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Usenet Posted 19 years ago
Usage

Ginger?

Hello
I've just been taken to task by my wife for using the term ginger in conversation with a friend's son who is red-headed. I'm assured by my wife that ginger is now widely interpretted as a term of abuse ranking alongside ***.
This is news to me. My father was red-haired and went by the nickname of ginger. My best man was also red-faired and was also frequently referred to as ginger. I have nothing but warm feelings towards red-hair and have always thought of ginger as a term of affection so am quite shocked at this new (to me) interpretation.
When did this change of meaning occur?
Thanks
Jeff
  

Top answer

[nq:1]Hello I've just been taken to task by my wife for using the term ginger in conversation with a friend's ... term of affection so am quite shocked at this new (to me) interpretation. [/nq] The new "meaning" hasn't reached me.

  • [nq:1]Hello I've just been taken to task by my wife for using the term ginger in conversation with a friend's ...
  • term of affection so am quite shocked at this new (to me) interpretation.
  • [/nq] The new "meaning" hasn't reached me.
  • "Ginger-haired" means red-headed to me with no negative connotations.
  • uk/interviews/2006/10/19/4579/ginger%3F is that like *** over here%3F One of the most interesting is that "ginger" is an anagram of "***".
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64 Answers
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[nq:1]Hello I've just been taken to task by my wife for using the term ginger in conversation with a friend's ... term of affection so am quite shocked at this new (to me) interpretation. When did this change of meaning occur?[/nq]
The new "meaning" hasn't reached me. "Ginger-haired" means red-headed to me with no negative connotations.
However, if you Google "ginger ***", you do get hits:
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[nq:1]Hello I've just been taken to task by my wife for using the term ginger in conversation with a friend's ... have always thought of ginger as a term of affection so am quite shocked at this new (to me) interpretation.[/nq]
It's news to me, as well. And to prove the point, we've even named one of our cats "Ginger" (vulgo "Ginge").
[nq:1]When did this change of meaning occur?[/nq]
L
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[nq:1]Hello I've just been taken to task by my wife for using the term ginger in conversation with a friend's ... term of affection so am quite shocked at this new (to me) interpretation. When did this change of meaning occur?[/nq]
"Ranking alongside ***" sounds a tad hyperbolic, but I've read various articles over the past couple of years that have suggested a bit of heightened militancy abou
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[nq:1]Hello I've just been taken to task by my wife for using the term ginger in conversation with a friend's ... term of affection so am quite shocked at this new (to me) interpretation. When did this change of meaning occur?[/nq]
Did it?
I don't hear ginger for redhead very often, but I've never heard a word about it being bad.
Bullying is usually bad, but that doesn't make ginger ba
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[nq:1]I don't hear ginger for redhead very often, but I've never heard a word about it being bad.[/nq]
I was trying to remember the name of a UK broadcaster, widely reviled, who has ginger hair, but it wouldn't come. I did recall his wife's name however. I typed "ginger *** Billie Piper" into Google, and bingo! Chris Evans.
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[nq:2]I don't hear ginger for redhead very often, but I've never heard a word about it being bad.[/nq]
[nq:1]I was trying to remember the name of a UK broadcaster, widely reviled, who has ginger hair, but it wouldn't come. I did recall his wife's name however. I typed "ginger *** Billie Piper" into Google, and bingo! Chris Evans.[/nq]
Based solely on what I've heard on TV: "a ginger" meani
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[nq:1]Hello I've just been taken to task by my wife for using the term ginger in conversation with a friend's ... affection so am quite shocked at this new (to me) interpretation. When did this change of meaning occur? Thanks Jeff[/nq]
One of my best friends is left handed and has red hair. He claims that the two traits go together more often than one would expect but I know too few redheads t
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[nq:1]Hello I've just been taken to task by my wife for using the term ginger in conversation with a friend's ... term of affection so am quite shocked at this new (to me) interpretation. When did this change of meaning occur?[/nq]
In the 1970s "ginger" was already being used as a term of abuse, although things now seem to have got out of hand:
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[nq:1]Based solely on what I've heard on TV: "a ginger" meaning a ginger-haired person is trendily pronounced with both "g"s hard.[/nq]
It says here that "ginger" pronounced thus is derived from "minger". Quite a funny blog. Starts off by mentioning an AmE expression "treated like a red-headed stepchild".
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[nq:2]Hello I've just been taken to task by my wife ... interpretation. When did this change of meaning occur? Thanks Jeff[/nq]
[nq:1]One of my best friends is left handed and has red hair. He claims that the two traits go together ... U.S. population are 6% redheads and 9% left-handed but no mention of the probability of occurrence of both traits simultaneously.[/nq]
I'd like to see a bre

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