Word: n
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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...word is dying. It is in a strange netherworld much like the old terms “papist” and “communist.” Like those almost-forgotten slurs, the n-word has lost some—but not all—of the force it once had since it is so rarely used in its original context...
Klein Professor of Law Randall L. Kennedy wrote a book about the history and significance of this “troublesome” word. Kennedy, who is African American, argued in his book that the n-word “is not self-defining” and that its meaning “always depends on surrounding circumstances...
Many members of the audience can be heard laughing at the beginning of Richards’ tirade. However, there is an eerie quiet when he says the n-word for the first time—a clear sign that Richards has crossed a line—followed by gasps. In his rage, Richards misinterprets these cues from the crowd and repeats the word several times. One of the hecklers yells, “That was uncalled for.” Gradually, other people raise their voices in outrage...
...highly improbable that any other words could have elicited this kind of reaction from the crowd. (The possibilities include Holocaust jokes, details of sexual depredations, or the torture of children.) Clearly, the n-word still has real bite...
...public indignation over a black man calling a white man “cracker?” For another thing, why do I feel comfortable typing out “cracker” when I can’t bring myself to type out the n-word...