Lynn's Paradise Cafe

Dudes, Ghetto is not a pejorative.

Pejorative...man that's a cool word, I'm gonna be saying it all week now.

Anyway...This "Ghetto" thing reminds me of an <eh-hem> "incident" I had back in my working days. I was having a <eh hem> "discussion" with my supervisor...who just happened to be a black man...and in the process of my "telling it like it is" (imagine THAT) I used the expression "Hey, I'm just calling a spade a spade"...a phrase which in MY culture and upbringing holds positively NO (zero) racial connotations. Well this guy goes bat-sh** crazy in front of the whole world and calls me a racist and wants to suspend me for 30 days AND demands a public apology. Long story short, once the origins and true meaning of the phrase were "officially" pointed out to the man ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_call_a_spade_a_spade ) and once the union got done chewing on HIS ass he was the one making the public apology.

My point in relating that story is that there is entirely too much of this "I'm offended by <insert appropriate word, phrase or gesture) crap going on in the world. People (in general) need to girdith up thy damn loins and stop being so panty waist-ed about such things. Just because someone uses a word (or phrase) that -could- be construed as a pejorative (see...I told ya I liked that word) doesn't mean it was MEANT in that context.

Bill ? Bill ? Ya got my back ?

Interesting. I thought the phrase came from the card game.

Why did he think calling a spade a spade is a racial slur? I can't understand where he was coming from.

Why did he think calling a spade a spade is a racial slur? I can't understand where he was coming from.

Ya got's me hangin'....Same guy popped a vein when someone called the Canadian controllers we worked with "Canucks"....we're like "Dude, it AIN'T derogatory" <sigh> I guess some folks just need to take a chill pill.

Why did he think calling a spade a spade is a racial slur? I can't understand where he was coming from.

Spade is used as racial slur for African Americans.

Kind of like calling a white dude, cracker or snowflake.

Why did he think calling a spade a spade is a racial slur? I can't understand where he was coming from.

Spade is used as racial slur for African Americans.

Kind of like calling a white dude, cracker or snowflake.

So do you know the origins of cracker?

Why did he think calling a spade a spade is a racial slur? I can't understand where he was coming from.

Spade is used as racial slur for African Americans.

Kind of like calling a white dude, cracker or snowflake.

So do you know the origins of cracker?

Wiki has it narrowed down to

Corn cracker - moonshine maker
Whip cracker - slavery
or just white like a saltine/soda cracker

I always thought it was from being white like a cracker, but the others seem more reasonable

Wiki has it narrowed down to

Corn cracker - moonshine maker
Whip cracker - slavery
or just white like a saltine/soda cracker

I always thought it was from being white like a cracker, but the others seem more reasonable

Georgia or Florida Cracker. Cowboys that cracked whips over the cows to herd them. There was a Victorian use to mean braggart as well.

[Robin Garr]

I always thought it was from being white like a cracker, but the others seem more reasonable

I would have guessed it came from standing around behind the gas station, drinking beer out of the can and cracking wisecracks.

I always thought it was from being white like a cracker, but the others seem more reasonable

I would have guessed it came from standing around behind the gas station, drinking beer out of the can and cracking wisecracks.

I'm thinking this might help....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRK5rU1ZPJc

.Same guy popped a vein when someone called the Canadian controllers we worked with "Canucks"....

I believe HOSER is the correct terminology for Canadians.

I would have guessed it came from standing around behind the gas station, drinking beer out of the can and cracking wisecracks.

HEY !!! I resemble that remark and am therefore....<wait for it>...........officially OFFENDED


In case ya missed it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRK5rU1ZPJc

In England the term 'cowboy" is used to define shoddy workmanship. ie That contractor was a cowboy, he did a lousy job. Thus, I always have a chuckle when I see construction, electricians, plumbers etc call their companies Cowboy ........ whatever. On another note, have you seen the advert for the law firm where one of the partners is called Crooks?

.Same guy popped a vein when someone called the Canadian controllers we worked with "Canucks"....

I believe HOSER is the correct terminology for Canadians.

Or 'nob',

And all their dogs are named Hosehead. True story.

(Worked with a Canadian in one of the plants I recently bounced around to and from - he was the Quality Manager there - and he called himself a 'snowback'. Not a term I'd ever use, but he was ok with it)

Dudes, Ghetto is not a pejorative.

Pejorative...man that's a cool word, I'm gonna be saying it all week now.

Anyway...This "Ghetto" thing reminds me of an <eh-hem> "incident" I had back in my working days. I was having a <eh hem> "discussion" with my supervisor...who just happened to be a black man...and in the process of my "telling it like it is" (imagine THAT) I used the expression "Hey, I'm just calling a spade a spade"...a phrase which in MY culture and upbringing holds positively NO (zero) racial connotations. Well this guy goes bat-sh** crazy in front of the whole world and calls me a racist and wants to suspend me for 30 days AND demands a public apology. Long story short, once the origins and true meaning of the phrase were "officially" pointed out to the man ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_call_a_spade_a_spade ) and once the union got done chewing on HIS ass he was the one making the public apology.

My point in relating that story is that there is entirely too much of this "I'm offended by <insert appropriate word, phrase or gesture) crap going on in the world. People (in general) need to girdith up thy damn loins and stop being so panty waist-ed about such things. Just because someone uses a word (or phrase) that -could- be construed as a pejorative (see...I told ya I liked that word) doesn't mean it was MEANT in that context.

Bill ? Bill ? Ya got my back ?

I got your back...

This reminds me *somewhat* of an account told by one of my College English professors to inspire us. If memory serves (actually memory doesn't serve and I have to go google it), it was about an aide to the Mayor of D.C., who was forced to resign after accusations of being racist for his use of the "niggardly" - a word synonymous with "miserly" or "frugal". They offered him his position back after the gay community, which he was a member of, arose in his defense, and those persecuting him realized they shot from the hip when they should have grabbed a Webster's.

I know, not the same thing, but interesting to me none-the-less. I think that often the audience is more suspect than the speaker.

But this does not reflect my opinion of Matthew's argument, because I truly have a well of respect for his insights.