What makes an insult?

[Banditbandit]

...recently I said rather loudly in a room full of people at an opening of an exhibition,of which about half were of different ethnicity to the other half...'I have to get out of here, there's too many bloody *******'.
Those I were referring to were almost family and they gave me stick back...the ones most offended were the PC pakeha's, and I couldn't help but think that they were really trying to mask their own bigotry...it's a funny old world...

...a good old mate of darker skin than I, used to say...'call me whatever you like, just don't call me late for dinner'...

Yeah .. I chuck "racist" insults around with close friends ... and the PC brigade get very upset ... or others just get totaly freaked out .. like when I called an Ex-Mob president friend (who'd done time for GBH and other assorted violent crimes) a "Big dumb black cunt " ... the whole room went silent .. until we both fell about laughing - at the freaked out straights ...

It comes back to intent ..as has been said a couple of times here .. what is the intent of what is said ... rather than the actual words of what is said ...

[mashman]

Context...

[pzkpfw]

T'is true, just use the word "snigger" in a sentence on an American forum. Oh they get angry on it!!! The correct term in the New World is "snicker". They get angry on it when you describe "snicker" as a "sticky, nutty, chocolate bar" too. Just Can't win.

See recent case of University lecturer in the U.S.; fired for using the word "niggardly".

[george formby]

See recent case of University lecturer in the U.S.; fired for using the word "niggardly".

Why does that not give me even a milliseconds pause for thought?

[Banditbandit]

See recent case of University lecturer in the U.S.; fired for using the word "niggardly".

Pix ... or it did not happen

Oh .. as you were

From the supposatory of all knowledge ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controv...22niggardly%22

Far out ... fucking PC idiots !!!! Americans can be really insane ...

[george formby]

I have Wandering Jew running rampant in the garden, best I stay away from Kosher garden centres for my weed spray, eh?

[oneofsix]

I have Wandering Jew running rampant in the garden, best I stay away from Kosher garden centres for my weed spray, eh?

Any Russian/Soviet garden centres in your area?

[ellipsis]

...I was given a big box of war comics when I was lad, late sixties,...my dad whose second language was english noticed that a couple of mates and I were all of a sudden calling germans, blockheads, krauts etc...he had been in the merchant navy all through that fucking war and had been torpedoed and sunk on a russian convoy, survived that...just managed to stay alive after four days of bombing and strafing had virtually sunk the 'Ohio', before it got towed into Valetta, Malta carrying, fuel and nitro-glycerine, lost his cousins and good friends by the score...he pulled me aside and told me that he had never met a german to talk to to 'til after the war, that they were just people and the ones trying to kill him were doing what they were told and could have been good people...gave me a little bit to think about as a lad...

[oneofsix]

...I was given a big box of war comics when I was lad, late sixties,...my dad whose second language was english noticed that a couple of mates and I were all of a sudden calling germans, blockheads, krauts etc...he had been in the merchant navy all through that fucking war and had been torpedoed and sunk on a russian convoy, survived that...just managed to stay alive after four days of bombing and strafing had virtually sunk the 'Ohio', before it got towed into Valetta, Malta carrying, fuel and nitro-glycerine, lost his cousins and good friends by the score...he pulled me aside and told me that he had never met a german to talk to to 'til after the war, that they were just people and the ones trying to kill him were doing what they were told and could have been good people...gave me a little bit to think about as a lad...

Wise man. The Ohio was one of my favourite stories as a lad, fucking amazing.

[Jantar]

Thank you. I too use "New Zealander" ... and I agree with you - we are a mixed, mongrel breed and proud of it! However, if you want to talk about Māori and "the other group" what would you use for "the other group"?

I try not to. We are all New Zealanders and if I must refer to a particular ethnicity then I shal use the appropriate label that they themselves recognise. eg Tongan, Samoan, etc. When I must refer to any such group, then there is generally no need to refer to any others. To distinguish one group from another on the basis of race is pure racism. I may comment along the lines "there is a large polynesian population in Auckland" but then there is no need to refer the rest of the country or to other races.

And whatever "Pākehā" might have meant (I am familiar with most of the supposed meanings) it's just the flip side of Māori in today's language ... (see below)

Maybe you see it that way, but I don't. Why do we need any word to describe the flip side of any race? What word is the flip side of Chinese? How about the flip side of Arabic? Or the flip side of African?

Yes - Words change their meaning ... not everyone recognises that ...no matter what meaning Pākehā may or may not have had in the past it is now just the other side of Māori - words for two groups in GodZone - Māori and Pākehā ...

[oneofsix]

I try not to. We are all New Zealanders and if I must refer to a particular ethnicity then I shal use the appropriate label that they themselves recognise. eg Tongan, Samoan, etc. When I must refer to any such group, then there is generally no need to refer to any others. To distinguish one group from another on the basis of race is pure racism. I may comment along the lines "there is a large polynesian population in Auckland" but then there is no need to refer the rest of the country or to other races.


Maybe you see it that way, but I don't. Why do we need any word to describe the flip side of any race? What word is the flip side of Chinese? How about the flip side of Arabic? Or the flip side of African?

Thought the flip side of Arabic was infidel, oops that's the flip side of Islam like Genital is the flip side of Jew and Heretic the flip side of Christian.

[Jantar]

Thought the flip side of Arabic was infidel, oops that's the flip side of Islam like Genital is the flip side of Jew and Heretic the flip side of Christian.

So that would make me a pakeha infidel gentile heretic as I'm not maori, arabic, jewish or christian. I'm sure there must be a few others as well. However I also believe all these new flip sides refer to religion, not race.

[FJRider]

Thought the flip side of Arabic was infidel, oops that's the flip side of Islam like Genital is the flip side of Jew and Heretic the flip side of Christian.

Infidel actually translates as ... One without faith. (or non-believer) From the word infidelity.

And covers both the Christian and Muslim faiths ... (among others)

[MIXONE]

One of my all time favourite insults is "You one mother twentyseven father".
An old South African saying with a bit of class...

[Road kill]

So that would make me a pakeha infidel gental heretic as I'm not maori, arabic, jewish or christian. I'm sure there must be a few others as well. However I also believe all these new flip sides refer to religion, not race.

Nope,It would make you non Maori,,just like all other non Maori.

Actually I think your being a bit picky,,I'm not Maori or Pakeha,,,I'm Nga Puhi,,,but you can call me any thing you like because as far as I'm concerned the whole lot is pretty boring.

But You don't like being called Pakeha,,,,,,will file that.

Thanks.