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"shucked & jived" offensive?

Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by nutgraph, May 15, 2007.

  1. writing irish

    writing irish Active Member

    I hear people say "gypped" all the time...that I can understand, since the Romany people are not exactly prevalent around these parts. I'm far less patient when I hear people say "Jew down," though.

    I had no idea that "jive" predated the 20th century.
     
  2. Gold

    Gold Active Member

    I looked up "cakewalk" on the Merriam-Webster dictionary:

    cakewalk

    Main Entry:
    cake·walk Listen to the pronunciation of cakewalk
    Pronunciation:
    \ˈkāk-ˌwȯk\
    Function:
    noun
    Date:
    1874

    1: a black American entertainment having a cake as prize for the most accomplished steps and figures in walking
    2: a stage dance developed from walking steps and figures typically involving a high prance with backward tilt
    3 a: a one-sided contest b: an easy task

    the dictionary gave no indication it was a racially offensive term, but somebody raised the same issue with the publisher of a dictionary concerning the word "nigger" where that was not indicated as an offensive term. In the late 60s, there were issues with the way the words black and white were used and defined.

    Even if the term were not racially offensive, meanings 1 and 2 would seem to contradict the third meaning and it wouldn't seem to be an accurate use of the word to describe an easy victory.
     
  3. HejiraHenry

    HejiraHenry Well-Known Member

    I demand Gold be fired for using a racially offensive term.
     
  4. SoCalDude

    SoCalDude Active Member

    I heard Bob Feller on a radio interview yesterday. Among other pointed comments, he said that "PC" is helping to ruin this country.
    Also, we do not use "shines" because it is insensitive to blacks. However, one time when I had to explain why to one of my rimmers, she had never heard of that ... and she is black.
     
  5. JayFarrar

    JayFarrar Well-Known Member

    How is cakewalk offensive? Never mind, definition noted.
    On a side note, what do they call those things where you walk in a circle to music and when it stops, if you are standing in the right spot, you win a cake. Isn't that a cakewalk?
    And I can see Jive and the combination of shucked and jived being offensive to some.
    But I always thought shucked meant something else, you shuck oysters. Or you can order shucked oysters.
    So I always thought it meant something slippery, something knocked loose.
    Of course, a person can find almost anything offensive if you try hard enough.

    And what of legendary minor league baseball manager Razor Shines, who is also black. Could someone not use his name in headlines?
     
  6. imjustagirl2

    imjustagirl2 New Member

    I had no idea cakewalk or shines were offensive. I still don't know how shines is.
     
  7. writing irish

    writing irish Active Member

    Next time someone says "paddy wagon," I think I'll have an irrational fit of temper, then get drunk, then blow something up. Afterwards, I'll write lovely poem about it, which I'll sing in a haunting tenor.
     
  8. HejiraHenry

    HejiraHenry Well-Known Member

    Well, it's usage that's so archaic now that most people under age 40 (50?) aren't aware of it.

    "Shine" was, at some dim point in the past, a colloquial term for a black person, as in a shoeshine man, if I understand correctly.

    I had a desk guy warn me off that ... in 1979.

    The statute of limitations may have passed on that one, but I did have my desk change it in a headline a few weeks ago, just out of habit.
     
  9. Big Chee

    Big Chee Active Member

    LOL.

    I had no clue that word was offensive until I watched a 70's black explotation flick called Black Ceasar.
     
  10. 21

    21 Well-Known Member

    I used to work with an idiot who constantly said 'chew you down'....too dumb to know the actual insult is 'Jew you down.'

    'The guy offered $1000 less than we're asking, trying to chew me down...'
    'You're up for a raise, don't let them chew you down.'
    'When you go buy that car, see if you can chew 'em down!'

    I never corrected him...seemed like the best revenge was to let him continue being a complete idiot.

    Bottom line...if you don't really understand the expression you're using, don't use it. ('Stewardess, I speak jive...')
     
  11. HejiraHenry

    HejiraHenry Well-Known Member

    I always forget about the negative connotation of "cakewalk," but it's such a cliche that i tend to discourage that sort of thing anyway, like "vaunted pass defense."
     
  12. Bob Slydell

    Bob Slydell Active Member

    I'm with Jay on shuck being offensive. I had no idea. Jive I can see, althought I don;t think I've ever used that term anyway.

    But shines, I really had no idea, but I'm a pup just 34.

    Paddy Wagon was funny, writing. I'm sure no one would ever think twice about using that one though. But in a news story it just sounds stupid.

    I've used cakewalk in some roundups, but I still don't find it offensive the way it's used.
     
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