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I don't think Jerry is a slur as much as a slang demonym like "Tommy" was for British soldiers. I think "kraut" would be closer to a slur but I don't know how t

I don't think Jerry is a slur as much as a slang demonym like "Tommy" was for British soldiers. I think "kraut" would be closer to a slur but I don't know how that's received - it seems too quaint to be offensive in my eyes.

Fatnino 5y ago
It's a very short hop from the word Ger(man) to Jerr(y)
bigmattystyles 5y ago
Counterpoint, calling any Vietnamese person Charlie is very offensive.
- chrissnell 5y ago
  Declaring a name “offensive” to an entire race of people is a stereotype and also offensive.
- adolph 5y ago
  Which is kinda strange since the VC were very effective.
  - mulmen 5y ago
    The VC didn’t call themselves VC. Any Vietnamese person you meet in the US today is unlikely to be “VC”. It’s like calling Germans Nazis.
  - walshemj 5y ago
    The NVA won the war eventually
- mannerheim 5y ago
  Most Vietnamese in America are from South Vietnam or descended from those from there, so that's probably one of the bigger reasons for their offense.
- titanomachy 5y ago
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Nguyen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Nguyen
stcredzero 5y ago
I've been at the receiving end of stuff like that. Here's how it works. If the phrase is meant to make the recipient feel like a target, or feel inferior, and it does, then it's a slur. It's highly contextual. If you peel things back a layer, it's all about someone being made "other." This is why some people in 2021 who tell themselves they are standing against racism read just like the racists who bashed me when I was young: They are the ones self-righteously justified in demoting someone from full human status. Yes, racists often convince themselves they are making the world a better place! It's that aspect that's key! One doesn't fight othering by targeting a fellow human being as "other." One doesn't fight hate by promulgating more hate. The right side of history is about empathy, compassion, and convincing. The wrong side tries to disguise the opposite of the above as compassion.
- beaconstudios 5y ago
  Yeah obviously offense is derived in part from intent as well as historical and current cultural usage. I don't think anyone is shouting "damned Jerry!" while spitting at Germans in the street though. There are plenty of words in the world that are used that way, that we should be concerned about and avoid using (and criticise/educate others for using, depending on usage). At the end of the day it all comes back to "don't abuse people".
  - stcredzero 5y ago
    Keep this in mind, if you see people abusing others in pursuit of political goals.
- folli 5y ago
  In the context of 1930, you would expect that any such name for the Germans would tick most of those boxes. However, "Jerry" still doesn't feel like a slur.
  - stcredzero 5y ago
    I'm not talking about the omniscient, timeless textual context. I'm talking about the people when the slur is being spoken and heard, and the community in which they live.
krylon 5y ago
As a German, I find "kraut" more amusing than offensive. I can only speak for myself, of course, but I think a majority of Germans would find the term more humorous than anything else. Full disclosure, though, I like Sauerkraut a lot, which might play into it.
- Lio 5y ago
  This is good to know, jerry always felt short for German even if it actually comes from first WW1 helmets. I've always been a little conflicted by kraut though, e.g. when talking about Krautrock so I'm glad it's mostly seen as humorous[1]. Personally, I find the terms limey or rosbif as terms for us Brits quite funny too for similar reasons. Growing up I've had Irish people apologise to me for others calling me a "Brit". This was doubly funny to me at the time as both my friend and "insulter" both really thought of it as a pretty bad insult. Still makes me smile today, I mean it's what we call ourselves. :D 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krautrock https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krautrock

Fatnino 5y ago

It's a very short hop from the word Ger(man) to Jerr(y)

bigmattystyles 5y ago

Counterpoint, calling any Vietnamese person Charlie is very offensive.

chrissnell 5y ago
Declaring a name “offensive” to an entire race of people is a stereotype and also offensive.
adolph 5y ago
Which is kinda strange since the VC were very effective.
- mulmen 5y ago
  The VC didn’t call themselves VC. Any Vietnamese person you meet in the US today is unlikely to be “VC”. It’s like calling Germans Nazis.
- walshemj 5y ago
  The NVA won the war eventually
mannerheim 5y ago
Most Vietnamese in America are from South Vietnam or descended from those from there, so that's probably one of the bigger reasons for their offense.
titanomachy 5y ago
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Nguyen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Nguyen

stcredzero 5y ago

I've been at the receiving end of stuff like that. Here's how it works. If the phrase is meant to make the recipient feel like a target, or feel inferior, and it does, then it's a slur. It's highly contextual. If you peel things back a layer, it's all about someone being made "other." This is why some people in 2021 who tell themselves they are standing against racism read just like the racists who bashed me when I was young: They are the ones self-righteously justified in demoting someone from full human status. Yes, racists often convince themselves they are making the world a better place! It's that aspect that's key! One doesn't fight othering by targeting a fellow human being as "other." One doesn't fight hate by promulgating more hate. The right side of history is about empathy, compassion, and convincing. The wrong side tries to disguise the opposite of the above as compassion.

beaconstudios 5y ago
Yeah obviously offense is derived in part from intent as well as historical and current cultural usage. I don't think anyone is shouting "damned Jerry!" while spitting at Germans in the street though. There are plenty of words in the world that are used that way, that we should be concerned about and avoid using (and criticise/educate others for using, depending on usage). At the end of the day it all comes back to "don't abuse people".
- stcredzero 5y ago
  Keep this in mind, if you see people abusing others in pursuit of political goals.
folli 5y ago
In the context of 1930, you would expect that any such name for the Germans would tick most of those boxes. However, "Jerry" still doesn't feel like a slur.
- stcredzero 5y ago
  I'm not talking about the omniscient, timeless textual context. I'm talking about the people when the slur is being spoken and heard, and the community in which they live.

krylon 5y ago

As a German, I find "kraut" more amusing than offensive. I can only speak for myself, of course, but I think a majority of Germans would find the term more humorous than anything else. Full disclosure, though, I like Sauerkraut a lot, which might play into it.

Lio 5y ago
This is good to know, jerry always felt short for German even if it actually comes from first WW1 helmets. I've always been a little conflicted by kraut though, e.g. when talking about Krautrock so I'm glad it's mostly seen as humorous[1]. Personally, I find the terms limey or rosbif as terms for us Brits quite funny too for similar reasons. Growing up I've had Irish people apologise to me for others calling me a "Brit". This was doubly funny to me at the time as both my friend and "insulter" both really thought of it as a pretty bad insult. Still makes me smile today, I mean it's what we call ourselves. :D 1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krautrock https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krautrock