Calling a spade a "spade"

[davieddy]

This is a protest about political correctness gone mad.

"Nigger" surely started out as a version of "negro".
"Paki" as a simple contraction of "Pakistani"
"Sooty" = black.

What's the problem?

PS Renaming Harringay "Harringey" I ask you.

[ewmayer]

The problem is typically more one of the connotations and historical associations (or more to the point, "baggage") those words have come to have over the years more than the words themselves.

The recent story about the suicide of German businessman Adolf Merckle reminded me how the name "Adolf" fell drastically out of favor in the German-speaking world post-WW2. Nothing whatsoever wrong with the name, it's a perfectly fine German name - it just now has a lot of unfortunate historical baggage.

p.s.: What have you got against neutered female cats that you feel the need to insult them so? ;)

p.p.s: Speaking of out-of-favor names - int his case one I can only hope has fallen into disuse - what's up with the English name (specifically when used as a first name for girls, no less) "Murgatroyd"? Here in the U.S. I've heard it used, but only as a joke name as in "heavens to Murgatroyd!" and in reference to an annoying underfoot child, "...and little Murgatroyd over here...".

[davieddy]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

p.s.: What have you got against neutered female cats that you feel the need to insult them so? ;)

I assume you refer to Sooty here.
This is all a bit English.
It has been revealed that one of Prince Charles' polo friends
delights in the nickname.

Thankyou for fielding this thread so tactfully.

PS referring to the carefully chosen title of the thread,
is the term "spade" ever used these days to fefer to an American
of African origin and if if so how is it regarded?
In 1972 I guessed it was kinda cool.

[cheesehead]

Originally Posted by ewmayer

p.p.s: Speaking of out-of-favor names - int his case one I can only hope has fallen into disuse - what's up with the English name (specifically when used as a first name for girls, no less) "Murgatroyd"? Here in the U.S. I've heard it used, but only as a joke name as in "heavens to Murgatroyd!" and in reference to an annoying underfoot child, "...and little Murgatroyd over here...".

... and what do you have against either Margaret, her clearing or people originating therefrom?

From http://www.babynames.com/name/MURGATROYD

The meaning of the name Murgatroyd is From Margaret's Clearing

The origin of the name Murgatroyd is English

Notes: Originally a Yorkshire surname.

[ewmayer]

Originally Posted by cheesehead

... and what do you have against either Margaret, her clearing or people originating therefrom?

From http://www.babynames.com/name/MURGATROYD

What I have against Maggie is her usurping the name origin from its original, um, originator - as the "joke name" link explains:

It seems that Murgatroyd has a long history as a family name in the English aristocracy. In his genealogy The Murgatroyds of Murgatroyd, Bill Murgatroyd states that, in 1371, a constable was appointed for the district of Warley in Yorkshire. He adopted the name of Johanus de Morgateroyde - literally John of Moor Gate Royde or 'the district leading to the moor'.

The moor was there long before the clearing, so there.

[AES]

I'm currently managing an agile software development project and have an "East TN with some NC Tsalagi influence" accent. It's even worse when I try to abandon it.

I've been dubbed a "ScrumBilly". It may not be PC but I think it's quite funny.