Gypsy

[Seajatt]

I'm a little torn on making this thread, but I feel its worth pointing out as I see "gypsy" in quite a few people's usernames.

The term gypsy is an ethnic slur for the Romani people.

A few links proving/verifying what I'm saying:
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Gypsyhttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/g...-to-know-about-the-destructive-bug/ar-AAM6Ndhhttps://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2019/03/gypsy.htmlhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ethnic_slurs

Do with that what you will, the more things you know and all of that jazz.

 

[JDelete]

I hope this thread doesn't go down the crapper.

I think it is good to be aware of how certain words and phrases we use might be offensive to others even though we don't have negative intentions.

I will add one to this list: peanut gallery
We have probably heard that phrase, I used to hear it as a kid when we were being a bit rambunctious—"hey, you kids keep it down in the peanut gallery" or something similar.

The phrase, as I understand it, comes from earlier times when black people were not allowed to sit in the main part of a movie theatre but instead had to sit in a separate area that was in the back and above the main theatre floor. This was referred to as the peanut gallery.

 

[SLB_SA]

Using Urban Dictionary (UD) as a reference represents questionable scholarship. Popular culture can redefine any word or phrase to give it a new meaning. Pick any word you like and see if it appears in the UD.
Look up "fun" in the UD and one item listed "sex" as one meaning of "fun," as in "I had fun with your girlfriend."
A "flag" is a hat/cap. "Orange" is a hybrid of marijuana, a high-five, the answer to every question, an upper-class sexual innuendo, an underage girl, the "hood" (in New Jersey) and lots of other things (like "trump").
UD invites you to "define a word." Let's define "nomad" as "elected politician" (because that actually makes sense since many of them move from political office to political office to lobbyist to ... to jail?).

 

[Freelander]

Or the word Gay, it used to mean happy, but it doesnt any more, so the CB phrase 'Good Buddy'. So many words have changed meaning over time.

 

[scaredycat72]

I think this varies by country. What's a slur in one country has a totally different meaning in another one. Several words that are slurs in America, and I'm not writing them, have totally different meanings in England and Mexico. I would never start telling people in those countries that those words are slurs in America so they shouldn't say them outside America. They would think I was crazy. I feel the same way about people from another country coming to America trying to restrict our words. A word is only a slur if it demeans a group of people. In America, the word gypsy isn't meant to address any race of people and has no negative connotations. That's my take. Other people can do whatever they want

 

[SLB_SA]

The word "fanny" (as in "fanny pack") has a different meaning in the UK than in the US. "Pants" in the UK means underwear and complementing someone's pants could be taken the wrong way in the UK or Ireland. If someone in the UK offers you a "rubber" it may not be what you expect. If someone is "pissed" in Dublin, it doesn't necessarily mean they are angry. If someone offers you a "fag" in the UK, you should reply by saying you don't smoke. If someone wants to be offended, it is easy to do. Do you think that a person whose user name includes "gypsy" intends it as an insult to some ethnic group (e.g. Egyptian people and Romani people from the wiki link in the first post).

 

[user 423]

Some words may be offensive depending on which gender is using them.

"Honey" is just one...

 

[GypsyJan]

I admire the Romani culture and history and chose my name to honor that. The definition also includs "a nomadic or free-spirited person."

 

[Morgana]

Once, during my years in the northeast, I called a friend/colleague a Canuck. She gently said that they're allowed to call themselves that but it's rude if outsiders do. So I said oops sorry (which was all the apology she needed) and made a note not to say it anymore. I think that in my ignorant youth I made another more egregious similar mistake which shall remain nameless, and it took me awhile to catch on that that was not OK.

I'm a firm believer in "call people what they want to be called," but even that good rule (like every rule) has its limits. I think we're living in a difficult transition time and all we can do is our best.

I wouldn't say "Gypsy" around academic people because I know it's disapproved of there and there's more important windmills to tilt at. I don't honestly know how much actual Romany people care about it. The word has got so many positive connotations here in the States -- like for example in this lovely Pat Green song: https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=threadbare+gypsy+soul, which would make a great nomad anthem come to think of it -- that it seems a shame to give it up.

Sometimes I don't know who gets to decide when the bad connotations outweigh the good ones. Language is weird. There are sincere people and fakers on both sides of these naming debates. But if I thought for an instant that a word was genuinely hurting someone, I'd give it up right away.

 

[user 423]

-

 

[SLB_SA]

I don't think anyone on this forum using the term "gyspy" has any ill intent toward any minority group. It is so easy for people to be offended today when no offensive intent is intended that I hope we cut one another some slack. Remember that the peace sign can mean something else; "In other places, such as in the UK, Australia and South Africa, the same gesture with the back of the hand facing the other person is considered to be an extremely insulting."

 

[Seajatt]

Using Urban Dictionary (UD) as a reference represents questionable scholarship. Popular culture can redefine any word or phrase to give it a new meaning. Pick any word you like and see if it appears in the UD.
Look up "fun" in the UD and one item listed "sex" as one meaning of "fun," as in "I had fun with your girlfriend."
A "flag" is a hat/cap. "Orange" is a hybrid of marijuana, a high-five, the answer to every question, an upper-class sexual innuendo, an underage girl, the "hood" (in New Jersey) and lots of other things (like "trump").
UD invites you to "define a word." Let's define "nomad" as "elected politician" (because that actually makes sense since many of them move from political office to political office to lobbyist to ... to jail?).

Certainly, and that's why I provided other links as well. Once again, take it or leave it, just something I'm pointing out.

 

[rvwandering]

I am closing this thread so that I can clean it up. No political posts!

 

[rvwandering]

After reading over all of the posts and deleting a good number of them I have decided that this thread is better left closed.
Please remember before you hit the post reply button that demeaning any person or groups of people is not permitted in this forum. Agruing for any reason is not permitted. If you feel that a post or a word in a post is offense please report it. Thank you for understanding!