[user104658]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Its like the word "p aki"

when I was young that was the name of the local shop "the p akis " or "the p aki* shop" but over the years the word "p aki" was used in a negative way and became associated with bad feeling (and to lump all asians as one) so became a word not to be used

Conversely the word "chinky" was and is to a degree used for a Chinese takeaway and now people are like "ooh you cant say that but it was never used in a negative way due probably to numbers and visibility of Chinese people (in Scotland in this example)

I think people just link the 2 words together "p aki, chinky" but in my mind they have very different etymology


So in reference to the question that word to describe a Pakistani became unacceptable due to just that, the majority decrying it so


and interestingly the swear filter agrees with me

Maybe right, though I'm too fresh-faced to remember "the p word" being used as anything other than a derogatory term. "Chinky" is a weird one; when it's used as shorthand for a Chinese takeaway or meal I;d say the etymology is no different to referring to a "chippy". Likewise, the Chinese restaurant next to my work (who we have a close working relationship with... by which I mean I swap them bags of change when they need it and they give me free chicken balls & chips ) has no issue with the term either. It does however become a problem when the actual PEOPLE are referred to as "Chinkies" and I guess that's the difference; nearly had a fight start when someone was referred to as "that wee chinky guy at the front" in a negative context.

Which is something I have some sympathy for, having lived in England for a while. Scotch whiskey? Fine. Scotch pie? No problem. Though I will argue that this is simply "a pie" with no prefix needed .

But when people called ME "Scotch" or "The Scotch guy" it did make me genuinely pissed off . So it's not the word, it's the usage.