what happened when one of the Pacific Rim writers were asked about the name of Gipsy Magic:

Quote:  Candidly, it was meant to be a nod to the de Havilland engine. The pejorative context isn’t a usage I’ve had much cultural experience with. But I certainly wont presume to tell anyone what should or shouldn’t offend them. I can only apologize for my ignorance, offer my assurances that it was not our intent to propagate any hurtful stereotypes, and promise to be more careful in the future. [x]

The incorrect response, by the way, is trying to justify it and wondering why people should be offended at all.

Also, unless if your "class" was Cracked, you should cite your sources. http://www.cracked.com/article_16967_8-racist-words-you-use-every-day.html

Classy.

 
Quote: Originally Posted by Kyuu /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Quote: Originally Posted by QueenJane /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Paddy wagon....

I recently had a similar discussion with a co-worker.  She is Canadian and Native.  I asked her, "so does that mean you are a Native-Canadian?" She replied, "I am an Indian, its you damn Americans that are so sensitive about these things".  I guess it is all a matter of perspective.
I believe the native people of Canada, or as far as I know, prefer the term "First Nation." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Nations

I also don't think it's offensive to ask if you don't know either. It's the unwillingness to change yourself and plunge forward, being as offensive as you can, that drives people nuts.

Quote: Originally Posted by gypsiemagic /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  I'm not defending this because my username has gypsie in it, but there are seriously so many "racially insensitive" words that are now common place, so do we stop using all of them, or once the sting of the word and its original meaning is lost is it okay? in America I believe jipped does not carry the same stigma that it does in europe, does that make it okay to use? I don't know, its really a persons personal choice. Here is the stated 99/100 times you can say jipped in a sentence and nobody will even stop to think about it, that does not hold true for other words like jew. It's such a complex topic to navigate. But here are some other words:

Hooligan

Vandal

Hip Hip Horray

Barbarian

Bugger

Uppity

Peanut gallery

on and on.. we had a lesson in it in a class, and it all really depends on where you are and using your best judgement as to whether or not you use it. 

I don't think anyone was questioning you for choosing a username with "Gypsie" in it, but taking a quick look at the original comment thread that lead to this, it was because someone in question has used it as a synonym for being ripped off. Additionally, I'm not attacking you for choosing your username since you already have, but your argument is also flawed. I don't think someone of Jewish heritage would feel badly about being called a Jew, but they wouldn't be incorrect to be offended if someone equated "jew" with being cheap. But the Roma people refer to themselves as Roma and not "gypsie." I'm too tired to get into this argument, but I'm would definitely be upset if someone called me a ch*nk, not because I'm not Chinese (I am) but because that is an offensive term. :D /emoticons/[email protected] 2x" width="20" height="20" /> There is a difference!

It's great to be someone in a position where you don't have to worry about being called an offensive name, but as someone in that position, it's incredibly irresponsible and arrogant to write off other people's criticisms about how they experience discrimination or to determine if that experience counts. As far as I saw, the OP said something she wasn't aware was offensive, people told her it was so, and she felt bad and said she would be mindful of it in the future. This is fine, because she didn't know. This is the correct reaction when something happens, as was what happened when one of the Pacific Rim writers were asked about the name of Gipsy Magic:

Quote:  Candidly, it was meant to be a nod to the de Havilland engine. The pejorative context isn’t a usage I’ve had much cultural experience with. But I certainly wont presume to tell anyone what should or shouldn’t offend them. I can only apologize for my ignorance, offer my assurances that it was not our intent to propagate any hurtful stereotypes, and promise to be more careful in the future. [x]

The incorrect response, by the way, is trying to justify it and wondering why people should be offended at all.

Also, unless if your "class" was Cracked, you should cite your sources. http://www.cracked.com/article_16967_8-racist-words-you-use-every-day.html

Classy.


1. I put the disclaimer at the beginning just so it didn't come off as me being on the defensive, that user name has been my username for everything since Borat came out, it has no meaning other than my best friend and I in 10th grade were Borat obsessed and said it all the time.

2. That article was actually brought up in a class, and we had a lengthy discussion following it. There is a starting point for every discussion, no matter where it originated from, I wish I remembered the others that were brought up, but it was 3 years and about 16 classes ago, so forgive me for going back to the article.

3. I am literally only talking about the word jipped in american culture. I am making no argument for the appropriateness of any other derogatory words you mentioned. It comes off to me as overly PC, why worry about it here, when there is 0 malicious intent towards Romani people behind it at this point. It would be like reprimanding a child for saying "oh man we are screwed" when they have 0 connection to that with its original meaning of fu***d.

I am just not a fan of the overly PC world. I am not one to get worked up over things, though I fully understand when and why people do. I can't imagine walking around on eggshells everyday in hopes of not offending every single person on the internet or in life. Just me.

 
1. I put the disclaimer at the beginning just so it didn't come off as me being on the defensive, that user name has been my username for everything since Borat came out, it has no meaning other than my best friend and I in 10th grade were Borat obsessed and said it all the time. 2. That article was actually brought up in a class, and we had a lengthy discussion following it. There is a starting point for every discussion, no matter where it originated from, I wish I remembered the others that were brought up, but it was 3 years and about 16 classes ago, so forgive me for going back to the article. 3. I am literally only talking about the word jipped in american culture. I am making no argument for the appropriateness of any other derogatory words you mentioned. It comes off to me as overly PC, why worry about it here, when there is 0 malicious intent towards Romani people behind it at this point. It would be like reprimanding a child for saying "oh man we are screwed" when they have 0 connection to that with its original meaning of fu***d. I am just not a fan of the overly PC world. I am not one to get worked up over things, though I fully understand when and why people do. I can't imagine walking around on eggshells everyday in hopes of not offending every single person on the internet or in life. Just me.
Just me, once I know a word is offensive to someone, I can't say it without feeling a twinge of guilt.. That guilty feeling is called my conscience. Damn conscience, why can't you leave me be??!!!
 
Quote: Originally Posted by gypsiemagic /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 

3. I am literally only talking about the word jipped in american culture. I am making no argument for the appropriateness of any other derogatory words you mentioned. It comes off to me as overly PC, why worry about it here, when there is 0 malicious intent towards Romani people behind it at this point. It would be like reprimanding a child for saying "oh man we are screwed" when they have 0 connection to that with its original meaning of fu***d.

I am just not a fan of the overly PC world. I am not one to get worked up over things, though I fully understand when and why people do. I can't imagine walking around on eggshells everyday in hopes of not offending every single person on the internet or in life. Just me.

But on the internet we know we are interacting with people outside of the US where the word gypped may be a slur.  And once we know that we are using language that is hurtful to others especially when they bring that it is personally painful, why continue to use it?  At that point you are knowingly being hurtful to the individual.  Meaganola said it was painful to see the word being used, gave a valid reason, and was understanding that not everyone is familiar with the context of the word so why not stop using it?

Maybe I'm more sensitive to this because I know people that have grown up in Europe who have described the discrimination that the Roma are still facing to this day.  Just because we don't see the problems they face in the US doesn't mean we should turn a blind eye and be hurtful once we are made aware.

 

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