List of ethnic slurs by ethnicity
From Wikipedia, the free 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.
See also alphabetical list of ethnic slurs.
East Asian descent
Celestial
(Aust.) In the late 1900's Chinese people in Australia were often referred to as
"Celestials","[citation needed] a reference to their coming from the "Celestial Empire" (i.e
China), see a usage example.[22]
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.[23]
Chee-chee
a Eurasian half-caste [probably from Hindi chi-chi fie!, literally, dirt][24]
Chinaman
(U.S. and English) Chinese person, used in old American west when discrimination
against Chinese was common.[25] Possibly coined by early Chinese Americans from a
translation of "Zhong Guo Ren" which is literally "China" and "Person." Compare to
"Frenchman" or "Irishman," generally not considered insulting. The term generates
controversy when still used in geographic places associated or resembling Chinese, and
often used without intended malice outside of the U.S. Though it is still heard in the
lyrics to the 1970s song "Kung Fu Fighting," it tends to generates objections in modern
times, especially in the U.S. In 20th century Chicago politics, "Chinaman" had a
specific, non-insulting meaning. A junior politician or government worker's political
patron was their "Chinaman" (or "chinaman" without the initial capital) regardless of
their actual ethnic heritage or gender.[26] "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 to refer to people of perceived Chinese descent. Describes their eye slits or
chinks. Considered extremely derogatory, although at least one U.S. school proudly
used the term as a sports mascot until the 1980s.[27]
Jap
(Predominantly U.S.) Shortened from the word "Japanese", used derogatorily towards
the group.[citation needed]
Gook
a derogatory term for Asians, used especially for enemy soldiers.[28] Its use as an ethnic
slur has been traced to U.S. Marines serving in the Philippines in the early 20th
century.[28] The earliest recorded use is dated 1920.[29] Widely popularized by the
Vietnam War (1965-73).
Oriental
(Predominantly U.S., used elsewhere) Originally the correct way to refer to an Asian
person's ethnicity (In the same way "Negro" came to be a derogatory term for black
people), but eventually turned into another derogatory term, as most names associated
with a group of people get turned into negative terms when used by individuals that
hate the directed group.
Nip
A Japanese person. From "Nippon", first used in World War II[citation needed]
Slopehead, slope head or slope
Offensive reference to East Asians, specifically Vietnamese and Chinese. Earliest
reference is US usage in Vietnam War period, also used in Australia.[citation needed]
South Asian descent
American-Born Confused Desi, 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.[30]
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.[1]
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.[31]
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).[citation needed]
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.[32] 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.[33]
Gubba
(AUS) Aboriginal (Koori) term for white people[34] — 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).[35] Once a mark of xenophobia, the word was promoted by Maoists and is now in
general, informal use.[36]
Honky (U.S.)
Offensive term for a white person.
Haole (Hawaii)
Usually not offensive, can be derogatory if intended to offend. Used by native Hawaiians
to refer in modern times to anyone of caucasian descent whether native born or not.
Use has spread to many other islands of the Pacific and is known in modern pop
culture.[37]
Mangia 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.[38]
Ofay
A white person[39]
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.[40]
Roundeye
(English speaking Asians) a white or non-Asian person.[41]
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.
Individual ethnicities
Americans
Merkin
The phrase "a merkin" sounds similar to "american", and is in common use by the
British, especially expats and in online communities.
Yank
From the term "Yankee" used for people from New England,[42] often interrelated as
slang, used within the UK (and sometimes Canada and Australia).
Septic
Cockney rhyming slang, from "Septic Tank" rhyming with Yank.
British
See Alternative names for the British
Germans
See List of terms used for Germans
Italians
Dago
(U.S.) A person of Italian descent.
Ginzo
(U.S.) an Italian-American.[43]
Goombah
An Italian male, especially an Italian thug or mafioso.
Greaseball
(U.S.) A person of Italian descent.[44]
Guinea
(U.S.) someone of Italian descent. (Derives from "Guinea Negro," was called because of
some Italians who had dark complexions)[45]
Wog
(Australian and Britain) Usually refers to any person of South Asian, Mediterranean,
Southern European, and Middle Eastern descent. Often used for Italians, Greeks, and
Arabs.
Wop
(U.S.) Possibly from Spanish adjective "guapo," meaning "handsome", and used in
some dialects of Italian as a greeting.[46] With Out Passport/Papers has been noted as
alternative definition to Italians that arrived to North America as immigrants without
papers.
Jews
Heeb, Hebe
(U.S.) offensive term for a Jewish person, derived from the word "Hebrew".[47][48]
Hymie
A Jew, from the Hebrew Chaim ("life"). Also used in the term, "Hymie-town," a
reference to New York, and in particular, Brooklyn.[49]
Kike
Originates from the word 'keikl', in Yiddish, which means 'circle', the reason being that
the first Jewish immigrants in America, who were unable to sign their names, signed
with a circle instead of a 'x'.[50]
Sheeny
From Yiddish "shaine" or German "schön" meaning "beautiful."[50]
Shylock
Comes from Shakespeare's "The Merchant of Venice" and "Othello." Similar to
Sheister.[50]
Yid
Backformation from "Yiddish".[51]
Russians
Russki, Russkie
Disparaging when used by foreigners for "Russian"[52] (actually, these are
transliterations of the Russian "Русский" (in Russian pronounced: Rooskiy) for
"Russian" and the spelling Russkiy is almost always in a literary context. "Russki" in
Russian simply means someone who is an ethnic Russian as opposed to a minority
nationality within the Russian Federation.)
Tibla
A highly offensive Estonian term for Russians
Literature

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

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 (Larousse: 1993)
John A. Simpson, Oxford Dictionary Of Modern Slang ISBN 0198610521
John A. Simpson, Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series ISBN 0198612990
References
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
^
Hugh Rawson, Wicked Words, (1989) p. 19.
Spears, loc. cit. p. 10.; also, Zoo Ape or Jungle Ape
Green, loc. cit. p. 36.
a b c d e f g
Spears, op. cit. p. 118.
Online Etymology Dictionary: Coon
"crow." Webster's [Accessed 12 March 2006].
"'Controversial' golly to be shelved" BBC News 23 August 2001
Simpson, "jigaboo," op. cit.
Jim Crow Laws: Arkansas
"Jim Fish." Ibid. [Accessed 12 March 2006].
Allen Quip Provokes Outrage, Apology
a b
12. ^ a b Goings, Kenneth (1994) Mammy and Uncle Mose: Black Collectibles and American Stereotyping,
Bloomington: Indiana University Press, ISBN 0-253-32592-7
13. ^ Simpson. "munt." loc. cit.
14. ^ "nig-nog" Webster's
15. ^ Simpson. "nigra," loc. cit.
16. ^ Who Are The Bush People? by Sean Gonsalves
17. ^ Boskin, Joseph (1986) Sambo, New York: Oxford University Press
18. ^ Simpson, "sooty." loc. cit.
19. ^ American Heritage Dictionary
20. ^ Simpson, "tar," op. cit.
21. ^ Green, loc. cit. p. 1185.
22. ^ http://newspapers.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/916706?searchTerm=celestial "A Celestial on a Bronco"
23. ^ "The Language of War," on the American Experience/Vietnam Online website; retrieved August 31, 2007
24. ^ "chee-chee." Webster's [Accessed 12 Mar. 2006].
25. ^ Peak of Controversy in Canmore "a resident of Calgary, wrote to the Minister of Community Development
strongly objecting to the name Chinaman's Peak"
26. ^ "From trouble to patronage job, and now to bigger trouble" January 27, 2004 Chicago Sun-Times. Accessed
March 7, 2007. "Before the age of political correctness, Munoz would have been called Torres' chinaman, and
in City Hall, that's still what they'd call him, but if you prefer, you can stick with mentor or patron."
27. ^ Simpson, "Chinky"
28. ^ a b Dictionary.com gook.
29. ^ Seligman, Herbert J., "The Conquest of Haiti", The Nation, July 10, 1920.
30. ^ Speers, loc. cit. p.4.
31. ^ Don't call me bule! How expatriates experience a word
32. ^ 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica
33. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary: Gringo
34. ^ "gubba," Moore, op. cit. [Accessed 7 May 2006.]
35. ^ Gwai Louh: The Foreign Devil
36. ^ Gweilo
37. ^ haole - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
38. ^ "Anyone for a Kubasa on a Calabrese?"
39. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary: Ofay
40. ^ A Visual Database of Extremist Symbols, Logos and Tattoos
41. ^ Spears, p. 295.
42. ^ Yankee - Definitions from Dictionary.com
43. ^ "ginzo" The New Oxford American Dictionary, second edition. Ed. Erin McKean. (Oxford University Press:
2005.) [Accessed 6 May 2006]
44. ^ greaseball - Definitions from Dictionary.com
45. ^ "Guinea," op. cit. [Accessed 21 Mar. 2006].
46. ^ Online Etymological Dictionary: Wop
47. ^ Madresh, Marjorie (2004-05-28). "Founder of 'Hip to be Heeb' magazine speaks to students". The Triangle
Online.
http://media.www.thetriangle.org/media/storage/paper689/news/2004/05/28/News/Founder.Of.hip.To.Be.He
eb.Magazine.Speaks.To.Students-683529.shtml. Retrieved 2007-02-14.
48. ^ "Merriam-Webster Online definition of hebe". http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?va=Hebe. Retrieved
2007-02-14.
49. ^ Hymie, Eric Wolarsky, Rhetoric of Race Dictionary Project, College of New Jersey. Retrieved 2007-11-06.
50. ^ a b c List of slurs
51. ^ Online Etymological Dictionary: Yid
52. ^ Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006, The American Heritage Dictionary of
the English Language
This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.