Uh, isn't that a bad word?

ultraclyde wrote: John Brown goes for the added point, after a total win with the first post..

I just keep rolling them out.

mel_horn wrote:

Jay wrote: It would be the same if the magazine had referred to a "chink in the armor" - nothing to do with the slur on the Chinese, even though it looks identical.

Or; there's nothing wrong with "Englishman" or "Frenchman" but somehow "Chinaman" is offensive?

I think it becomes offensive when you use "chinaman" to refer to anyone of asian descent. Not that I would be offended if someone called me an englishman or frenchman because I was white, just really confused. I think it probably stems from the fact that in general, the Japanese do not like the Chinese at all. Just like some white people here in the states WOULD be offended if you called them a "Frenchman".

all I have to say about this

16vCorey wrote: ...Just like some white people here in the states WOULD be offended if you called them a "Frenchman".

I am one of those who would require an apology.

a very good school teacher some years back taught the kids that word (specific to the meaning)...

he was promptly fired... as I recall he was from britan...

John Brown wrote:

mel_horn wrote:

Jay wrote: It would be the same if the magazine had referred to a "chink in the armor" - nothing to do with the slur on the Chinese, even though it looks identical.

Or; there's nothing wrong with "Englishman" or "Frenchman" but somehow "Chinaman" is offensive?

Calling someone an American on other continents could be considered derogatory slang.

I guess I should have qualified that...calling a male person of English origin, etc., Calling someone who ISN'T American an American would also be careless.

wasn't there a politician recently (last year at least) that was so caught up in being PC that when they where talking about Africans they referred to them as "african american africans" diferentiate them from whitie or arab decent africans.