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X accused of giving racists ‘impunity’ after refusing to bar N- and P-word posts
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 14 Jun 2026
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The racist slur “Paki”.
Huh til. Never heard this before. Gotta be honest tho I'm kinda surprised its a slur, don't get me wrong I won't be using it, but it does feel like a "good" shorthand for Pakistani.
Seriously, I've heard people say "Pakis" as a short for Pakistani in a non-insulting way, similar to Spaniards or Aussies.
Funny enough it actually mentions in the Wikipedia article that most Americans are unfamiliar with the slur. I'll be honest without this thread if I heard someone say it, I would probably have used it unknowingly just assuming it was similar to Aussie or something.
This is not to make light of the slur, but if someone called me an "Ameri" I would probably just assume they're French, which might be meaner than anything they're trying to say to me.
Non-insulting according to whom? Some people are so ingrained to racism that they don't even sound racist. It's like old people who say "negro" but don't mean to offend. They're just unconsciously recycling the racism in which they were indoctrinated.
As discussed in this thread, America doesnt really have the same historical racist context. I would not be shocked if Pakistani people here were okay with it because the context is different or i would not be shocked if American Pakistanis also didn't know. This is not a defense of the word, I will not (and really have never used it) just idly noting that context is very important.
Ah, but it is such a fun word! Shortening it takes out the fun of saying the full Pakistani.
Racism has different manifestations in different places.
It kind of shows how stupid it all is.
Imagine me when I first got to Australia as an Englishman to see a big headline in the newspaper saying something like, "Pakis lose to England".
I was like, Whaaaaaaaaat !!!!!!
I've now been here 32 years and I sometimes explain to Aussies that Brits aren't allowed to use that word, which they're rather surprised about. Because as you said in your last two sentences.
Cheers.
Here in Canada in the 00s I remember it being a really bad slur. I haven't really heard it used at all since then though
Which is hilarious, because in new England a "packy" is a package store, which is a euphemism for a liquor store.
So I got quite a few looks when I asked if we were going to "hit the packy" on the way to the party....
There's an old movie on YT called Shield for Murder with a character named Packy and the subtitles censor the name.
Very much not good in England. You might well think England did enough to fuck up that part of the world in '47. But no we still have to be a bucket load of racist cunts.
Its actually mildly interesting, are there other slurs that really wouldn't be slurs in another country? The F slur would be one I suppose is just a cigarette for some people?
Cunt is a really nasty misogynist slur in the USA and a friendly mild ribbing in the UK and Australia.
Oh yes! This is another one good shout out!
Yeah "fag" is fine in context such as: "I'm just nipping out for a fag" "Can I bum a fag?"
But you can't say it to, or about, a person, well, unless you're a homophobe.
'faggot' is almost always a slur though, you'd better be in that rare circumstance where you're very clearly referring to a bundle of sticks otherwise, no.
I guess 'nip' is also occasionally a racist slur for Japanese, but normally quite innocent; just something quick. or a pinch, or a wee dram.
Vaguely related, you might be interested in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polari. A few British slang terms migrated out of queer-creoles into more mainstream usage , possibly via popular radio and tv.
Fancy a fag?
What? You're a fag!
No mate. Fag means cigerette.
You're a cigerette!
A British comedian friend living in the U.S. used to (15-ish years ago) have a joke about asking a guy outside a bar in middle America if he could bum a fag.
He would impersonate the most southern accent he could muster and say “I don’t care. Ain’t no business of mine.” As part of a joke about cultural differences/how the U.S. could be unexpectedly wholesome.
Never asked if that was a true story. We fell out awhile ago.
oh yes I will be looking at that, thanks!
edit: Another one (please someone correct any parts of this that are wrong). I believe in Korean "you" or some other way of addressing people sounds quite similar to the n-word.
quick edit 2: though I guess different languages don't really count in quite the same way, its similar though.
Clarkson got in trouble for noticing a slant on a bridge. I didn't even realise he was being offensive.
Nothing wrong with a good helping of faggots.
I was going to talk about shortening of Nigeria, but apparently the entomology is completely separate.
Entomology? I'm not sure where insects come into it.
My spelling was way odd. I mean Etymology.
Language is weird. Paki is absolutely a racist slur for Pakistani but then Brit is totally acceptable for a British person despite the two words having the exact same origin.
Isn't Brit a British term originally? I'd guess that'd the reason it's considered different
U sure it isn't "Pajeet"? That one seems worse.