Niggardly/niggard predates the racist slur by quite a while but it still has gotten people in trouble for using it. It has completely different roots not in racism. It just sounds too similar for anyone to use.
There was a story about a politician in the 19th or early 20th century who slandered an opponent by describing him using fancy words that were perfectly innocent but sounded sinister in context. His speech had sentences like “a tireless pedagogue known to associate with thespians” or similar.
If I didn't know what that meant and heard you say it, I'd probably be asking what you called my mother.
Also, I found "legerdemain" as a synonym on a thesaurus site and I think the same thing would apply. Don't know about anyone else, but to me that just sounds like it's a German word.
Dykes for Diagonal Cutters/Wire Cutters. Also, Dike as as in low barriers used for flood control. That said, I wasn't aware the spelling made any difference until I looked it up just now.
Renig is a common misspelling of renege, variously used for "backing out on an agreement" and often mistaken as a racial epithet. (Courtesy of dictionary.com)
18 Comments
Widdershins@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 1y
Niggardly/niggard predates the racist slur by quite a while but it still has gotten people in trouble for using it. It has completely different roots not in racism. It just sounds too similar for anyone to use.
AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip · 5 pts · 1y
Add an "s" in front of the n-word and it apparently becomes a synonym for snicker. Crazy stuff.
Hodrobond@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 1y
I have a niggling feeling there are more of these words
Couldbealeotard@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 1y
Like chigger
MadMadBunny@lemmy.ca · 7 pts · 1y
Toaster.
actionjbone@sh.itjust.works · 4 pts · 1y
Oh, yeah? Well, fuck your couch.
ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org · 7 pts · 1y
Trump.
AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space · 7 pts · 1y
There was a story about a politician in the 19th or early 20th century who slandered an opponent by describing him using fancy words that were perfectly innocent but sounded sinister in context. His speech had sentences like “a tireless pedagogue known to associate with thespians” or similar.
topherclay@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 1y
People accused everyone of associating with thespians when I was in middle school.
josefo@leminal.space · 6 pts · 1y
Exiguous
actionjbone@sh.itjust.works · 6 pts · 1y
Rejigger
AllNewTypeFace@leminal.space · 3 pts · 1y
Bigger. You should use “larger” instead.
“bugger” is fine, though.
besselj@lemmy.ca · 5 pts · 1y
Clanker (because LLMs don't actually have feelings and shouldn't be anthropomorphized)
AceFuzzLord@lemmy.zip · 4 pts · 1y
Prestigiditation.
If I didn't know what that meant and heard you say it, I'd probably be asking what you called my mother.
Also, I found "legerdemain" as a synonym on a thesaurus site and I think the same thing would apply. Don't know about anyone else, but to me that just sounds like it's a German word.
SnokenKeekaGuard@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 4 pts · 1y
Jittery
MachineFab812@discuss.tchncs.de · 3 pts · 1y
Dykes for Diagonal Cutters/Wire Cutters. Also, Dike as as in low barriers used for flood control. That said, I wasn't aware the spelling made any difference until I looked it up just now.
Nemo@slrpnk.net · 3 pts · 1y
mook
goon
bishonen
chandler
plzExplainNdetail@slrpnk.net · 2 pts · 1y
Renig or Renege
Renig is a common misspelling of renege, variously used for "backing out on an agreement" and often mistaken as a racial epithet. (Courtesy of dictionary.com)