my grandma had all her marbles but she did like to repeat things. a bit too loudly.
there was the time she asked my cousin if he was going for a poo when he excused himself over lunch. he was about 12.

the time she grabbed the waiter and said accusingly, "you look just like [my older brother]".

the way she mourned the corruption of the word gay. "such a lovely word". plainly oblivious to the fact that her own brother had clearly been as gay as a window and that my dad (her son-in-law) remained convinced she was a lesbian.

but worst of all was the fact that we could not stop her using the word paki. it wasn't that she was saying anything derogatory as such, other than the word itself, it was just - she kept saying it. eventually she got bollocked by one of the nurses in hospital, which made her appreciate that it wasn't just the family telling her to shut it. but she still didn't get it.

"i just don't understand it," she would say plaintively. and at the top of her voice. over and over again. "i mean, they're from pakistan. they ARE pakis!"

you really can't teach an old dog new tricks. still, better than my friend nick. his grandma mortified him in front of the whole of sainsburys when he asked if she fancied any watermelon. and she said loudly, "no thanks. you need a mouth like a nigger to manage one of those."

delightful.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Thu 27 Oct 2011, 20:33, 6 replies)

I used to read Enid Blyton when I was a kid.
I hadn't twigged that Sambo and Picaninny were racist terms, because I had never heard those words used, this was in the 80s of course.

But my mum did used to use phrases like 'working like a nigger'.
(dozers, do fuck off ur a nob m8, Thu 27 Oct 2011, 20:41, closed)

She has got a point.
Britons are called Brits, Scottish people are called Scots, Australians are called Aussies... Pakis falls in with that logic. Just some knob heads used it in a nasty way and ruined a simplification.
( vix0r was not Matthew on, Fri 28 Oct 2011, 0:15, closed)

In Australia
Paki is not a racist word, even on telly the news readers talk about Pakis when Australia plays them at Cricket. Made me cringe at first, but context is everything.
(angusinoz, Fri 28 Oct 2011, 8:02, closed)

On the other hand, when I went back to uni (in England) a few years ago I heard mention of 'The 'P' Word',
which I didn't understand and had to eventually ask about.
(Juan Quar is clinging to her front teeth on, Fri 28 Oct 2011, 8:16, closed)

it's all contextual
a lot of the asian lads in halifax, where my grandma lived, have responded by going to the cricket wearing t-shirts that say: PROUD TO BE A PAKI.
( rachelswipe with a fork, Fri 28 Oct 2011, 9:47, closed)

And yet when I wear my PROUD TO HAVE A CUNT t-shirt, I get foul looks.
It's one rule for them and another for the rest of us.
(Gritty, yet fluffy. kipperpillock is obsessed with me =), Sat 29 Oct 2011, 4:57, closed)