Common phrases based on stereotypes

This is a list of common American and British Commonwealth words and phrases based on racial, ethnic, religious, regional or other stereotypes. A majority of these are considered universally offensive.

Asian

Driving While Asian, suggests Asians cannot drive well. ^*
Model minority, term for overachieving Asians ^*
Rice burner or Rice rocket, a cosmetically "tricked-out" small Asian automobile or motorcycle. Properly refers to the origin of the vehicles most often modified in this way, rather than to the ethnicity of the driver. ^*

Black/African-Descent

Nigger-packed - Squeezing far too many people into a small car.
Nigger-rigged - Something improperly fixed, often mechanical or electronic. This is sometimes called jerry-rigged or gerry-rigged, which both originate from the phrase jury rigged, and is sometimes the same as making a "half-assed" attempt at something. Also known more euphemistically as "African Engineering".

Chinese

Chinaman's chance, having no chance at all. ^*
Chinese control, taking 25 of a possible 26 points in a round of the card game Hearts (worst possible score for one hand).
Chinese fire drill, practical joke where all occupants of a vehicle get out and change seats at a stoplight. ^*
Chinese whispers, children's game where phrases are repeated - metaphorically used for the mangling of a story by multiple re-tellings ^*
Shanghai woman, an English expression for a prostitute

Dutch

Dutch auction, a special form of multiple-item auction where each winning bidder pays the same price per item (In Dutch, the term is "Chinese auction"). Actually based on a system invented in the 1870's to reduce the time flower growers spent in markets selling their product. [http://pages.stern.nyu.edu/~akambil/teaching/cases/auction/flowerscase.html

Dutch courage, drunken bravery. ^*

Dutch treat or Going Dutch, having to pay for one's own food or entertainment. ^*

Dutch uncle, a term for a person who sternly lectures, comments or criticizes with unsparing severity and blunt frankness, to educate, encourage or admonish someone, often with benevolent intent, as though an elder relative or "uncle." ^*

Dutch wife, a prostitute or a sex doll (from Japanese usage) ^*

Double Dutch, talk or writing that is nonsense or that you cannot understand. Referring to the difficult and hard to understand Dutch language. ^*

Dutch cap, a diaphragm. ^*

To be in dutch with is to be in disfavor; "If we don't get back before dinner is served I'll be in dutch with my girlfriend something fierce." ^*

French

French letter, slang term for condom. ^*
French pox, slang term for syphilis. ^*
French whore ("you smell like a French whore"), a term for someone who smells strongly of cheap perfume or aftershave. ^*
"Please excuse my French", expression used to apologize for having used profanity in front of others. Used in an ironic sense.^*

Irish

The near-universal reputation of the Irish as hard drinkers and fighters means that the word "Irish" can be conjoined with almost any other word on the spot and have a good chance of the meaning being understood. For example: Irish Tea: hard liquor. Similar conditions prevail for the Dutch and the French.

Irish twins, two siblings born within the same year (9 to 12 months apart) based on the stereotype that the Irish had/have too many children. ^*
Paddywagon, based on the stereotype that most cops in the United States were Irish or of Irish descent in the 19th century. ^*
Irish Confetti, A brick or other object thrown during a fight or riot. ^*
Irish Flu, a hangover, especially one so intense it causes one to miss work. ^*
Irish Pennant, A frayed thread hanging off the end of a stitch on a pocket or button.

Jewish

Jew down, to haggle or negotiate a better price (from the stereotype that Jewish people are miserly with money). ^*
Jew someone out of something, to cheat them ^*
Jewish car wash, taking your car for a drive in the rain to get it clean, rather than pay for it to go through a car wash ^*
Jewish lightning, practice of intentionally setting fire to your home or business to collect insurance money. ^*
Jewish piano, a cash register. Mainly a British term. ^*
Jewish stocktake, arson (to collect insurance money).

Roma ("Gypsy")

Gyp (verb), to cheat ^*.

United Kingdom

Croydon facelift, a severe hairstyle, associated with working class females (See: chav) ^*
Mondeo man, a term coined by Tony Blair to represent the kind of aspirational middle income earners that New Labour wanted to appeal to ^*. The stereotype would be of a white-shirted sales rep driving up a motorway with his jacket hung in the back of his Ford Mondeo.
Welsher, someone who refuses to pay off their bets (unclear whether the etymology of this word has a racial origin). ^*
British teeth (or "English teeth"), teeth that are stained and crooked. From the stereotype that British attitudes to dental care are less stringent than American. ^*
White Van Man , Stereotypical salf-employed person who uses an unmarked van as part of his (usually) job. The stereotype is split between the dithering slow commercial driver in a vehicle that has seen better days, often with large amounts of builder's materials and laddrs on a roofrack, or as an agressive, dangerous high-speed driver prone to cutting up traffic, exceeding speed limits, jumping red lights and being offensive to other road users. ^*

References

Mike Gibson, Taking Out the Trash: What does "White Trash" mean in the 21st Century?. Metro Pulse. Retrieved 16 February, 2006.
Pamela Stirling, Driving While Asian. New Zealand Listener. Retrieved 16 February, 2006.
Themodelminority.com. Retrieved 16 February, 2006.
Ling-Chi Wang, The Sad Truth About Chinese Americans. Retrieved 16 February, 2006.
Expressions & Sayings. Retrieved 16 February, 2006.
Worldwidewords.org. Retrieved 16 February, 2006.

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