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Anonymous Posted 19 years ago
Vocabulary

N-word

0 Can N-word signify something other than "nigger". For example "no" and "not" - little children have genius for N-words (they keep saying no)?0-
  

Top answer

" I would assume you meant that racially charged word. " and you have started calling it "the 'n-word'" to avoid saying it in front of her, and then said "Listen! 02br 02br 00For some people, the "c-word" is "commitment" (as in a relationship) but for others, it's an entirely diferent, very nasty word.

— BarbaraPA

  • " I would assume you meant that racially charged word.
  • " and you have started calling it "the 'n-word'" to avoid saying it in front of her, and then said "Listen!
  • 02br 02br 00For some people, the "c-word" is "commitment" (as in a relationship) but for others, it's an entirely diferent, very nasty word.
  • ")0-
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7 Answers
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0I'm not sure I understand, but if you mean "Can the phrase 'n-word' be used to mean something other than a particular racial epithet?" the answer is yes, as long as you have defined the conditions sufficiently.02br
02br
00If you said "My daughter just said the n-word!" I would assume you meant that racially charged word. But if we had been having a conversation about how you
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0 And some people might use "the c-word" to avoid referring directly to cancer. ("She went to the doctor today -- I think he mightt have used the c-word; she looked really shaken up.") 0-
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0I'd assume the doctor said an obsene word.02br
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00I can't imagine n-word, c-word or f-word meaning anything other than the rude words. You could try using them in other contexts but everyone's first thought will always be the rude one.0-
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0 "Can the phrase 'n-word' be used to mean something other than a particular racial epithet?"02br
02br
00Yes, that is exactly what I meant. It is about a toddler who doesn't want to speak (he can). He hates everything and keeps saying 01i00don't like it02i00. His mother says he has a specialized vocabulary and that he has a genius for N-words.0-
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0 I know people of my parents' generation would sometimes superstitiously refer to "the Big C" instead of cancer -- maybe that was in the back of my mind and I merged it with the idea of "the c-word." But it's also possible that the expressions are subject to more varied use in the U.S.than the U.K. More opinions, please?? 0-
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01cite10Nona The Brit12cite10I can't imagine 11b11font10n-word12font12b10 or 11b11font10f-word12font12b10 meaning anything other than the rude words. You could try using them in other contexts but everyone's first thoug
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0I was just about to say what Kooyeen said.02br
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00'n-words' is completely different to 'the n-word'.0-
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