Ethnic-based terms of contempt

[George Thompson]

As to whether this is "uniquely American", if you can find a library with a file of Reinhold Aman's Maladicta: the Journal of Verbal Aggression, you will find plenty of examples from various languages.

I dare say it's not widely held.  The first issues of this were lambasted in TLS, and on the basis of that review, GAT ordered a subscription for the Bobst Library, NYU.

GAT

George A. Thompson
Author of A Documentary History of "The African Theatre", Northwestern Univ. Pr., 1998, but nothing much lately.

----- Original Message -----
From: Bill Palmer <w_a_palmer at BELLSOUTH.NET>
Date: Thursday, February 26, 2009 3:45 pm
Subject: Ethnic-based terms of contempt
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU

> The recent discussion of "shade-tree mechanic", which conveys, in some
> usages, contempt for the referent, naturally leads to the subject of
> other such expressions.
>
>  In US English many are ethnic -based, such as "Indian giver", "Dutch
> courage", "Chinese fire-drill", "French leave", "Irish pennant" (this
> one may be unique to the US Navy).
>
> How many others are there?  I'm wondering if this is uniquely
> American.  Probably not, but are we more predisposed to it?
>
> Bill Palmer
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org