List of ethnic slurs by ethnicity
Encyclopedia
This list of ethnic slurs by ethnicity compiles ethnic slurs that are, or have been, used in the English language
. For the purposes of this list, ethnicity can be defined by either race, nationality
or ethnicity.
Ape : (U.S.) a black person.
Aunt Jemima
/ Aunt Jane / Aunt Mary / Aunt Sally / Aunt Thomasina : (U.S. Blacks) a black woman who "kisses up" to whites, a "sellout," female counterpart of Uncle Tom
. Taken from the popular syrup of the same name, where "Aunt Jemima" is represented as a black woman. Spears, op. cit. p. 118.
Bluegum : An offensive slur used by some United States white
Southerners
for an African-American perceived as being lazy and who refuses to work.
Boogie : a black person (film noire) "The boogies lowered the boom on Beaver Canal".
Buffie : a black person.
Burrhead / Burr-head / Burr head : (U.S.) a black person (referencing stereotypical hair type).
Colored
: (U.S.) a Black person. Once generally accepted as inoffensive, this word is now considered disrespectful by some. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
continues to use its full name unapologetically. Some black Americans have reclaimed this word and softened it in the expression "a person of color."
Coon : (U.S. & U.K) a black person. Possibly from Portuguese barracoos, a building constructed to hold slaves for sale. (1837).
Crow : a black person, spec. a black woman.
Eggplant : a black person. In the 1979 classic film, "The Jerk", the leading character played by Steve Martin is advised by his associates to keep the "eggplants" out of his planned housing development. "Eggplants?" Steve asks. "Yeah, the Jungle Bunnies.", says the other guy. "Of course. Bunnies will eat the eggplants", says Steve. "No, I mean the niggers", says the other guy. "What!", says Steve Martin, "I am a nigger."
Fuzzies : a black person. In the 1964 film classic, "Zulu", the British officer played by Michael Caine refers to the Zulus as "fuzzies".
Gable : a black person.
Golliwogg
: (UK Commonwealth) a dark-skinned person, after Florence Kate Upton
's children's book character
Jigaboo, jiggabo, jijjiboo, zigabo, jig, jigg, jiggy, jigga : (U.S. & UK) a black person (JB) with stereotypical black features (dark skin, wide nose, etc.). The term "jig" was often used by Richard Nixon
when speaking in private. Used to refer to mannerisms that resemble dancing.
Jim Crow : (U.S.) a black person; also the name for the segregation
laws prevalent in much of the United States until the civil rights movement
of the 1950s and 1960s.
Jim Fish : (South Africa) a black person
Kaffir
, kaffer, kaffir, kafir, kaffre : (South Africa) a. a black person. Very offensive.
Macaca
: Epithet used to describe a Negro (originally) or a person of North-African origin (more recently). Came to public attention in 2006 when U.S. Senator George Allen
infamously used it to refer to one of Jim Webb's
volunteers, S. R. Sidarth, when he said, "This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is."
Mammy
: Domestic servant of African descent, generally good-natured, often overweight, and loud.
Mosshead : a black person.
Munt : (among whites in South Africa, Zimbabwe
, and Zambia
) a black person from muntu, the singular of Bantu
Nig-nog or Nig Jig : (UK & U.S.) a black person.
Nigger
/ nigra / nigga / niggah / nigguh / nigglet : (U.S., UK) An offensive term for a black person. From the word negro which means the color black in numerous languages. Diminutive appellations include "Nigg" and "Nigz." Over time, the terms "Nigga" and "Niggaz" (plural) have come to be frequently used between some African-Americans without the negative associations of "Nigger."
Nigra / negra / niggra / nigrah / nigruh : (U.S.) offensive for a black person [first used in the early 1900s]
Pickaninny
: a term – generally considered derogatory – that in English usage refers to black children, or a caricature of them which is widely considered racist.
Porch monkey : a black person,
Powder burn : a black person.
Quashie : a black person.
Sambo
: (U.S.) a derogatory term for an African American, Black, or sometimes a South Asian person.
Smoked Irish / smoked Irishman : (U.S.) 19th century term for Blacks (intended to insult both Blacks and Irish).
Sooty : a black person [originated in the U.S. in the 1950s]
Spade : A black person. recorded since 1928 (OED), from the playing cards suit.
Tar baby
: (UK; U.S.; and N.Z.) a black child.
Teapot : (British) a black person. [1800s]
Thicklips : a black person.
Uncle Tom
: (U.S. minorities) term for an African-American, Latino, or Asian who panders to white people; a "sellout" (from the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe
's Uncle Tom's Cabin
.)
).
Charlie : (U.S.) A term used by American troops during the Vietnam War
as a short-hand term for communist guerrillas: it was shortened from "Victor Charlie," the radio code designation
for Viet Cong, or VC.
Chee-chee : a Eurasian
half-caste [probably from Hindi chi-chi fie!, literally, dirt]
Chinaman : (U.S. and English) Chinese person, used in old American west when discrimination against Chinese was common. Possibly coined by early Chinese Americans from a translation of "Zhong Guo Ren" which is literally "China" and "Person." In contrast to "Frenchman" or "Irishman" which are generally considered neutral, non-insulting terms, "Chinaman" is considered offensive especially in the U.S. due to the virulent anti-Asian racism of the period in which the term came into popular usage (mid-1800s) and tends to generate objections in contemporary usage. Can be comparable to referring to a Black person as "a Negro", today. In 20th century Chicago
politics, "Chinaman" had a specific, unintentionally insulting meaning. A junior politician or government worker's political patron was referred to as their "Chinaman" (or "chinaman" without the initial capital) regardless of their actual ethnic heritage or gender. "Chinaman", without the initial capital, is also regularly used in cricket
in a non-ethnic sense to refer to a left-handed bowler who uses a wrist spin action
.
Chink : (U.S.) used towards people of perceived Chinese descent, referring to eye shape. Considered extremely derogatory, although at least one U.S. school proudly used the term as a sports mascot until the 1980s.
Jap : (Predominantly U.S.) Offensive. Shortened from the word "Japanese
", used derogatorily towards the group.
Gook
: a derogatory term for Asians, used especially for enemy soldiers. Its use as an ethnic slur has been traced to U.S. Marines serving in the Philippines
in the early 20th century. The earliest recorded use is dated 1920. Widely popularized by the Vietnam War
(1965–73).
Oriental : (Predominantly U.S., used elsewhere) Originally an acceptable term for referring to an Asian person and/or their ethnicity; now considered obsolete and mildly offensive due to its Euro-centric perspective which defined the world only in relation to Europe.
Nip : Offensive. A Japanese person. From "Nippon", first used in World War II
Slopehead, slope head or slope : Highly offensive reference to East Asians, specifically Vietnamese and Chinese. Earliest reference is US usage in Vietnam War period, also used in Australia.
, or ABCD: (East Indians in U.S.): used for American-born South Asians including Indian/ Pakistani/ Bangladeshi (mainly Indians as Indians are the largest number of "South Asians") who are confused about their cultural identity. This is often used humorously without any derogatory meaning.
Ann : A white woman to a black person – or a black woman who acts too much like a white one. While Miss Ann, also just plain Ann, is a derisive reference to the white woman, by extension it is applied to any black woman who puts on airs and tries to act like Miss Ann.
Bule : (Indonesia) White people. Literally: albino, but used in the same way that 'colored' might be used to refer to a black person to mean any white person.
Charlie : Mildly derogatory term used by African Americans, mainly in the 1960s and 1970s, to refer to a white person (from James Baldwin's
novel, Blues For Mr. Charlie).
Coonass
or coon-ass : (U.S.) a Cajun
; may be derived from the French
conasse. May be used among Cajuns themselves. Not considered to be derogatory in most circumstances.
Cracker
: (U.S.) Derogatory term for whites, particularly from the American South. May be used by whites themselves in a non-offensive manner.
Gringo
: (The Americas) Non-Hispanic U.S. national. Hence Gringolandia, the United States; not always a pejorative term, unless used with intent to offend.
Gubba : (AUS) Aboriginal (Koori) term for white people – derived from Governor / Gubbanah
Gweilo
, gwailo, or kwai lo (鬼佬) : (Hong Kong and South China) A White man. Gwei means "ghost." The color white is associated with ghosts in China. A lo is a regular guy (i.e. a fellow, a chap, or a bloke). Once a mark of xenophobia, the word was promoted by Maoists and is now in general, informal use.
Honky
(U.S.) : Offensive term for a white person.
Haole
(Hawaii) : Usually not offensive, can be derogatory if intended to offend. Used by modern-day Native Hawaiians to refer to anyone of European descent whether native born or not. Use has spread to many other islands of the Pacific and is known in modern pop culture.
Mangia cake / cake (Canada): A derogatory term used by Italians to disdainfully describe those of Anglo-Saxon descent (from Italian, literally 'cake
eater'). One suggestion is that this term originated from the perception of Italian immigrants that Canadian bread is sweet as cake in comparison to the rustic bread eaten by Italians.
Ofay : (US) a white person, unknown etymology.
Peckerwood
: (U.S.) a white person (southerner). The term "Peckerwood," an inversion of "Woodpecker," is used as a pejorative term. This word was coined in the 19th century by Southern blacks to describe poor whites. They considered them loud and troublesome like the bird, and often with red hair like the woodpecker's head plumes.
Roundeye : (English speaking Asians) a white or non-Asian person.
Wigger
, Wegro : is a slang term for a white person who allophilically emulates mannerisms, slangs and fashions stereotypically associated with urban African Americans; especially in relation to hip hop culture.
Zog Lover : used by white nationalists to describe an Aryan
who is subservient to the Jews ("Zog"=Zionist Occupation Government
).
: The phrase "a merkin" sounds similar to "american", and is in common use by the British, especially expats and in online communities. (The precise meaning of the word is "pubic wig").
Yank
: From the term "Yankee" used for people from New England, often interrelated as slang, used within the UK (and sometimes Canada and Australia).
Septic: Cockney rhyming slang
(from "Septic Tank", a part of sewage processing systems) rhyming with Yank
.
Paddy: Derogatory term for an Irish man, derived from a nickname for Pádraig, a common Irish name for males after St. Patrick.
Pogue: Epithet derived from the Irish phrase, "Pog mo Thoin", meaning kiss my ass. It is generally not considered offensive.
Taig: Extremely offensive term often used to describe Catholics in Northern Ireland. It often has implications of Republican sympathy.
Ginzo: (U.S.) an Italian-American.
Goombah: An Italian male, especially an Italian thug or mafioso.
Greaseball: (U.S.) A person of Italian descent.
Guido
: (US) An Italian-American male. Usually offensive. Derives from the Italian given name, Guido. Used mostly in the Northeastern United States
as a stereotype for working-class urban Italian-Americans.
Guinea: (U.S.) someone of Italian descent. (Derives from "Guinea Negro," was called because of some Italians who had dark complexions)
Wog
: (Aus) Australian slur for people of Mediterranean and Southern European descent, such as Italians, Greeks, and Spaniards. It also extends to Middle Eastern Mediterranean people, such as the Lebanese, Turks, and Arabs.
Wop
: (U.S.) A racial term for anyone of Italian descent, derived from the Italian dialectism, "guappo
," close to "dude, swaggerer" and other informal appellations, a greeting among male Neapolitans. With Out Passport/Papers
or Working On Pavement
are popular alternative etymologies for the slur, supposedly derived from Italians that arrived to North America as immigrants without papers and worked in construction and blue collar work. These acronyms are dismissed as folk etymology or backronym
s by etymologists.
", although in the Russian language, it is a neutral term which simply means an ethnic Russian as opposed to a citizen of the Russian Federation.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
. For the purposes of this list, ethnicity can be defined by either race, nationality
Nationality
Nationality is membership of a nation or sovereign state, usually determined by their citizenship, but sometimes by ethnicity or place of residence, or based on their sense of national identity....
or ethnicity.
African descent
Ann : A white woman to a black person – or a black woman who acts too much like a white one. While Miss Ann, also just plain Ann, is a derisive reference to the white woman, by extension it is applied to any black woman who puts on airs and tries to act like Miss Ann.Ape : (U.S.) a black person.
Aunt Jemima
Aunt Jemima
Aunt Jemima is a trademark for pancake flour, syrup, and other breakfast foods currently owned by the Quaker Oats Company of Chicago. The trademark dates to 1893, although Aunt Jemima pancake mix debuted in 1889. The Quaker Oats Company first registered the Aunt Jemima trademark in April 1937...
/ Aunt Jane / Aunt Mary / Aunt Sally / Aunt Thomasina : (U.S. Blacks) a black woman who "kisses up" to whites, a "sellout," female counterpart of Uncle Tom
Uncle Tom
Uncle Tom is a derogatory term for a person who perceives themselves to be of low status, and is excessively subservient to perceived authority figures; particularly a black person who behaves in a subservient manner to white people....
. Taken from the popular syrup of the same name, where "Aunt Jemima" is represented as a black woman. Spears, op. cit. p. 118.
Bluegum : An offensive slur used by some United States white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
Southerners
Southern United States
The Southern United States—commonly referred to as the American South, Dixie, or simply the South—constitutes a large distinctive area in the southeastern and south-central United States...
for an African-American perceived as being lazy and who refuses to work.
Boogie : a black person (film noire) "The boogies lowered the boom on Beaver Canal".
Buffie : a black person.
Burrhead / Burr-head / Burr head : (U.S.) a black person (referencing stereotypical hair type).
Colored
Colored
Colored is a term once widely used in the United States to describe black people and Native Americans...
: (U.S.) a Black person. Once generally accepted as inoffensive, this word is now considered disrespectful by some. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, usually abbreviated as NAACP, is an African-American civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909. Its mission is "to ensure the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons and to...
continues to use its full name unapologetically. Some black Americans have reclaimed this word and softened it in the expression "a person of color."
Coon : (U.S. & U.K) a black person. Possibly from Portuguese barracoos, a building constructed to hold slaves for sale. (1837).
Crow : a black person, spec. a black woman.
Eggplant : a black person. In the 1979 classic film, "The Jerk", the leading character played by Steve Martin is advised by his associates to keep the "eggplants" out of his planned housing development. "Eggplants?" Steve asks. "Yeah, the Jungle Bunnies.", says the other guy. "Of course. Bunnies will eat the eggplants", says Steve. "No, I mean the niggers", says the other guy. "What!", says Steve Martin, "I am a nigger."
Fuzzies : a black person. In the 1964 film classic, "Zulu", the British officer played by Michael Caine refers to the Zulus as "fuzzies".
Gable : a black person.
Golliwogg
Golliwogg
The "Golliwogg" was a character in children's books in the late 19th century and depicted as a type of rag doll. It was reproduced, both by commercial and hobby toy-makers as a children's toy called the "golliwog", and had great popularity in North America, the United Kingdom, Europe and...
: (UK Commonwealth) a dark-skinned person, after Florence Kate Upton
Florence Kate Upton
Florence Kate Upton was an American-born English cartoonist and author most famous for her Golliwogg series of children's books.-Early life:Upton was born in Flushing, New York to recently emigrated British parents...
's children's book character
Jigaboo, jiggabo, jijjiboo, zigabo, jig, jigg, jiggy, jigga : (U.S. & UK) a black person (JB) with stereotypical black features (dark skin, wide nose, etc.). The term "jig" was often used by Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
when speaking in private. Used to refer to mannerisms that resemble dancing.
Jim Crow : (U.S.) a black person; also the name for the segregation
Racial segregation
Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...
laws prevalent in much of the United States until the civil rights movement
Civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a worldwide political movement for equality before the law occurring between approximately 1950 and 1980. In many situations it took the form of campaigns of civil resistance aimed at achieving change by nonviolent forms of resistance. In some situations it was...
of the 1950s and 1960s.
Jim Fish : (South Africa) a black person
Kaffir
Kaffir (racial term)
The word kaffir, sometimes spelled kaffer or kafir, is an offensive term for a black person, most common in South Africa and other African countries...
, kaffer, kaffir, kafir, kaffre : (South Africa) a. a black person. Very offensive.
Macaca
Macaca (slur)
Macaca is a word used by George Allen in 2006 that began a controversy because it sounds similar to the French word "macaque". It was reported by journalists to be a racial slur against African immigrants in some European cultures; and by Zairian painter Tshibumba Kanda Matulu to be a pejorative...
: Epithet used to describe a Negro (originally) or a person of North-African origin (more recently). Came to public attention in 2006 when U.S. Senator George Allen
George Allen (U.S. politician)
George Felix Allen is a former United States Senator from the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the son of former NFL head coach George Allen. Allen served Virginia in the state legislature, as the 67th Governor, and in both bodies of the U.S. Congress, winning election to the Senate in 2000...
infamously used it to refer to one of Jim Webb's
Jim Webb
James Henry "Jim" Webb, Jr. is the senior United States Senator from Virginia. He is also an author and a former Secretary of the Navy. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
volunteers, S. R. Sidarth, when he said, "This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is."
Mammy
Mammy archetype
The mammy archetype is perhaps one of the best-known archetypes of African American women. She is often portrayed within a narrative framework or other imagery as a domestic servant of African descent, generally good-natured, often overweight, very dark skinned, middle aged, and loud...
: Domestic servant of African descent, generally good-natured, often overweight, and loud.
Mosshead : a black person.
Munt : (among whites in South Africa, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
, and Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
) a black person from muntu, the singular of Bantu
Nig-nog or Nig Jig : (UK & U.S.) a black person.
Nigger
Nigger
Nigger is a noun in the English language, most notable for its usage in a pejorative context to refer to black people , and also as an informal slang term, among other contexts. It is a common ethnic slur...
/ nigra / nigga / niggah / nigguh / nigglet : (U.S., UK) An offensive term for a black person. From the word negro which means the color black in numerous languages. Diminutive appellations include "Nigg" and "Nigz." Over time, the terms "Nigga" and "Niggaz" (plural) have come to be frequently used between some African-Americans without the negative associations of "Nigger."
Nigra / negra / niggra / nigrah / nigruh : (U.S.) offensive for a black person [first used in the early 1900s]
Pickaninny
Pickaninny
Pickaninny is a term in English which refers to children of black descent or a racial caricature thereof. It is a pidgin word form, which may be derived from the Portuguese pequenino . In the Creole English of Surinam the word for a child is pikin ningre...
: a term – generally considered derogatory – that in English usage refers to black children, or a caricature of them which is widely considered racist.
Porch monkey : a black person,
Powder burn : a black person.
Quashie : a black person.
Sambo
Sambo (ethnic slur)
Sambo is a racial term for a person with African heritage and, in some countries, also mixed with Native American heritage .-History:...
: (U.S.) a derogatory term for an African American, Black, or sometimes a South Asian person.
Smoked Irish / smoked Irishman : (U.S.) 19th century term for Blacks (intended to insult both Blacks and Irish).
Sooty : a black person [originated in the U.S. in the 1950s]
Spade : A black person. recorded since 1928 (OED), from the playing cards suit.
Tar baby
Tar baby
The Tar-Baby is a doll made of tar and turpentine used to entrap Br'er Rabbit in the second of the Uncle Remus stories. The more that Br'er Rabbit fights the Tar-Baby, the more entangled he becomes...
: (UK; U.S.; and N.Z.) a black child.
Teapot : (British) a black person. [1800s]
Thicklips : a black person.
Uncle Tom
Uncle Tom
Uncle Tom is a derogatory term for a person who perceives themselves to be of low status, and is excessively subservient to perceived authority figures; particularly a black person who behaves in a subservient manner to white people....
: (U.S. minorities) term for an African-American, Latino, or Asian who panders to white people; a "sellout" (from the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe
Harriet Beecher Stowe was an American abolitionist and author. Her novel Uncle Tom's Cabin was a depiction of life for African-Americans under slavery; it reached millions as a novel and play, and became influential in the United States and United Kingdom...
's Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin
Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in 1852, the novel "helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War", according to Will Kaufman....
.)
East Asian descent
Celestial : (Aust.) In the late 1900s Chinese people in Australia were often referred to as "Celestials", a reference to their coming from the "Celestial Empire" (i.e. ChinaChina
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
).
Charlie : (U.S.) A term used by American troops during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
as a short-hand term for communist guerrillas: it was shortened from "Victor Charlie," the radio code designation
NATO phonetic alphabet
The NATO phonetic alphabet, more accurately known as the NATO spelling alphabet and also called the ICAO phonetic or spelling alphabet, the ITU phonetic alphabet, and the international radiotelephony spelling alphabet, is the most widely used spelling alphabet...
for Viet Cong, or VC.
Chee-chee : a Eurasian
Eurasian (mixed ancestry)
The word Eurasian refers to people of mixed Asian and European ancestry. It was originally coined in 19th-century British India to refer to Anglo-Indians of mixed British and Indian descent....
half-caste [probably from Hindi chi-chi fie!, literally, dirt]
Chinaman : (U.S. and English) Chinese person, used in old American west when discrimination against Chinese was common. Possibly coined by early Chinese Americans from a translation of "Zhong Guo Ren" which is literally "China" and "Person." In contrast to "Frenchman" or "Irishman" which are generally considered neutral, non-insulting terms, "Chinaman" is considered offensive especially in the U.S. due to the virulent anti-Asian racism of the period in which the term came into popular usage (mid-1800s) and tends to generate objections in contemporary usage. Can be comparable to referring to a Black person as "a Negro", today. In 20th century Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
politics, "Chinaman" had a specific, unintentionally insulting meaning. A junior politician or government worker's political patron was referred to as their "Chinaman" (or "chinaman" without the initial capital) regardless of their actual ethnic heritage or gender. "Chinaman", without the initial capital, is also regularly used in cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
in a non-ethnic sense to refer to a left-handed bowler who uses a wrist spin action
Left-arm unorthodox spin
Left-arm unorthodox spin, or chinaman, is a type of bowling in the sport of cricket using the hand wrist. Left-arm unorthodox spin bowlers use a wrist hand action to spin the ball which turns from off to leg side of the cricket pitch...
.
Chink : (U.S.) used towards people of perceived Chinese descent, referring to eye shape. Considered extremely derogatory, although at least one U.S. school proudly used the term as a sports mascot until the 1980s.
Jap : (Predominantly U.S.) Offensive. Shortened from the word "Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
", used derogatorily towards the group.
Gook
Gook
Gook is a derogatory term for East Asians which came to prominence in reference to enemy soldiers. U.S. Marines serving in the Philippines in the early 20th century used the word to refer to Filipinos. The term continued to be used by American soldiers stationed around the world to refer to...
: a derogatory term for Asians, used especially for enemy soldiers. Its use as an ethnic slur has been traced to U.S. Marines serving in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
in the early 20th century. The earliest recorded use is dated 1920. Widely popularized by the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
(1965–73).
Oriental : (Predominantly U.S., used elsewhere) Originally an acceptable term for referring to an Asian person and/or their ethnicity; now considered obsolete and mildly offensive due to its Euro-centric perspective which defined the world only in relation to Europe.
Nip : Offensive. A Japanese person. From "Nippon", first used in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Slopehead, slope head or slope : Highly offensive reference to East Asians, specifically Vietnamese and Chinese. Earliest reference is US usage in Vietnam War period, also used in Australia.
South Asian descent
American-Born Confused DesiAmerican-Born Confused Desi
American-Born Confused Desi is a term used to refer to South Asian Americans born in the United States, in contrast to those who were born overseas and later settled in the USA.-Neologism:...
, or ABCD: (East Indians in U.S.): used for American-born South Asians including Indian/ Pakistani/ Bangladeshi (mainly Indians as Indians are the largest number of "South Asians") who are confused about their cultural identity. This is often used humorously without any derogatory meaning.
European descent
Afro-Saxon : (North America) A young white male devotee of black pop culture.Ann : A white woman to a black person – or a black woman who acts too much like a white one. While Miss Ann, also just plain Ann, is a derisive reference to the white woman, by extension it is applied to any black woman who puts on airs and tries to act like Miss Ann.
Bule : (Indonesia) White people. Literally: albino, but used in the same way that 'colored' might be used to refer to a black person to mean any white person.
Charlie : Mildly derogatory term used by African Americans, mainly in the 1960s and 1970s, to refer to a white person (from James Baldwin's
James Baldwin (writer)
James Arthur Baldwin was an American novelist, essayist, playwright, poet, and social critic.Baldwin's essays, for instance "Notes of a Native Son" , explore palpable yet unspoken intricacies of racial, sexual, and class distinctions in Western societies, most notably in mid-20th century America,...
novel, Blues For Mr. Charlie).
Coonass
Coonass
Coonass, or Coon-ass, is used in reference to a person of Cajun ethnicity. Many consider it an insult but others consider it a compliment or badge of honor. Although many Cajuns use the word in regard to themselves, other Cajuns view the term as an ethnic slur against the Cajun people, especially...
or coon-ass : (U.S.) a Cajun
Cajun
Cajuns are an ethnic group mainly living in the U.S. state of Louisiana, consisting of the descendants of Acadian exiles...
; may be derived from the French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
conasse. May be used among Cajuns themselves. Not considered to be derogatory in most circumstances.
Cracker
Cracker (pejorative)
Cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a pejorative term for white people. It is an ethnic slur that is especially used for the white inhabitants of the U.S. states of Georgia and Florida , but it is also used throughout the United States.-Etymology:One theory holds that the term comes from the...
: (U.S.) Derogatory term for whites, particularly from the American South. May be used by whites themselves in a non-offensive manner.
Gringo
Gringo
Gringo is a slang Spanish and Portuguese word used in Spanish-speaking and Portuguese-speaking countries in Latin America, to denote foreigners, often from the United States. The term can be applied to someone who is actually a foreigner, or it can denote a strong association or assimilation into...
: (The Americas) Non-Hispanic U.S. national. Hence Gringolandia, the United States; not always a pejorative term, unless used with intent to offend.
Gubba : (AUS) Aboriginal (Koori) term for white people – derived from Governor / Gubbanah
Gweilo
Gweilo
Gweilo or Gwailo is a common Cantonese slang term for foreigners, and has a long history of racially deprecatory use. If there is some racially deprecatory meaning or it is expressive of hate, it is shown by the addition of the adjective, sei or as a prefix: seigwailo...
, gwailo, or kwai lo (鬼佬) : (Hong Kong and South China) A White man. Gwei means "ghost." The color white is associated with ghosts in China. A lo is a regular guy (i.e. a fellow, a chap, or a bloke). Once a mark of xenophobia, the word was promoted by Maoists and is now in general, informal use.
Honky
Honky
Honky is a racial slur for white people, predominantly heard in the United States...
(U.S.) : Offensive term for a white person.
Haole
Haole
Haole , in the Hawaiian language, is generally used to refer to an individual that fits one of the following: "White person, American, Englishman, Caucasian; American, English; formerly, any foreigner; foreign, introduced, of foreign origin, as plants, pigs, chickens"...
(Hawaii) : Usually not offensive, can be derogatory if intended to offend. Used by modern-day Native Hawaiians to refer to anyone of European descent whether native born or not. Use has spread to many other islands of the Pacific and is known in modern pop culture.
Mangia cake / cake (Canada): A derogatory term used by Italians to disdainfully describe those of Anglo-Saxon descent (from Italian, literally 'cake
Cake
Cake is a form of bread or bread-like food. In its modern forms, it is typically a sweet and enriched baked dessert. In its oldest forms, cakes were normally fried breads or cheesecakes, and normally had a disk shape...
eater'). One suggestion is that this term originated from the perception of Italian immigrants that Canadian bread is sweet as cake in comparison to the rustic bread eaten by Italians.
Ofay : (US) a white person, unknown etymology.
Peckerwood
Peckerwood
Peckerwood is a slur used through the mid 20th century by southern African Americans and upper class whites used to describe poor rural whites. It is roughly synonymous with "cracker" and "redneck", more prevalent in the southeast, and "White trash", although the last implies a degree of moral...
: (U.S.) a white person (southerner). The term "Peckerwood," an inversion of "Woodpecker," is used as a pejorative term. This word was coined in the 19th century by Southern blacks to describe poor whites. They considered them loud and troublesome like the bird, and often with red hair like the woodpecker's head plumes.
Roundeye : (English speaking Asians) a white or non-Asian person.
Wigger
Wigger
Wigger is a pejorative slang term for a white person who emulates mannerisms, language, and fashions associated with African-American culture, particularly hip hop in the United States or the Grime/Garage scene in Britain. The term is a portmanteau of either wannabe or white and nigger...
, Wegro : is a slang term for a white person who allophilically emulates mannerisms, slangs and fashions stereotypically associated with urban African Americans; especially in relation to hip hop culture.
Zog Lover : used by white nationalists to describe an Aryan
Aryan race
The Aryan race is a concept historically influential in Western culture in the period of the late 19th century and early 20th century. It derives from the idea that the original speakers of the Indo-European languages and their descendants up to the present day constitute a distinctive race or...
who is subservient to the Jews ("Zog"=Zionist Occupation Government
Zionist Occupation Government
Zionist Occupation Government or Zionist Occupied Government is an antisemitic conspiracy theory which holds that Jews secretly control a given country, while the formal government is a puppet regime....
).
Americans
MerkinMerkin
A merkin is a pubic wig. Merkins were originally worn by prostitutes after shaving their genitalia, and are now used as decorative items, erotic devices, or in films, by both men and women.-Origin of term:...
: The phrase "a merkin" sounds similar to "american", and is in common use by the British, especially expats and in online communities. (The precise meaning of the word is "pubic wig").
Yank
Yankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
: From the term "Yankee" used for people from New England, often interrelated as slang, used within the UK (and sometimes Canada and Australia).
Septic: Cockney rhyming slang
Cockney rhyming slang
Rhyming slang is a form of phrase construction in the English language and is especially prevalent in dialectal British English from the East End of London; hence the alternative name, Cockney rhyming slang...
(from "Septic Tank", a part of sewage processing systems) rhyming with Yank
Yankee
The term Yankee has several interrelated and often pejorative meanings, usually referring to people originating in the northeastern United States, or still more narrowly New England, where application of the term is largely restricted to descendants of the English settlers of the region.The...
.
Irish
Mick: Derogatory term for an Irishman in the U.S. and U.K. It is derived from Mickey and Mikey, nicknames for Mícheál, a common Irish name for males after St. Michael.Paddy: Derogatory term for an Irish man, derived from a nickname for Pádraig, a common Irish name for males after St. Patrick.
Pogue: Epithet derived from the Irish phrase, "Pog mo Thoin", meaning kiss my ass. It is generally not considered offensive.
Taig: Extremely offensive term often used to describe Catholics in Northern Ireland. It often has implications of Republican sympathy.
Italians
Dago: (U.S.) A person of Italian descent.Ginzo: (U.S.) an Italian-American.
Goombah: An Italian male, especially an Italian thug or mafioso.
Greaseball: (U.S.) A person of Italian descent.
Guido
Guido (slang)
Guido is a slang term for a lower-class or working-class urban Italian-American. The guido stereotype is multi-faceted. Originally, it was used as a demeaning term for Italian-Americans in general. More recently, it has come to refer to Italians who conduct themselves as thugs with an overtly...
: (US) An Italian-American male. Usually offensive. Derives from the Italian given name, Guido. Used mostly in the Northeastern United States
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
as a stereotype for working-class urban Italian-Americans.
Guinea: (U.S.) someone of Italian descent. (Derives from "Guinea Negro," was called because of some Italians who had dark complexions)
Wog
Wog
Wog or Pog is a slang word with a number of meanings, generally considered derogatory and, in some instances, extremely offensive when used in relation to ethnicity...
: (Aus) Australian slur for people of Mediterranean and Southern European descent, such as Italians, Greeks, and Spaniards. It also extends to Middle Eastern Mediterranean people, such as the Lebanese, Turks, and Arabs.
Wop
Wop
Wop is a pejorative racial slur for people from Italy that originated in the United States but is also used in the UK. There is an urban myth that the term "wop" is an acronym for "without papers" as many of the Italian immigrants did not have identification or visas...
: (U.S.) A racial term for anyone of Italian descent, derived from the Italian dialectism, "guappo
Guappo
Guappo is a word in Neapolitan dialect, meaning thug, bully, braggart, camorrista. It is often used to indicate a member of the Camorra, a Mafia-type organisation in the region of Campania and its capital Naples in Italy.-Etymology:...
," close to "dude, swaggerer" and other informal appellations, a greeting among male Neapolitans. With Out Passport/Papers
Illegal immigration
Illegal immigration is the migration into a nation in violation of the immigration laws of that jurisdiction. Illegal immigration raises many political, economical and social issues and has become a source of major controversy in developed countries and the more successful developing countries.In...
or Working On Pavement
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...
are popular alternative etymologies for the slur, supposedly derived from Italians that arrived to North America as immigrants without papers and worked in construction and blue collar work. These acronyms are dismissed as folk etymology or backronym
Backronym
A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
s by etymologists.
Russians
Russki, Russkie : Sometimes disparaging when used by foreigners for "RussianRussians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
", although in the Russian language, it is a neutral term which simply means an ethnic Russian as opposed to a citizen of the Russian Federation.
See also
- List of ethnic slurs
- List of ethnic group names used as insults
- List of regional nicknames
- List of religious slurs
- Hate speechHate speechHate speech is, outside the law, any communication that disparages a person or a group on the basis of some characteristic such as race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or other characteristic....
- Term of disparagement
Literature
- Geoffrey Hughes, An Encyclopedia of Swearing: The Social History of Oaths, Profanity, Foul Language, And Ethnic Slurs in the English-speaking World, (M.E. Sharpe: 2006)
- The New Oxford American Dictionary, second edition. Ed. Erin McKean. (Oxford University Press: 2005).
- The Concise Oxford English Dictionary. Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. (Oxford University Press: 2004)
- Bruce Moore (editor), The Australian Oxford Dictionary, (2004)
- Eric Partridge, A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, (2002)
- Richard A. Spears, Slang and Euphemism, (2001)
- Jonathon Green, The Cassell Dictionary of Slang (1998)
- Grand dictionnaire (LarousseÉditions LarousseÉditions Larousse is a French publishing house specialising in reference works such as dictionaries. It was founded by Pierre Larousse and its best-known work is the Petit Larousse.It was acquired by Vivendi Universal in 1998...
: 1993) - John A. SimpsonJohn A. SimpsonJohn Adrian Simpson was a Canadian politician and businessman. Born in Peel County, Ontario, he came west in 1890 and eventually settled in Innisfail, where he opened a lumberyard...
, Oxford Dictionary Of Modern Slang ISBN 0-19-861052-1 - John A. Simpson, Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series ISBN 0-19-861299-0