I'm horrified - Prince Andrew and racist language

Kalu Despite my friends reassurances that he would not be offended, I never used the word.

Oh yes I remember that nursery rhyme.....
If he hollers let him go. Eeny meany miney mo!

I wonder how long that rhyme has been around? Where did it come from originally? Who thought it was a nice rhyme for children ?

I remember saying it as a small child but I probably didn’t know what n.....r meant.

Again there would have been no malice whatsoever but I am sure I wouldn’t have known the word referred to blacks.

That’s interesting sunseeker. Between friends is acceptable.

As we have now become aware though, how offensive the word is, I don’t think I would be comfortable saying it at all now.

Kalu I asked a West Indian friend the same question. He said it depends on what the intention is. He said if I used the n word he would not be offended because he would know I intended no insult, but if a stranger walking along the street shouted it to him then that would be offensive.

On one occasion by husband was talking to him and said he was tired because he had been working hard - our friend replied "you mean you have been working like a n*****"

Nobody would use that term again if " Roots " was to be shown again on TV. What a brilliant series.How cruel we were !!

Remember the colour of the old shoe polish ?---------brown ?

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My grandsons said catch a tigga by the toe much to my relief.

My weekend job was in a children’s home and my Dad used to refer to one little girl as a picaniny! She was 3 years old, part West Indian and part Japanese, really sweet natured and chatty.

For years I used to pray “let the petrol light shine amongst us” I remember furiously blushing when I realised my mistake though no one else was aware. Blushing used to be a real thing but we don’t really hear about it now!

Thought nothing about that one way back did we? Taught to me by my granny.

When I started at primary school, we were taught a rhyme "Eeny meany miny mo, catch a n....r by the toe" & I imagine many of you were too! Appalling! I was 4 and a total innocent. However, I taught my own children " Catch a pixie by the toe", making it into a nonsense rhyme to preempt their learning the offensive one.
At least we are more aware now.

The trouble is HurdyGurdy we almost need to Google on a daily basis as what is deemed acceptable to say changes so quickly.

JenniferEccles - "He said he had been working ‘like a n****r’"

Back in the early 70s, my auntie actually said that to her neighbour who was washing his car on a very hot day.

And yes, he was black. I don't know who was most embarrassed.

AnnieBach - "black as the ace of spades . . . .I thought it just meant the ace in a pack of playing cards."

So did I!!!

I am now going to Google and see how else I have been unwittingly racist!

I need a large stone to crawl under I think

Hurdy Gurdy, if we live and learn we are doing well. If only everyone learned from experience as you have done the world would be a better place.

Just thought of another ‘black as the ace of spades’ my mother
said it , I said it to my daughters .

In my teens I had a relationship with a black S.A., my parents were very fond of him , no way were we racist. I googled it
this morning and it is racist, I thought it just meant the ace in a pack of playing cards.

I remember a few years ago an elderly neighbour was describing how hard another neighbour had been working in his garden.

He said he had been working ‘like a n****r’

His horrified wife said “You can’t say that these days M”

It was said without any malice whatsoever but the phrase of course refers to the black slaves, so is unacceptable these days.

It was quite a common phrase to hear years ago though wasn’t it?

Definitely a slapped wrist for you HurdyGurdy !!

That phrase of course has been outlawed for years but I suspect the majority of us who may have said it in the past meant no insult whatsoever to black people.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Oh dear!

???

I rather like 'Knickers in the woodpile'

Oh gawd Hurdy!! What are you like?

God help us,
Really !

Best laugh I've had in weeks Hurdy!

Try 'a rotten apple' instead!

Judy54
Best phrase to use is "needle in a haystack".

Doesn't mean the same thing, though.