as a young australian, fresh off the boat and working in my first job in london
I came in on Monday and yelled out across the open-plan office to a South African mate: "Hey Andy, did you see us beat the pakis on the weekend".
I couldn't help but notice by the deathly hush and disciplinary panel that followed that my comment about the cricket might have been misconstrued
( cumquat may will not be commenting further on the allegations, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 13:11, 32 replies)

A racist Aussie, who'd have thought it?

( Amorous Badger NAKED BEA ARTHUR PHOTOS 4U, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 13:32, closed)

The addition of the Saffa mate makes it doubly racist.

( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 13:42, closed)

Stereotypical judgemental Pom.
Who'da thunk it. eh?
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Tue 21 Aug 2012, 21:50, closed)

So, what you;re saying here is that that along with being a fat would-be adulterer, you're a racist as well?

( Amorous Badger NAKED BEA ARTHUR PHOTOS 4U, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 1:03, closed)

My dog shits out bones quicker than you can chew on them AB.

(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Thu 23 Aug 2012, 6:04, closed)

How does the use of a common word denote a racist?
The person using the word "paki" does so because it is acceptable in their society. Heck, in some societies in the UK it can be acceptable:
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2007/jan/23/race.bigbrother [old grauniad link because it's too late to find something newer.]
The ignorant become hung up on words, everyone else pays attention to actions.
Edit: Another, to go with something above:
www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2004/feb/25/race.world
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 0:44, closed)

Generally speaking, in this country, the history of the last 4 decades of so, the word 'paki' has generally been accompanied by 'fukcing' or a brick through the window.
So, yes, it generally does.
( Amorous Badger NAKED BEA ARTHUR PHOTOS 4U, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 1:04, closed)

"...in this country..." and "...a South African mate...".
Seems you're the xenophobe for assuming another country uses the same racial epithets as yours.
The whole world is not the same as the UK and does not share the same vocabulary.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 1:24, closed)

^This

(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Thu 23 Aug 2012, 6:20, closed)

Have you read Sickipedia? You'd love it.

( 2 Can Chunder Word to your mums, I came to prod bums, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 13:33, closed)

It took a disciplinary panel to make you realise that paki is a racist slur?
No wonder everyone thinks your sort are thick.
( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 13:36, closed)

Aren't there a bunch of Pakistanis trying to reclaim "Paki" though, claiming it's only a contraction, like "Brit"?
MAybe I just dreamed it when I was high.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 13:59, closed)

Maybe, but it'll never work.
See: nigger.
( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 14:01, closed)

Well - "nigger"'s actively racist - claiming that all black people are from Nigeria (originally).
I imagine I'm wrong, though, so I'll just go with whatever popular opinion dictates.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 14:05, closed)

No, it's a derivation of the Spanish negro, meaning black.
Still actively racist though, as is paki.
( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 14:07, closed)

Yes - given to the River Niger.
Which appears black.

"Paki" is racist in historical context only, but is etymologically merely a contraction. Hence (so I understand) a group wanting to reclaim it.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 15:01, closed)

I'm not saying they shouldn't want to reclaim it, just that it won't work.

( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 15:26, closed)

It's grammatically wrong too.
"Pakistan" means "Land of the Paks" in Persian, so they should really be known as Paks.
( The Mock TurtIe ™ --- Thinks you are a cunt, on, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 18:15, closed)

I'm a little confused by the claim that
'nigger' is racist in a special way because it's an assertion that all black people come from a certain location. If that were the case, a conversation like this would make sense:

A: "Don't forget John, he's a nigger too."
B: "That's not true- he's from Uganda."

Right now, both 'nigger' and 'Paki' offend some people and communities for the exact same reason- they refer to a group (people with black skin, ethnically Pakistani people- or is it South Asian in general?) and they convey or assume negative sentiment about that group. It is totally unnecessary to know anything about the history of either word to be offended or not offended by it.

What it will take for either of them to not be offensive is probably exactly the same- for that negative sentiment to be bleached from the meaning of the word, which tends to happen when the social conditions that the word is used in change. Like 'paddy wagon', 'gyp', 'fag' (maybe on its way there), in American English. I'm not confident with Br. English examples, but I bet there are some good ones. :)
( the prick of misery pierced my foot on a spiiiike on, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 18:31, closed)

Tell a Scot he's English and get back to me.

( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 9:01, closed)

Shut up Pykey!

(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Thu 23 Aug 2012, 6:20, closed)

I used to work with a guy
who referred to himself and his mates as Paki's but like the N bomb I doubt if I could have called him that even with his full consent
(sittingduck Attention seeking, bullshitting fuck-knuckle, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 16:34, closed)

http://www.b3ta.com/questions/footinmouthtwo/post1709995

(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 0:45, closed)

I've recently emigrated to New Zealand and people do use "The Paki's" more frequently here, especially
in sports context. I think it is a cultural thing. It's not right, but it's not considered as socially unacceptable down here. I can kind of see why, but still prefer not to use it myself.
( Pope Shax XIII uses Visio for picture editing, does it show?, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 1:08, closed)

Hang on, an Aussie and a Sith Iffrikin in the same place?
Fuck off with your office, this was behind a bar, wasn't it?
( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 13:41, closed)

Nah, it was that bit where the American shoots one of them in the head and quips
"It's just been revoked!"
( Pig Bodine., Thu 23 Aug 2012, 10:30, closed)

me and my GF were watching the olympic opening ceremony
out came Pakistan...

at which she shouts in surprise "OOOH thats why theyre called paki's"

I just put my hand to my face and slowly shook from side to side,.
(Dan dan dan They tik urh jerbs!!!, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 14:20, closed)

So not only are you a complete moron, your girlfriend is too?
Don't have children.
( BraynDedd Natasha Kaplinsky's labia majora, Tue 21 Aug 2012, 15:27, closed)

I love it when I look at a link with 16 replies
and see only two.

Who else is here? Who have I ignored and forgotten about? Show yourselves!
(El Fandango carved a big EF onto his nemesis' doublet on .., Tue 21 Aug 2012, 19:51, closed)

I clicked on that one that Julian Assange posted with 168 replies on it, I was a little surprised that it only had 15 replies.

I took the opportunity to reduce that number further. I'm in much the same boat as you here.
(Shifty weeeee, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 14:15, closed)

BraynDedd, mostly.

(EvilTerran rearranged his letters on, Wed 22 Aug 2012, 15:09, closed)

I only have "Personality Horse" on ignore,
but it chaps my chuddies that Shambo has me on ignore cause I can't see any of those sparkling & enlightening discussions.
Thankfully neither BD, AB or Rory have chosen ti ignore me.
Yet.
(Misery McUglywife an attention seeking sociopathic fuckstain., Thu 23 Aug 2012, 7:10, closed)