racial epithet makes news

[Baker, John M.]

        The majority of dictionaries characterize "Injun" as offensive
and often caution that it is highly so.  I don't think the same can be
said for "scout."

        While I think the primary concern is with the use of "Injun,"
the phrase can be understood to imply that not all Indians are honest.
In contrast, "scout's honor" implies that all scouts have honor.


John Baker



-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Tuesday, July 06, 2010 7:07 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: racial epithet makes news

All that proves is that it might be OK to say "Honest Injun" if you're a
Native American.

But I doubt it.

JL

On Tue, Jul 6, 2010 at 6:33 PM, Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at gmail.com>
wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society
> Poster:       Dan Goncharoff <thegonch at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: racial epithet makes news
>
>
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>
> I never realised raising two fingers and saying "Scout's honor" was an
> epithet against scouts...
>
> DanG
>
> On 7/5/2010 10:20 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society<ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter<wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      racial epithet makes news
> >
>
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> >
> > CNN reminds us that some time ago Michael Steele, the
now-in-hot-water
> > Chairman of the Republican National Committee, concluded an informal
> > statement by saying, "Honest Injun on that."
> >
> > Acc. to the report, Steele "caught lot of flak for using what is
often
> > considered to be - what *is* - a racial epithet."
> >
> > JL

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