Jap

[Mullins, Bill]

A standard prop for magicians is the "Jap Box", for production of
various small items.  Magicians are aware that this is at best a dated
name for the prop, but no one has come up with a substitute that has
been accepted.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: American Dialect Society
> [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Rex W. Stocklin
> Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 3:22 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: Jap
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       "Rex W. Stocklin" <stocklin at EARTHLINK.NET>
> Subject:      Re: Jap
> --------------------------------------------------------------
> -----------------
>
> At 3:49 PM -0500 5/20/05, Bill Mullins wrote:
>
> >  Jap -- slur for Japanese -- OED has ca. 1880
>
> In my halcyon days of early adulthood, I was a manager of a
> Chi-Chis Mexican Restaurante. in the kitch's of many a
> cantina the word jap is slang for jalapeno. An order, say,
> for a Mexican pizza would come back to the line and with it,
> the request to "hold the japs". I once experienced a very
> uncomfortable scene in the dining room, when one of the
> servers had exclaimed, let's just say NOT sotto voce, that
> her entire 6-top (restaurantese for a table with 6 diners)
> wanted lots of extra japs all around. Not 10 feet away sat an
> Asian couple of arguably non-Chinese persuasion, if you get
> my drift. The man looked me in the eye then gracefully looked
> away with a nod. I'm not so sure that he understood the
> context, as he was just doing that saving face thing. When
> the plates popped and I escorted them to the table, I was
> trying to decide how to show the couple the peppers and
> gracefully explain our lingo, but knew that would have been
> unbelievably awkward and even insulting to the pair.
> Thankfully, they had finished and had left before my server
> arrived. Whew!
>
>
> Lexy Rexy
> Fishers, IN
>