Is it racist…

….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, ****, 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?

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…

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?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.

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 – 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.

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

What can Chinese be shortened to that isn’t offensive? Everything needs shortening.

Chinky is two syllables. So is Chinese.

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.” (Source)

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 best 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 Pakistani.