[Closed] Is the term "Jock" offensive or racist?

The difference is that I don't call an Irish man "Paddy" and I wouldn't think he was a "sensitive flower" for taking some offence if I did.

However, he may well refer to himself as such and often will. The same is true with the word Jock. Being the person that created the furore, I have to admit that in retrospect it wasn't good use of language in an online context. Ultimately there are two elements, that make a word perjorative. One being the intent, and the other being the offence caused by its use. As I discovered yesterday, it is possible for the latter to occur without the former, and for that reason I have apologised, and will think twice before using it again. In my household it has always been a term of endearment and absolutely not an insult. That however, does not make it so everywhere else, and thats the point.

If it offends its offensive. Simple really.

And as it was me who made the initial complaint, it's only fair I say to Berm Bandit: thanks and respect.

My initial description of it as 'offensive' was probably overstating it somewhat, 'derogatory' would probably have been a better choice of word. I won't go into how the word makes me feel personally, but I was nodding in agreement reading Peterfile's posts earlier in the thread.

Some folk do seem to be spectacularly missing the point though, re folk actually called John/Jock 🙄

FWIW, any Scot given to calling the English names isn't worthy of my time/respect either. Mutual respect ++.