TITLES THAT ANNOY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 18 July 1925, Page 2

TITLES THAT ANNOY

NICKNAMES FOR NATIONS News despatches report that mi 1 the causes of friction between the Sudanese and Egyptian troops, in tho re cent phase of tension, has been the former’s adoption of the nickname "gypsies” that has long been been commonly used by British residents in Egypt when chatting among themselves about the Egyptians, writes Bassett-Digby in T.P.’s Weekly. We use the term in quite- a careless, genial way—not in the least meaning it- as an insult. But for some reason the Egyptians strongly resent it. “We ourselves —or a good many of us at any rate—object to being termed Britishers by the Americans. The Americans have a strong antipathy to being called Yanks, though they have given that name to one of their most beloved baseball teams. The Japaneses hate being called Japs; why on eartli should they be so touchy about it goodness only knows. There is no such word as Japan or Japanese in their language. Nippon is what they call their country A Chinese who understands any English holds himself to ho grossly insulted if he is called a Chink, and ho much dislikes being termed a Chinaman, though he knows we call ourselves Englishmen. The Hungarian labourers in the United States and Canada do not like the name Hun kies that is commonly applied to Them, and only the lowest caste Italian labourer in America submits to 1 the general sobriquet of Wop, or Guinea. Swedish emigrants to America do not like being called Big Swedes, or Scots being called Scotties. Nor does the French emigrant like being addressed as Froggio. And trouble breaks loose at once, with a bang, if you address a group of emigrants from Ireland to Boston as “you Micks.” It is not safe either to address -Mexican labourers in America as “you Greasers,” though every American speaks of them as Greaser because of their greasy look. The Canadian Indians do not like being called Breeds, though they have learned to put- up with it hv now'. Most- of the Indians in and around Canadian white settlements are half or quarter-breds, with a streak of white in them —hence their name.

Germans in America and Canada dislike the term Dutchmen, which is commonly applied to them, though the Dutch do not mind being called Hoi landers.

A few of us peoples, however, do not mind our nicknames a bit. We English do not mind Americans calling us Johnnie Bulls, nor do the Blue Noses of Nova Scotia care. The Samoyedes of the White littoral and North Siberia are quite resigned—though their name is the Rusian word for cannibals. And the Ausies? They glory in their name !