List of ethnic slurs - Misplaced Pages

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The following is a list of ethnic slurs (ethnophaulisms) that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnicity or to refer to them in a derogatory (critical or disrespectful), pejorative (disapproving or contemptuous), or insulting manner in the English-speaking world. For the purposes of this list, an ethnic slur is a term or word used to insult on the basis of race, ethnicity, or nationality. Each term is listed followed by its country or region of usage, a definition, and a reference to that term (unless a well-referenced Misplaced Pages article exists).

Ethnic slurs may also be produced by combining a general-purpose insult with the name of ethnicity, such as "dirty Arab", "dirty Jew", "Russian pig", etc. Other common insulting modifiers include "dog", "filthy", etc. Such terms are not included in this list.

Related are the immigration slurs: while not necessarily targeting a particular ethnicity or race, they point at a "non-native" descent of the person.

Contents

A

Abbie / Abe / Abie: (North America) a Jewish male. From the proper name Abraham. Originated before the 1950s.
ABCD: (Subcontinentals in U.S.) "American-Born Confused Desi", used to imply that an American-born South Asian (Usually Pakistani and Indian, but increasingly Bangladeshi) is confused about their cultural identity. ABCD is the most common version of the phrase, but there are variations of it that extend all the way to the letter 'z' in at least two different versions: "American Born Confused Desi, Emigrated From Gujarat, House in Jersey, Kids Learning Medicine, Now Owning Property, Quite Reasonable Salary, Two Uncles Visiting, White Xenophobia Yet Zestful" and "American Born Confused Desi, Emigrated From Gujarat, Housed In Jersey, Keeping Lotsa Motels, Named Omkarnath Patel, Quickly Reached Success Through Underhanded Vicious Ways, Xenophobic Yet Zestful"
Abo / Abbo: (AUS) Australian Aboriginal person. Originally, this was simply an informal term for "Aborigine", and was in fact used by Aboriginal people themselves until it started to be considered offensive in 1950s. In remoter areas, Aboriginal people still often refer to themselves (quite neutrally) as "Blackfellas" (and whites as "Whitefellas"). Although "Abo" is still considered quite offensive by many, the pejorative "boong" is now more commonly used when the intent is to deliberately offend, as that word's status as an insult is unequivocal.
Albino: (U.S.) A term for whites, also a derogatory term for light skinned blacks used by darker skinned blacks. (see colorism)
Alligator bait: (U.S.) also "Gator Bait." A black person, especially a black child. More commonly used in states where alligators are found, particularly Florida. First used in the early 1900s, although some hypothesize the term originated in the late 1800s.
Alter kacker / alter kocker (Yiddish) / alter kucker / A.K.: (North America) a disparaging term for elderly Jewish people. The term is of Yiddish origin (literally meaning old shitter). First used in the early 1900s.
Anglo-pilferer: An Anglo-Celtic Australian, possibly of convict lineage. Based on the belief that all Anglo-Australians are descended from convicts. Particularly offensive.
Ann: (North America) 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.
Apple: (North America) An American Indian (Native American) who is "red on the outside, white on the inside." Used primarily by other American Indians to indicate someone who has lost touch with their cultural identity. First used in the 1980s.
Argie: (UK) a native of Argentina (also Argie-bargie : any argument, disagreement, or (typically) sporting event involving Argentina or Argentinians), used by the British press during the Falklands War. First used in this way by Britain's The Sun newspaper in 1982. This was however merely a topical usage of a long-standing expression for contentious discussion.
Asian nigger: An ethnic slur against Filipinos.
Aunt Jemima / Aunt Jane / Aunt Mary / Aunt Sally / Aunt Thomasina: (U.S.) a black woman who "kisses up" to whites, a "sellout", female counterpart of Uncle Tom.

B

Beaner: (U.S.) term widely regarded as derogatory, that refers to people of Mexican descent or, more specifically, mestizos of Central American descent. The term originates from the prevalence of frijoles pintos and other beans in Mexican food.
Bloke: (Québec) an English-Canadian. Derogatory when used in french conversation.
Boche; bosche; bosch: (France; U.S.; UK) a German .
Bog Irish: (UK, Ireland) a person of common or low class Irish ancestry.
Bohunk: (North America) a person of east-central European descent. Originally referred to those of Bohemian (now Czech Republic) descent. Was commonly used toward Ukrainian immigrants during the early 20th century. See also hunky.
Boong / bong / bung: (Aus) Australian aboriginal. Related to the Australian English slang word bung, meaning "dead", "infected", "dysfunctional". From bung, to go bung "Originally to die, then to break down, go bankrupt, cease to function ". Highly offensive.
Boonga / boong / bunga / boonie: (New Zealand) a Pacific Islander .
Bounty Bar: A Bounty chocolate bar, being composed of coconut coated with chocolate, is white on the inside and brown on the outside. As with "wigger", this is a both a subcultural and ethnic slur. The immediate target is criticized for having the cultural values of a different ethnic group, with the implication that the ethnic group in question is bad or inferior. "Coconut" and "Oreo" are used in the same way.
Briar: (U.S. Midwest) An urban Appalachian, an emigrant from Appalachia to the northern Midwest industrial cities after World War II, in particular from southeastern Kentucky, derived from self-description as a "briar-hopper" or dialect pronunciation of "brawhopper".
Brownie: (U.S.) a. a person of mixed white and black ancestry; a mulatto. b. (U.S.) a young, brown-skinned person 1940s-1950s
Buffie: a. black person.; b. (U.S.) a young, brown-skinned person 1940s-1950s

C

Camel Jockey: A slur against people of Middle-Eastern descent.
CBCD: (Subcontinentals in Canada) - Canadian-Born Confused Desi - Similar to ABCD, but used for Canadian-born South Asians who are confused about their cultural identity.
Celestial: a race-specific term used to describe Chinese immigrants in the United States, Canada and Australia during the 19th century. The term was widely used in the popular mass media of the day. The term is derived from their status as subjects of the Son of Heaven, the Chinese Emperor.
Charlie: (North America) a 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). The same word was also a generally non-pejorative slang term used by American troops during the Vietnam War as a short-hand term for Vietnamese guerrillas: it was shortened from "Victor Charlie", the NATO phonetic alphabet for Viet Cong, or VC.
Chee-chee: a Eurasian half-caste
Chinaman: (Worldwide English) Chinese person, used in the gold rush and railway-construction eras in western North America, when discrimination against Chinese was common. Though widely used historically without offensive intent, the term today generates controversy when still used in geographic places associated or resembling Chinese. Fowler's Dictionary of English Usage as late as 1956 describes it as the term for a Chinese person, whereas the term Chinese was only used as an adjective for things. Though it is widely used as an ironic self-reference by many North Americans of Chinese descent, and is still heard in the lyrics to the 70s song "Kung Fu Fighting" and Fast and Furious movie song "Tokyo Drift" by the teriyaki boys, it tends to generate objections in modern times, especially in the US where Asian-American is the preferred nomenclature. (Note that in cricket, the term "chinaman" is used in a non-ethnic sense to refer to a left-handed bowler who uses a wrist spin action, and that a chinaman was also a type of 18th and 19th C. merchant ship, or a dealer in china ware.)
Cheese-eating surrender monkey: (UK, USA, Canada) A Frenchman, from the perceived proclivity of the French to surrender in battle, and the huge variety of French cheeses available.
Ching Chong: (U.S. and Canada) Mocking the language of or a person of perceived Chinese or East Asian descent. An offensive term which has raised considerable controversy when used by celebrities such as Rosie O'Donnell.
Chink: (U.S., UK, and India) used to refer to people of perceived Chinese descent, and by extension for other East Asians. Considered extremely derogatory, although at least one US school proudly used the term as a sports mascot until the 1980s.
Cholo: (Latin American Spanish, USA) used in Latin America to refer to people of perceived Amerindian or Mestizo descent; used in the USA to refer to people of perceived Mestizo descent, especially teenagers and young people in the lowrider subculture. It may be derogatory depending on circumstances. Peruvian president Alejandro Toledo was nicknamed "el Cholo".
Chonky: refers to a person of Chinese heritage with white attributes whether being a personality aspect or physical aspect.
Christ killer: a Jew, an allusion to Jewish deicide
Chug: (Canada) refers to an individual of aboriginal descent.
Coconut: (New Zealand) A Pacific Islander. Named after the coconut, the nut from the coconut palm.; (UK) A black person who exhibits behaviour associated with caucasians; (US) a Hispanic person trying to be 'white'.; (South Africa) A black person who acts white
Coolie: (North America) unskilled Asian labor, usually Chinese (originally used in 19th-century for Chinese railroad labor). Possibly from Hindi/Telugu kuli, day laborer. Also racial epithet for Indo-Caribbean people, especially in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and South African Indians, where it is considered on par with "nigger".
Coon: (U.S. and U.K) a black person. Possibly from Portuguese barraco, a building constructed to hold slaves for sale (1837). Popularized by the song "Zip Coon", played at Minstrel shows in the 1830s.
Coonass, or Coon-ass: (U.S.) a person of Cajun ethnicity.
Cracker: (U.S.) poor Appalachian or poor Southerner, a white person, first used in the 19th century.
Crow: a black person, spec. a black woman.
Cunt-eyed: (U.S.) adjective: a person with slanted eyes (first used in the 1910s)
Curry-muncher/Curry-slurper: (Australia, Africa, New Zealand) a person of East Indian origin.

D

Dago: (U.S.) an Italian or person of Italian descent. In the UK it can refer also to Spaniards or Portuguese, possibly derived from the Spanish name "Diego". It is used in the 2008 feature film Valkyrie by the character of Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel (portrayed by Kenneth Cranham) who says that some officer should "shoot that dago bastard" (meaning Italian dictator Benito Mussolini).
Darky / darkey / darkie: noun. Used as a term for a black person, which may cause offence. Randall Kennedy's Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome Word notes that some judges have considered "darky" a "term of endearment." See also Minstrel show. In South Africa, however, it is not considered either racist or offensive, but is quite acceptable
Dhoti: In Nepal the word Dhoti is often used as an ethnic slur against the Madhesi community of Nepal and Indians by the majority population of Nepal. This may be because of the popularity of dhotis in the terai region and the bordering Indian states.
Dink: an Asian, esp. a Vietnamese. Also used as a disparaging term for a North Vietnamese soldier or guerrilla in the Vietnam War. Origin: 1965–70, Americanism
Dogan, dogun: (CAN) Irish Catholic .
Dune coon: (US) Derogatory term used for Arabs.
Dutchman: noun. (1) 19th century on, Dutch being corrupted from the Pennsylvania German self-descriptive word Deitsch. Anyone of Germanic heritage (as with Anglo-Celtic Pennsylvanians) a Pennsylvania German; (2) (mid-1800s to 1920s) a foreigner, especially one who does not speak English well; (3) a bar keeper; (4) anglophone South African whites, used for Afrikaner

E

Eight ball: A Negro; slang, usually used disparagingly

Eskimo: A native North American from the northernmost inhabitable areas. In some areas it is considered pejorative, in others not, see "Eskimo" for details

Eyetie: (British) an Italian person; slang, usually used disparagingly. Originated through the mispronunciation of "Italian" as "Eye-talian."

F

Fenian: (Northern Ireland and west of Scotland Protestants) originally the name of a political movement, the Fenian Brotherhood, but now a derogatory term aimed at Catholics, especially those thought to sympathise with the IRA.
Flip: (Western World) A derogatory term for Filipinos.
Free Stater: (Northern Ireland) a citizen of the Republic of Ireland, especially to Ulster Protestants. Also used by Irish Republicans to refer to Irish people who they believe are less than patriotic.
Fritz: (UK, France, Hungary ("fricc"), Poland , Russia ) a German .
Frog: (Canada, UK and US) A French person. Prior to 1800's, referred to the Dutch (as they were stereotyped as being marsh-dwellers). When France became Britain's main enemy, replacing the Dutch, the epithet transferred to them, due to the French recipe for eating frogs' legs (see comparable French term Rosbif). Also used in Canada to refer to both the French and French Canadians, and occasionally incorrectly as more broadly to people from Quebec who are not, in fact, necessarily French or French speaking.
Fuzzy-Wuzzy: (UK) Colonialist term used to refer to the Hadendoa warriors in the 19th Century.

G

Gable: a black person.
Gin: (AUS) an Aboriginal woman.
Gin jockey: (AUS) a white person having casual sex with an Aboriginal woman. Pejorative. See also gin burglar
Ginzo: (U.S.) an Italian-American.
Golliwog: A predominately UK expression which originally was a children's literature character and type of black doll but which eventually became to be used as a jibe against people with dark skins, most commonly Afro-Caribbeans.
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 example is dated 1920. It gained widespread notice as a result of the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Goyisher kopf: (Jews) This exclamation is said by Jews when they say or do something stupid (literally, "gentile-head").
Greaseball, Greaser: (US) a person of Italian descent. Or rarely, a person of Hispanic descent.
Gringo: (Latin Americans, Brazil) a white person or foreigner. The term lends itself to derogatory or paternalistic connotations, but depending on the context it may not be meant pejoratively. Gringo may be derived from several origins. One is the phrase "Green, go" from the color of US Army uniform when the Mexican-American war invasion. Yet it could be derived from the singing by US troops of the song of celtic origin, "Green Grow the Lillies". In Brazil, "gringo" is applied to any foreigners (including Mexicans or Argentines) and has no negative connotations by itself.
Groid: (US) A black person. Offensive. Derived from "negroid".
Gub, Gubba: (AUS) Aboriginal pejorative term for white people
Gweilo, gwailo, or kwai lo (鬼佬): (used in South of Mainland China and Hong Kong) A White man. Loosely translated as "foreign devil;" more literally, might be "ghost dude/bloke/guy/etc." 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 is now in general, informal use but still considered derogatory.
Guido: (US) An Italian-American male. Most of the times offensive. Derives from the Italian given name, Guido. Used mostly in the NYC Metro Area as a stereotype to working-class metrosexual Italian-Americans.
Gypsy, Gyppo, gippo, gypo, gyppie, gyppy, gipp: a. A Roma person . b. (UK and Australia) Egyptians.

H

Hajji, Haji: (US) Used by some U.S. servicemembers to describe Iraqis or Arabs.
Half Caste: (UK) Derogatory term against people who are born of mixed race.
Haole: (US, Hawaiian) A non-native, used by Hawaiians mainly to refer to whites (less commonly to refer to non-Hawaiians)..
Heeb, Hebe: (U.S.) offensive term for a Jewish person, derived from the word "Hebrew".
Hindoo: (AUS) 19th century, Hindu. Often not offensive.
Honky also spelled "honkey" or "honkie": (1) (U.S.) An offensive term for a white person. Derived from an African-American pronunciation of "hunky", the disparaging term for a Hungarian laborer. The first record of its use as an insulting term for a white person dates from the 1950s.; Hindu. Used as a derisive in Canada for Indo-Canadians, particularly Sikhs.
Husky: an Eskimo of Labrador and north-eastern Canada or his language — sometimes taken to be offensive. Sometimes used in conjunction with Skimo.
Hun: (U.S. and U.K.) A derogatory term for Germans, especially German soldiers; popular during World War I. Also an offensive term for a Protestant in Northern Ireland..
Hymie: (U.S.) offensive term for a Jewish person, derived from the personal name Hyman (from the Hebrew name Chayyim). Jesse Jackson provoked controversy by referring to New York City as "Hymietown" in 1984.

I

Ikey / ike / iky: a Jew
Ikey-mo / ikeymo: a Jew
Injun: an offensive term for a Native American.

J

Jap: (US, especially during World War II) a Japanese soldier or national, or anyone of Japanese descent.

Jerry: (Commonwealth, especially during World War II) a. a German national. b. a German soldier . Origin of Jerry can.

Jigaboo, jiggabo, jigarooni, jijjiboo, zigabo, jig, jigg, jigga, jigger: (U.S. and UK) a black person (JB) with stereotypical Black features (e.g. dark skin, wide nose, and big lips).

Jock, jocky, jockie: (UK) A Scottish person, dialect form of personal name John. Occasionally used by the English as an insult. but also in respectful reference to elite Scottish, particularly Highland troops, e.g. the 9th (Scottish) Division. Same vein as the English insult for the French, as Frogs.

Jungle bunny: (U.S. and UK) a Black person (although it is used humorously in the musical Hair).

K

Kaffir, kaffer, kaffir, kafir, kaffre, kuffar: (South Africa) a. a black person. Very offensive. Usage: Kaffir Boy was a famous autobiographical book by Mark Mathabane about his childhood in South Africa. (The South African Consul General in Lethal Weapon 2 calls Danny Glover a kaffir and Mel Gibson a 'kaffir lover'.) b. also caffer or caffre: a non-Muslim. c. a member of a people inhabiting the Hindu Kush mountains of north-east Afghanistan. Origin is from the Arab word kafir meaning infidel used in the early Arab trading posts in Africa. The term is still used as a pejorative by Islamists in such a context. The term passed into modern usage through the British, who used the term to refer to the mixed groupings of people displaced by Shaka when he organized the Zulu nation. These groups (consisting of Mzilikaze, Matiwani, Mantatisi, Flingoe, Hottentot, and Xhosa peoples inhabited the region from the Cape of Good Hope to the Limpopo river) fought the British in the Kaffir Wars 1846–1848, 1850–1852, and 1877–1878.) See also Kaffir (Historical usage in southern Africa)
Katsap: (Ukraine) Derogatory term for Russians.
Kike or kyke: (U.S.) a Jew. From kikel, Yiddish for "circle". Immigrant Jews signed legal documents with an "O" (similar to an "X").
Kraut (from Sauerkraut): (North America and Commonwealth) Derogatory U.S. and British term for a German, most specifically during World War II.

L

Limey: (US) A British person. Comes from the historical British naval practice of giving sailors limes to stave off scurvy.

M

Macaca (from macaque): 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 describe a person of Indian descent.
Mack, Mick, Mickey, Mickey Finn: a. (Britain, Commonwealth and U.S.) an Irish person or a person of Irish descent. Mick is considered more offensive in the U.K. and U.S.. From the prefix "Mc"/"Mac" meaning "son of" that is commonly found in Irish surnames. b. (Australia) a Roman Catholic .
Mammy: (U.S.) a black woman, depicted as rotund, homely, and matronly
Mock / moch: (U.S.) a Jew
Mocky / moky / moxy / mockey / mockie / mocky: (U.S.) a Jew
Monkey: (UK) a black person. Also used by white people in Southeast Asia to describe local people.
Moon Cricket: (US) derogatory term for a black person.
Moskal: "Muscovite", derogatory name for Russians in Ukraine and Poland.
Munt / Munter: (among whites in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia) a black person. Derives from muntu, the singular Bantu word for "person"
Muzzie / Mussie: (Europe and US) A mildly offensive slang term for a Muslim.

N

Nigel: (AUS) Used during Vietnam War as derogatory slang for any Vietnamese. Also nigel nog See nig nog below.
Niglet: A term used to describe a young black person.
Nig-nog: (UK) a black person. - note alternative original mildly derogatory meaning in the UK: "a novice; a foolish or naive person"
Nigger / Niger / nig / nigor / nigra / nigre (Caribbean) / nigar / niggor / niggur / nigga / niggah / niggar / nigguh / niggress: (International) An American-English slur originally used to refer to black-skinned people, but developed a dual meaning in the late 20th century.

Nip: (U.S. and UK) A derogatory term for someone of Japanese descent (shortened version of Nipponese, from Japanese name for Japan, Nippon)

Nitchie, neche, neechee, neejee, nichi, nichiwa, nidge, nitchee, nitchy: (CAN) a North American Indian .

Northern Monkey: (UK) (See also Southern Fairy) Used as a pejorative in the South of England, relating to a perceived stupidity and lack of sophistication of those in the North of the country. In some cases this has been adopted in the North of England, with a pub in Leeds even taking the name 'The Northern Monkey'.

O

Ocker: (AUS and NZ) Uncultivated Australian. Also considered authentic and unaffected.

Oreo: (US) A racial slur for being black on the outside and white on the inside, hinted by the appearance of an Oreo cookie.

P

Paddy: (Primarily UK) an Irishman. Often derogatory; however, Lord Edward FitzGerald, a major leader of the United Irishmen of 1798, proclaimed himself proudly "a Paddy and no more" and stated that "he desired no other title than this".
Paki / Pakki: (Primarily UK and Canada, sometimes the United States, New Zealand and India) a Pakistani or South Asian. Within the UK, the term originated in Northern England, where a large number of South Asians arrived in the 1950s and 1960s. It is usually considered offensive when used by a non-Asian in the UK.
Pancake Face, Pancake: An Asian person
Pepper: (Canada) a French Canadian or French-speaking Québécois
Pepsi: (Canada) a French Canadian or French-speaking Québécois, so called because they would drink more (back then cheaper) “Pepsi” than “Coca-Cola”
Pickaninny: a term – generally considered derogatory – that in English usage refers to black children, or a caricature of them which is widely considered racist.
Pikey / piky / piker: (Britain) a. Irish Traveller, b. Gypsy, c. a lower-class person. Sometimes used to refer to an Irish person .
Pocho / pocha: (Southwest U.S., Mexico) adjective: term for a person of Mexican heritage who is partially or fully assimilated into American culture (literally, "over-ripe"). (See also "Chicano")
Polack: a Pole or a person of Polish origin, from the Polish endonym, Polak (see Name of Poland). Unlike in English, in Swedish and Norwegian polack is the polite term for a person from Poland.
Pom, Pohm, Pommy, Pommie: (AUS/NZ/SA) a British (usually English) immigrant. Some claim it derives from "Prisoner of Mother England" or "Prisoner of Her Majesty", but it probably derives from pomegranate, rhyming slang for "immigrant, jimmygrant, pommygrant". It is often used irreverently and is usually considered offensive. Many such migrants to Australia call themselves "ten pound poms", because they paid ten pounds for their passage to Australia between 1945 and 1972 under an assisted migration scheme. Often combined with an adjective, particularly whingeing pom, a reference to migrants who complained about their adopted country. Often used in a sporting (especially cricket and rugby) context, with liberal use of 'pom' and 'Aussie' being used by the media; the term is often seen as unoffensive in this context, and instead as light-hearted banter by those who use it, but still possibly as offensive by those whom it is directed at.
Porch monkey: a black person,
Powder burn: (US) a black person.
Prairie Nigger: (US) A Native American

Q

Quashie: a black person. From the West African name Kwazi, often given to a child born on a Sunday

R

Raghead: an ethnic slur used against Arabs, Indian Sikhs and some other peoples, denigrating them for wearing traditional headdress such as turbans or keffiyehs. Sometimes used generically for all Islamic nations. See Towel head.
Redneck: a disapproving and insulting term used to refer to uneducated or poorly educated White persons in the U.S. who are of lower socio-economic status, or live in a rural area
Redskin: an offensive racial descriptor for Native Americans, used as the name for a professional sports team. Some Native Americans use the shortened form 'skin in self-reference, much in the same way that nigga is used by some African-Americans.
Roundeye: (English-speaking Asians) a white or non-Asian person.
Russki, Russkie: disparaging when used by foreigners for "Russian" (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.)

S

Saes: (Wales) An often derogatory word used by the Welsh to refer to the English. Derives from the Welsh word Saeson, i.e. Saxon. (See Sassenach for Scottish derivative)
Sambo: (U.S.) a derogatory term for an African American, Black, or sometimes a South Asian person.
Sand nigger: An ethnic slur against Arabs.
Sasquatch: often used by Americans as a pejorative word for Canadians.
Sassenach: (Scotland) - An English person, Scots for "Saxon", or a Lowland Scot when used by a Highlander.
Sawney: (England, archaic) - A Scottish person, local variant of Sandy, short for "Alexander".
Seppo, Septic: (Australian/British) An American. (Cockney rhyming slang: Septic tank — Yank)
Shiksa: a pejorative term, mostly in North America, for a non-Jewish woman.
Shiptar: a pejorative term for Albanians, particularly in Serbia, Montenegro and Macedonia The name comes from the word "Shqiptar" (prounounced Shchiptar), which is the way the Albanians call themselves in their own language.
Shvartse: A derogatory term for someone of African descent.
Slanteyed: pejorative term for being of Far Eastern origin, a Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese etc. Derived from the term for those who have epicanthic folds
Skip /Skippy: (Aus) a person of Anglo-Australian decent.
Slope, slopehead, slopy, slopey: (U.S. and Aus) a person of Asian (in Australia, especially Vietnamese; in America, especially Chinese) descent.
Smoked Irish / smoked Irishman: (U.S.) 19th century term for Blacks (intended to insult both Blacks and Irish).
Sooty: A black person
Southern Fairy: (UK) (See also Northern Monkey) A term used in the North of England referring to a perceived pretension and 'softness' of those in the South of the country. The North of England has traditionally been more industrial, where as the South has traditionally been based around the service industries, meaning that occupation, lifestyle, interests and mannerisms fueled this perception. In some cases the term has been adopted by those in the South of England and has been mercandised to some extent.
Spade: A black person. recorded since 1928 (OED), from the playing cards suit.
Spaghetti-nigger: (US) US citizen of Italian descent, used in Chicago in the late 1980s.
Spic, spick, spik, spig, or spigotty: (U.S) a. a person of Hispanic descent, or a person of actual or presumed Puerto Rican origin whether or not of Hispanic descent. Use of the word is often perceived as extremely offensive if used by a person not of Latino descent in any context. Origin uncertain. First recorded use in 1915. Theories include from "no spik English" (and spiggoty from the Chicano no speak-o t'e English), but common belief is that it is an abbreviation of "Hispanic" b. the Spanish language. In the UK this term is more commonly used towards people of Italian/Mediterranean descent rather than Hispanics.
Squaw: (U.S. and CAN) Often offensive term for female Native American. Derived from lower East Coast Algonquian (Massachuset: ussqua), which originally meant "young woman", but which took on strong negative connotations in the late twentieth century (see article). (The equivalent derisive for a male is "buck", and for a child, "papoose".)

T

Taffy or Taff: (UK) a Welsh person. First used ca. 17th century. From the River Taff or the Welsh pronunciation of the name David (in Welsh, Dafydd). Children's rhyme: "Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a thief". Generally considered offensive when used by an English person, although it has appeared in such family-friendly series as Dad's Army, where it was used as a lighthearted nickname.
Taig (also Teague, Teg and Teig): a vitriolic slur used by loyalists in Northern Ireland for members of the nationalist/Catholic/Gaelic community. The term translates as "average Joe" or "man on the street".
Tar baby: (UK; U.S.; and N.Z.) a black child.
Teapot: (British) A black person.
Thicklips: (UK) a black person.
Timber nigger: An ethnic slur against Native Americans.
Tinker / tynekere / tinkere / tynkere, -are / tynker / tenker / tinkar / tyncar / tinkard / tynkard / tincker: a. (Britain and Ireland) an inconsequential person (typically lower class); (note that in Britain, the term "Irish Tinker" may be used, giving it the same meaning as example b.); b. (Scotland and Ireland) a Gypsy; c. (Scotland) a member of the native community previously itinerant (but mainly now settled) who were reputed for their production of domestic implements from basic materials and for repair of the same items, being also known in the past as "travelling tinsmiths". The slur is possibly derived from a reputation for rowdy and alcoholic recreation. Often wrongly confused with Gypsy/Romany people.
Touch of the tar brush: (British) derogatory descriptive phrase for a person of predominantly Caucasian ancestry with real or suspected African or Asian distant ancestry.
Towel Head: A slur intended to be used against Arabs. See Raghead.

U

Ugly American: An Epithet common internationally as an insult directed at a citizen of The United States, common usage is against tourists and travellers along with US corporate businesses in the particular area.
Uncle Tom: A pejorative for an American black person who is perceived as behaving in a subservient manner to white authority figures.

W

West Briton / Westbrit: (Ireland) is for an Irish person who has sympathies toward Britain, or who imitates the British. Possibly comes from Sinn Féin ideal of Arthur Griffith for dual monarchy, Ireland was to be a West Britain.
White Nigger / Wigger / Whigger / Wigga: (US) Used in 19th-century United States to describe the Irish. Used today to demean any White person as being White trash, or an ignorant and uncouth redneck. Also (international) used to describe white youth that imitate urban black youth by means of clothing style, mannerisms, and slang speech. The 'w' at the start of wigger refers to the white person and the 'igger' refers to nigger, which is already a racial slur for black people. Also used by radical Québécois in self-reference, as in the seminal 1968 book White Niggers of America.
Whitey: A term for a white person, commonly used in a derogatory manner.
Wog: In Australia, the term "wog" is usually used to refer to Mediterranean, Southern/Eastern European and Middle Eastern people, such as Italians, Greeks, Macedonians, Serbians, Croatians, or Albanians. However, it can also refer to any swarthy people. In Britain, it usually refers to dark skinned people from Asia or Africa. Possibly derived from "golliwogg"
Wop: (North America and UK) A racial term for anyone of Italian descent, derived from the Italian dialectism "guappo", close to "dude" and other informal appellations.

Y

Yank/Yankee: (UK/Australian) A term for an American, commonly used in a derogatory manner, although some Americans from northern states refer to themselves this way when addressing foreign audiences, in which case it is not actually an offensive slur. In the southern United States the term is used for Americans from outside the South, especially those from north of the Ohio River. But north of the Ohio River the terms Yankee and Yank may mean exclusively someone from New England. Insofar as possible the terms Yankee and Yank should not be used to label U.S. southerners in that such attribution can be confusing.
Yellow: designating or pertaining to an Asian person, in reference to those who have a yellowish skin color.
Yid: Disparaging term for a Jew, although it is an endonym among Yiddish-speaking Jews.

Z

Zipperhead: Term used for Koreans or Vietnamese people. There are numerous possibilities for where the slur originated.

References

Spears, loc. cit. p. 1.
ABCDlady Magazine - for the American Born Confident Desi
Bruce Moore (editor), The Australian Oxford Dictionary, (2004) p. 3.
Ethnic_resources
Speers, loc. cit. pg. 6.
Green, loc. cit. p. 19.
Macquarie Dictionary (3rd ed)
Hugh Rawson, Wicked Words, (1989) p. 19.
Spears, loc. cit. p. 10.; also, Zoo Ape or Jungle Ape
Green, 2005, ISBN 0304366366, p. 29.
Guardian Report: A new Britain, a new kind of newspaper February 25 2002
Nadal, Kevin L. (2009). Filipino American Psychology. p. 36. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
Green, loc. cit. p. 36.
The Mouth of Mencia, from The Washington Post, September 28, 2005
San Diego's top Latino cop retires, from The San Diego Union-Tribune, September 1, 2005
^ Pedro deflects the barbs; Racist comments don't faze Sox ace, from The Boston Herald, September 14, 2000
You are what you eat ... arguably: John Sutherland On national nicknames from The Guardian (UK), July 31, 2000
Duden Deutsches Universalwörterbuch.
"Costello Slammed for 'Bog Irish' Slurs", Irish Voice, October 13, 1998
Benson, Marius, "A life more ordinary", Expatica
bohunk. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000
Moore, op. cit. .
Wilkes, G.A. A Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms (Sydney: Fontana/Collins, 1978, p. 62)
Wilkes, ibid., p. 62
"boonga" The New Zealand Oxford Dictionary. Tony Deverson. (Oxford University Press: 2004) Oxford Reference Online..
Younge, Gary (2002-03-30). "Don't blame Uncle Tom". The Guardian. Retrieved 2007-10-23.
^ Green, op. cit. p.154.
^ Spears, op. cit. p. 118.
Cassidy, Frederic (1991). Dictionary of American Regional English. p. 521. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
"The Language of War", on the American Experience/Vietnam Online website; retrieved August 31, 2007
"chee-chee." Webster's .
Peak of Controversy "a resident of Calgary, wrote to the Minister of Community Development strongly objecting to the name Chinaman's Peak"
Wimps, weasels and monkeys - the US media view of 'perfidious France' The Guardian. Retrieved on December 27, 2006
Asian American advocates decry parody by TV's O'Donnell Vanessa Hua, San Francisco Chronicle, December 14, 2006
Simpson, "Chinky"
Vigil, James Diego (1988). Barrio Gangs: Street Life and Identity in Southern California. Austin: University of Texas Press. ISBN 0292711190. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
http://books.google.com/books?id=e0lfyT2EJwAC&pg=PA222&dq=Chonky&lr=&client=firefox-a
http://books.google.com/books?id=YY0BpjV4vDYC&pg=PA149&dq=Chonky&lr=&client=firefox-a#PPA149,M1
Warman v. Beaumont, CHRT (Canadian Human Rights Commission 2007) ("I haven't seen the new $50 bills, but the $20's and $100's I have seen. I have talked with a few people about them (who aren't WN) but they don't like the fact that there is native stuff on the bills. I mean, who wants to pay for something and be reminded of a chug? Not me!").
Orsman, H. W. (1999). The Dictionary of New Zealand English. Auckland: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-558347-7. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
Coconuts and Oreos
"The Coconuts (TV sitcom)". M-Net. 2007-12-13. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
Etymology of Selected Words of Indian Language Origin
Online Etymology Dictionary: coon
Slavery In America
"coonass" at the Encyclopedia of Cajun Culture
Cash W.J. The Mind of the South (Knopf, 1941).
"crow." Webster's .
Green, op. cit.
Fuller A. Scribbling the Cat: travels with an African soldier (Penguin Books, 2004).
Oxford Advanced Leaner's English-Chinese Dictionary (published in 1987), p. 292.
AskOxford: Search Results
Views The Telegraph - Weekly (Nepal)
dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dink
"dogan", Barber, op. cit. .
Ashley W. Doane and Eduardo Bonilla-Silva (Eds) White Out: The Continuing Significance of Racism (New York: Routledge,2003), p. 124
Green, Cassell, p. 383.
"Dutch", Webster's .
Bruce Kellner, ed. The Harlem Renaissance: A Historical Dictionary for the Era: Appendixes. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1984. The African American Experience. Greenwood Publishing Group. (Access by subscription.) .
http://au.encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861814296/eyetie.html
Share, op. cit. p. 105.
"What's in a name?"
Simpson, "free stater", op. cit.
Grand Dictionnaire (Larousse: 1993) p. 397; "fritz", Webster's; Polish Language Dictionary: http://sjp.pwn.pl/haslo.php?id=2558630 .
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0PAL/is_498_158/ai_106652581
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/2913151.stm
Dictionary.com
"gin", Moore, op. cit. .
Wilkes, op cit., 155-6
"ginzo" The New Oxford American Dictionary, second edition. Ed. Erin McKean. (Oxford University Press: 2005.) <http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html? subview=Main&entry=t183.e31685>
Thatcher axed by BBC's One Show 4 February 2009
^ Dictionary.com .
Pearson, Kim, "Gook".
Seligman, Herbert J., "The Conquest of Haiti", The Nation, July 10, 1920.
Yiddishkeit (page two)
greaseball - Definitions from Dictionary.com
Brazil - Brazzil Magazine - In Brazil, Not All Gringos Are Created Equal
An Accused Cop Killer's Politics
"Mr Gub ... the white man. The word is the diminutive of garbage." Wilkes, op cit., 167
http://www.bigwhiteguy.com/bio.php
Gweilo
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13708-2003Jul5.html
Simpson, "gyppo", op. cit.
"hajji" citation from Double-Tongued Dictionary
"haji" definition from Double-Tongued Dictionary
http://en.wikipedia.org/Half_Caste_(poem)
"?". Retrieved 2007-01-14.
Madresh, Marjorie (2004-05-28). "Founder of 'Hip to be Heeb' magazine speaks to students". The Triangle Online. Retrieved 2007-02-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
"Merriam-Webster Online definition of hebe". Retrieved 2007-02-14.
Simpson, "Hindu", op. cit.
Fuller A. Scribbling the Cat: travels with an African soldier (Penguin books, 2004).
"husky", Ibid. .
Online Etymology Dictionary
Nil By Mouth: History of Sectarianism
Daily Telegraph: Young people are raising their eyes
Newkirk, Pamela (2002). Within the Veil. p. 146.
Simpson. "ikey", loc. cit.
Loc cit. "ikeymo"
injun - Definitions from Dictionary.com
"Jerry," Simpson, op. cit.
Simpson, "jigaboo", op. cit.
Blake, Aled (2005-08-26). "'If boyo is racist so is Jock". Western Mail and Echo Limited. Retrieved 2006-12-22.
Simpson, "jungle"
"Kaffir", Webster's.
Featherstone, Donald (1993). Victorian Colonial Warfare: Africa. UK: Blandford. pp. 85–102. ISBN 0-7137-2256-8. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
Max Vasmer, Etymological dictionary of the Russian language, Heidelberg (1962), 4 volumes, available online (V.2, P.213
Wolarsky, Eric, "Kike", Interactive Dictionary of Racial Language, 2001.
AskOxford: Kraut
Dictionary.com
Allen Quip Provokes Outrage, Apology
"Mick" The Concise Oxford English Dictionary. Ed. Catherine Soanes and Angus Stevenson. (Oxford University Press: 2004) .
"The Mammy Caricature". Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia at Ferris State University. Retrieved 2009-05-16.
Simpson. "mock", loc. cit.
Ibid. "mocky".
The Times Online http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2239023,00.html
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=moon+cricket Urban Dictionary. "Moon Cricket," (retrieved on March 20th, 2009).
Edyta M. Bojanowska (2007) "Nikolai Gogol: Between Ukrainian And Russian Nationalism" ISBN 0674022912, p. 55: "In the 'low', folksy world of the provincial narrators, a Russian is a moskal ("Muscovite")", a foreigner and an intruder, at best a carpetbagger, at worst a thief in cahoots with the devil."
Simpson. "munt". loc. cit.
http://en.wikipedia.org/Religious_slur
Michael Frazer, Nasho (Melbourne: Aries Imprint, 1984)
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=niglet Urban Dictionary. "Niglet," (retrieved on March 20th, 2009).
"nig-nog" Webster's
"nig-nog" Oxford English Dictionary
"nip", Webster's, Accessed 11 Mar. 2006.
"nitchie", Simpson, op. cit.
http://www.peevish.co.uk/slang/n.htm
http://www.northernmonkey-leeds.co.uk/
Moore, "ocker" op. cit. .
"Was Lt. Gov. Steele Pelted With Oreos?", WTOP Radio
AskOxford: Paddy
"pak", Webster's, Accessed 4 April 2006; Simpson. "Paki", loc. cit.
"After the N-word, the P-word", BBC News, June 11, 2007
Racial and Ethnic Identity Formation of Midwestern Asian-American children, Susan Matoba Adler, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign http://www.wwwords.co.uk/pdf/validate.asp?j=ciec&vol=2&issue=3&year=2001&article=Adler_CIEC_2_3
David Williams, Review of Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened Languages by Mark Abley, The Oxonian Review of Books, Volume 4, Issue 2 (Hilary 2005).
Simpson, "pikey" op. cit.
Ibid. p. 773.
Longman Dictionary of English Language and Culture, Longman Group UK Limited, 1992, ISBN 0 582 23720 3
Svenska Akademiens ordlista över svenska språket (The Swedish Academy's dictionary of the Swedish language), 10th edition (Stockholm: Norstedt, 1984), ISBN 91-1-730242-0, p. 377.
Moore, "pommy", op. cit. .
Who Are The Bush People? by Sean Gonsalves
Brewers Dictionary of Phrase and Fable
"What do we all have in common?", The Sun Online, January 30, 2007
Suzan Shown Harjo (2005-06-17). "Dirty Word Games". Indian Country Today.
Spears, p. 295.
Template:Cy icon
Boskin, Joseph (1986) Sambo, New York: Oxford University Press
^ Kennedy, Randall L. (Winter, 1999-2000), "Who Can Say "Nigger"? And Other Considerations", The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education (26): 86-96 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
WordNet Search - 3.0
Simpson, "sawney", op. cit.
Dictionary of Australian Slang
http://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/21/world/fear-of-ethnic-attacks-grips-macedonia-s-cities.html?n=Top/Reference/Times%20Topics/Subjects/S/Soccer New York Times. "Fear of Ethnic Attacks Grips Macedonia's Cities," by Carlotta Gall (May 21st, 2001 - retrieved on April 18th, 2009).
http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861732947/definition.html Encarta World English Dictionary
Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=slanteyed
Lambert, James. "Additions to the Australian Lexicographical Record". Australian National Dictionary Centre. Australian National University. Retrieved 2008-10-31.
Moore. "slope", op. cit. ; Simpson, "slope"; "slopy", op. cit.
Simpson, "sooty." loc. cit.
American Heritage Dictionary
Don De Grazia, American skin, Scribner Paperback Fiction, 2000, p121. ISBN 0684862220, ISBN 9780684862224
Rawson, loc. cit. p. 370.
squaw - Definition from the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
Random House Unabridged Dictionary
Simpson, "taffy", op. cit.
"In Belfast, Joblessness And a Poisonous Mood" by Bernard Wienraub
New York Times, 2 June 1971
"On Belfast’s Walls, Hatred Rules" by Paul Majendie
Sydney Morning Herald, 29 November 1986
Double Tongued Dictionary
Simpson, "tar", op. cit.
Green, loc. cit. p. 1185.
Simpson, "tinker", op. cit.
John Akomfrah 1991 A Touch of the Tarbrush (TV Documentary) 1991
Share, op. cit. p. 349.
Miller, Joel (2001-03-06). "White niggards and the lingo nazis". WorldNetDaily.com. Retrieved 2006-12-23.
Princeton WordNet listing for Whitey
wog. Dictionary.com. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wog (accessed: November 01, 2007).
wop. Dictionary.com. Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/wop (accessed: November 01, 2007)
yank - Definitions from Dictionary.com
Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/yellow
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/yid
The Racial Slur Database

Literature

John A. Simpson, Oxford Dictionary Of Modern Slang ISBN 0-19-861052-1
John A. Simpson, Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series ISBN 0-19-861299-0
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)
Bruce Moore (editor), The Australian Oxford Dictionary, (2004)
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)
G.A. Wilkes, A Dictionary of Australian Colloquialisms (Sydney: Fontana/Collins, 1978) ISBN 0 00 635719 9

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wood, James, ed. (1907). The Nuttall Encyclopædia. London and New York: Frederick Warne. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

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