Subscribe now and choose from over 30 free gifts worth up to £49 - Plus get £25 to spend in our shop
....to refer to a chinese takeaway as a 'chinky'?
Was debated in the pub last night. Been a term in scotland for years and never meant as an offensive comment, so in my opinion no. Chinese mate agreed...
What do the stw masses think? PC madness, or a relic of the old days that should remain there.
Biscuits, anyone?
I think Drac has been through the mill with that one. AFAIR it was deemed racist. In a casual fashion, of course...
chinks, spicks, wops, ****s, wogs....
none of those are racist terms...or are they?
hmmm. I'm leaning towards 'yes they are'.
Do you also debate the rights and wrongs of the term, "**** Shop"?
I think it probably comes under the banner of 'If you have to ask...'.
Biscuits, anyone?
[img]
[/img]
Biscuits, anyone?
Not Pink Wafers though. Homophobic. Innit!
Terminology adapts.
No one using the word in those terms would mean it in terms of denigration or abuse, just shorthand for "Chinese Takeaway". But things move on.
If you say that in front of the staff in a Chinese takeaway, your likely to have your food spat on.
Do you also debate the rights and wrongs of the term, "**** Shop"?
we didnt discuss that one as it was actaully a discussion started by my chinese mate
Seems thats its more offensive to those wishing to be offended on other peoples behalf ...
Seems thats its more offensive to those wishing to be offended on other peoples behalf ...
nah.
Some of my best friends are Chinese.
I'm not a racist, but....
racist, no. imho
not very PC. yes.
If you say that in front of the staff in a Chinese takeaway, your likely to have your food spat on.
Dude's family that started the debate run a chines erstraunt so I'm not sure thats actually true where i come from.
nah.
well so far my small sample of one appears to show you are wrong..
I like the way you've taken the opinions of one Chinese person as somehow representative of all Chinese people. Some might say that's a bit racist. 😉
racist, no. imho
not very PC. yes.
think this nails it
geographical divide in opinion perhaps?
surely you were around to witness the original 17 page epic on this exact subject OP?
Not sure I can face it again...
I just don't see the point in saying it.
I mean if you replace the word 'chinky' with 'Chinese', it doesn't really affect the flow of the sentence* so why bother with something which could be construed as racist.
*Do you fancy something from the chinky?
*Do you fancy something from the Chinese?
I like the way you've taken the opinions of one Chinese person as somehow representative of all Chinese people. Some might say that's a bit racist.
I only have one..hes good for my diversity stats 😉
Someone's been buying research books at...
[img] 
[/img]
That mirrors my experience. Folk have simply replaced the word for something with less potential for offence. It seems to have been a gradual process so maybe it's simply not ubiquitous yet.I mean if you replace the word 'chinky' with 'Chinese', it doesn't really affect the flow of the sentence* so why bother with something which could be construed as racist.*Do you fancy something from the chinky?
*Do you fancy something from the Chinese?
Its an interesting one.
for something to be racist it usually requires that there be something derogatory about the phrase or term or some negative connotations
"chinky" certainly used to be completely normal as a desrciption for a chinese takaway
However as language moves on and people become more aware of racist terms "chinky" for a takeaway has become seen to be unacceptable as "chinky" or "Chink" can be used as pejorative terms for the people.
My view - its not racist to say "chinky" for chinese takaway but it could be offensive to some folk so best avoided
4 staff, 8 customers in the shop now.
we are all racist in stw land.
Farage VS Peep Show
terrahawk - MemberDo you also debate the rights and wrongs of the term, "**** Shop"?
What I kind of like is that around here, "**** shop" is pretty much interchangable with "corner shop"- our corner shop's owned by a white scottish person and always has been but people call it the **** shop. So it's just become completely connected from the racial slur it started with.
Way I see it is, there's no real value or benefit to using these terms, and no drawback to not using them, so if there's any risk of it offending someone why would you? It's just manners. I'm a white scottish dude so my opinion on whether or not it's racist or offensive couldn't be less relevant. But I wouldn't call a chinese person a chink so using the same word any other way just doesn't strike me as cool.
I would agree with Ton. Surely it would be "do you fancy something from the Cantonese / Mandarin?" 😉
What can Chinese be shortened to that isn't offensive? Everything needs shortening.
My relatives from the North East use both **** shop and chinky in every day conversation, sounds jarring and derogatory to me but the context makes me think that they are not intending it to be used in a negative manner and it's just local slang.
What can Chinese be shortened to that isn't offensive?
Chinese
Chinky is two syllables. So is Chinese.What can Chinese be shortened to that isn't offensive? Everything needs shortening.
Do you also debate the rights and wrongs of the term, "**** Shop"?
Random "I didn't know that" I tripped over yesterday. In the US, an alternative name for what we'd call an off licence is a "package store," colloquially a "packie." ([url= http://www.tekstlab.uio.no/cambridge_survey/maps/79 ]Source[/url])
Random "I didn't know that" I tripped over yesterday. In the US, an alternative name for what we'd call an off licence is a "package store," colloquially a "packie." (Source)
Oh harrogate, there's always one
our corner shop's owned by a white scottish person but people call it the **** shop.
We have the opposite. The shop at the corner of our street is owned by a pair of Asian brothers and has been for over ten years. Prior to that it was owned by a local guy called Tam Campbell aka TC.
Everyones still refers to the shop as Top Cats.
Two other corner shops in the town are still referred to as Duncans and McCullochs even though those old dudes are long retired and sold their business to Asian familys over 20 years ago.
People just don't like change.
colloquially a "packie."
When I was a kid, a "packie" was the alternative option to either a school dinner or going home for your lunch. It invariably contained chopped pork, a Ski yoghurt and a Kwenchy Kup.
Chinese
That's not shortened, but you knew this and wasted a post. A puppy has now died because of you
Chinky is two syllables. So is Chinese.
Come on people! One syllable word for Chinese that's not racist. I'll open with Chi take away.
Some of my best friends are Chinese.
Some of my [s]best[/s] friends are racist.
ton - Member
4 staff, 8 customers in the shop now.we are all racist in stw land.
Swoon
To me it is mildly offensive and I would never use it as a term.
I felt the same in the 70's where it's use was more wide spread.
However, asking people whether something is racist is a bit pointless. If people say they don't have an issue with something it doesn't mean it is alright, could just mean they are a bit racist too.
You should hear what the Chinese call us !
Yes in todays world we can't / shouldn't use Chinky in the same way we should't shorten ****stani.
Swoon
eh?
I do recall that in less enlightened times going to one of the many Chinese restaurants for lunch was "going for a missing link". Funny thing is, we weren't even cockneys.
I would certainly have said chinky back in the 70s but it's Chinese now.
What I find odd is how the vast number of Bangladeshi restaurateurs don't seem to take offence at their establishments being called Indian - what with partition and all that.
You should hear what the Chinese call us !
Sweaty Socks?........no. ....wait.....that's the English.
As you were.
This is why I tend to go for Thai.
Don't fret, Ton, he swooned at me not so long ago. I think he's genuinely enamoured by some of us.
Just feel the love...
I'll open with Chi take away.
People should stop shortening everything, I was watching a kids program* the other day and the presenter actually said "wow, that was redic"!!!
*with my kids by the way, I prefer much more highbrow things like Death in Paradise!!
my thing about the shop was not a proud boast. I just asked all in the building what they would call a Chinese takeaway meal. all said chinky.
I think it may be a northern thing.
the presenter actually said "wow, that was redic"!!!
Totes Unaccept.
Packie, pronounced the same as **** is another one of the million nicknames the yanks have for Patrick. It was a bit of shock to hear first time.
As for the Chinky thing, I have to admit it's a word we use in our house to refer to the food / takeaway, not the people. Hadn't considered it even rude up to now. I heard people in our local say aloud on their mobile "do you want anything from the Chinky?" No eye brows were raised on either side of the counter.
A lot of this comes down to how and why it's said an in what context. **** as a shortening for ****stani was taken and made a slur by the far right and the hard of thinking years ago, it's sad really, I've no desire to use it anymore, but on the face of it, it seems a perfectly harmless shortening like Scott for Scottish, it's arseholes using it as an insult and stealing word and making them nasty. I used that word in everyday use as a child without a hint of malice or hate, but now I wonder if I was upsetting people unknowingly.
So what aboot calling someone a Jock, or dare I say it a Sassenach?
I certainly don't mind ... 😆
Use whatever term you like otherwise life will be boring.
Is "Hamilton Accies" racist?
rushki, polski, frog, paddy, taff, jock. all racist?
Is "Hamilton Accies" racist?
It is in Motherwell.
'rushki, polski, frog, paddy, taff, jock. all racist?'
Don't forget Ginger too
rushki, polski, frog, paddy, taff, jock. all racist?
All can be replaced with a word that actually means where they're from with practically the same syllables, so again whats the point?
Russian, Polish, French, Irish, Welsh, Scot.....
Surely no one actually says "so, there was this Polski...."
Yes it is racist and offensive. Back in the 80s at school I would hit someone for calling me anything derogatory based on race. But then that's how schoolboys tend to deal with all issues.
Knowing that this would happen at an otherwise all-white school, I remember my dad teaching me how to punch properly. It was much tougher for my sister as girls didn't resolve things with a fight.
A Chinese friend of mine considers it racist. That's enough for me. Don't use it.
Did you ask the people behind the counter how they felt about it? My friend wouldn't have said anything in public. Her brother would.No eye brows were raised on either side of the counter.
I do enjoy threads where a bunch of middle-aged white guys (yeah, I'm making that assumption) decide what is and isn't racist.
Surely no one actually says "so, there was this Polski...."
I have a customer in Doncaster. his company name is Polskisat.
Calling a meal chinky: Not racist.
Calling a person chinky: Racist.
Technically it's not racist, in the context of talking about food.. But still it's 2017 no 1983 anymore. It's no great loss to your lexicon if you just forget the word exists and stop using it..
yeah its racist down south.
The meal also implies where it's from and the staff involved in preparing it. Therefore it's racist too.
I do enjoy threads where a bunch of middle-aged white guys (yeah, I'm making that assumption) decide what is and isn't racist.
Surely part of the problem is the intention or at least the attitude behind it. Is 'Jew' a rascist insult? It is when a Nazi uses it. But times do change. I happened to be watching an early episode of 'Yes Minister' & it was cringe makingly embarrassing to see the attitude towards African countries. I doubt if many (white) people noticed at the time.
Gwai lo.
Gwai lo.
No, it's pronounced, Gwai lo
'Technically it's not racist' 'It's not racist when you're talking about food' blah blah blah.
My Chinese friend doesn't see a difference and thus considers it racist whether she's down south or up north (is that meant to be some sort of excuse?!). That's enough for me.
No, it's pronounced, Gwai lo
And your point is?
I think it rather depends on your audience. If you are certain of your non racist credentials and of your audience's too and you are using the term in a semi ironic way I would say it's ok.
But any doubt at all about who you are talking to and best stick with 'a chinese takeaway'.
I don't think I'd use the term chinky anyway but I wouldn't necessarily find it offensive. Applied to a person thought - no dice!
The corner shop local to my work is run by an Asian family (Sorry, I've not engaged any of them in enough conversation to discover their country of birth. It might even be Scotland). The shop is called Chalkies.
Northwind - Member
terrahawk - Member
Do you also debate the rights and wrongs of the term, "**** Shop"?What I kind of like is that around here, "**** shop" is pretty much interchangable with "corner shop"- our corner shop's owned by a white scottish person and always has been but people call it the **** shop. So it's just become completely connected from the racial slur it started with.
Personally I just say "shop". I don't really see the need to distinguish the nationality(however innocently or derogatorily shortened) nor indeed understand why it's important to know that it's located on a "corner"! (particularly when most of the time they aren't even that!) 😆
My most important considerations are - does it's sell milk, bread, square sausage, bacon, ginger, and a varied selection of munchies? 😆
[img] 
[/img]
tpbiker - Member....to refer to a Chinese takeaway as a 'chinky'?
Was debated in the pub last night. Been a term in Scotland
How come in Scotland you have Cantonese takeaways but Chinese carry outs?
Or is that distinction less of a thing these days?
I needs to know.
Don't post a picture of your Chinese meal with the chopsticks sticking up from the middle of it, whatever you do.
[url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-trending-39142260 ]Linky[/url]
Brown - Member
'Technically it's not racist' 'It's not racist when you're talking about food' blah blah blah.My Chinese friend doesn't see a difference and thus considers it racist whether she's down south or up north (is that meant to be some sort of excuse?!). That's enough for me.
Racism for me requires intent. But anyhow, i'm not really defending usage of the word.
As i say it has potential to cause offensive, even if not intended. But it's no reall great loss just to use the correct term.
I like slang as much as the next person, but I'm not tied to it.
Uncomfortable certainly. Why bother?
Unless you're being (as many older folk of my folks' generation are/were won't to do) provocative and deliberately so - see also the occasional posts on FB about "why were the polliwogs ditched from jam jars" and so on.
Did you find it uncomfortable to say, TJ? or even a bit defensive?
People should stop shortening everything, I was watching a kids program* the other day and the presenter actually said "wow, that was redic"!!!
I detest the Americanisation of our language. It's programme not program. Program is IT or information technology to you as I'm guessing you also don't like acronyms? 😉
As i say it has potential to cause offensive, even if not intended.
Even if it is used without racist intent, it's not a very nice word and carries a legacy of racist intent.
Until the word is rehabilitated, then best not to use it in such contexts.
"Don't post a picture of your Chinese meal with the chopsticks sticking up from the middle of it, whatever you do.Linky"
To be fair, she is right - Filipinos are culturally Latin, not Chinese. So chopsticks are hilariously ignorant, it's like having British Fish and Chips with French fries - which I find ****ing offensive.
Although they do eat a lot of things on pandan leaves.
Racism for me requires intent.
I disagree. That implies there's no such thing as casual racism.
If something's said 'without intent' but still upsets people of a particular race based on their race, that's racist, regardless of intent.