A week ago on Twitter, I asked for words which offend. Although many offered the roots and the etymology – I feel that if words offend that is enough to avoid their usage. Obviously, this excludes their use by the people in which they originate and their contexts.
- Mumbo Jumbo.
- Voodoo
- N***** in the woodpile.
- Fear of kidnap by the slave trade.
- Juju (Used by people who don’t fall into the group)
- Is it Kosher?
- Too many chiefs not enough Indians.
- Hey, chief.
- Circle the wagons.
- Calling a spade a spade.
- Chinese whispers.
- Seminal.
- Exotic.
- Coloured.
- Half-Caste.
- Octaroon/Quadroon.
- Coon.
- Uppity.
- Nitty Gritty.
- The Mecca of…
- Going Doolally.
- Being an Indian giver.
- Eskimo.
- That’s mental (so ubiquitous now)
- Idiot/Moron (both literally categorical terms from eugenicists!)
- Stupid
- Crazy
- A bit autistic/OCD/schizophrenic
- Mufti day.
- Beyond the pale.
- Taking the Mick.
- Pagan.
- Jap.
- Red Indian.
- Gip/Gyp.
- Throwing a Paddy.
- Holligan.
- Having a quick pow-wow.
- Tribe.
- Paddy wagon.
- Tinker.
- Sitting Indian style.
- Drinking the Kool-aid.
- Cretin.
- Hysterical.
- Horde.
- Pikey.
- Chav.
- Hillbilly.
- China man (to refer to a left arm off spinner).
- Pow wow
- On the totem pole.
- Slavery to compare to anything which isn’t slavery.