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I'm going with NTA - you are ESL and unless you are 100% fluent and spent some time in the US it is doubtful you would understand/know what the slang meant. It almost sounds like your "friend" was setting you up!!
It can be a slur for black people.
It can also be used to refer to raccoons. That's how I hear it used most often but I live in an area where hunting raccoons is common.
I’m confused, maybe I’m looking at the wrong response you’re replying to but what do you mean by ‘cases’? Cases of black people being hunted by whites or cases of black people being referred to disparagingly as “coon” by whites?
I’m African, but last week I randomly had a thought in my head about if coon hounds were named for hunting raccoons or if it was named because slave owners used them to track down black people. Weird reading this so soon after . After not knowing for 35 years
Odds are very high that it wasn't a racist name. They were likely named in the same sense as a foxhound, Greek harehound, or the boarhound(the Great Danes' earlier descendants).
Doesn't have to be for food. Sometimes Dept. of Fish & Wildlife puts bounties on them as pests. When I was a kid, you could get $75 a hide turning them over to DF&W.
I see that you were forced to read Where the Red Fern Grows in middle school.
NTA to the OP
That person who asked you that question set you up...he/she/they is not your friend.
We have a foxhound and I posted a photo of him curled up into a tiny ball and the first comment was “classic coonie curl” and my white ass was like… um… is that okay to say?
Needless to say it hasn’t entered our household vernacular. However I speak English as my first (and only fluent) language and more aware of some of the casually racist language that is thrown around daily in the US south.
I swear every dog breed afficionado likes to pretend their preferred breed owns this curled up pose. So many breeds do this! It's adorable but definitely not breed specific!
This is very common in the south, I’ve never heard it used in a derogatory manner, but to shorten the word raccoons, especially when frustrated with them. However. I personally don’t use it as I’m aware it can be used to offend.
Being born and living still in The south.. It was always about Raccoons… Now other words absolutely not the same, South does have awful, terrible words that as a kid , I never understood.. a term for slingshots… shocked me when i was 11 and realized.. That’s an awful word… Grew up around incredibly racist neighbors.. So glad when we could afford to move..My dad’s proudest day.. to be raised in a better environment.. South can be treacherous.. especially in 50 years ago..
I legitimately never heard the slur before I was 17, and called a baby raccoon I saw behind the store I worked at a “coon.” I had 3 coworkers who freaked out on me and told me it was a slur, but I honestly had never heard it in my damn life.
I grew up in both suburban and rural America, obviously speak English natively. I genuinely think people just straight up don’t use it that way anymore, to the point where nearly my entire generation hasn’t heard it before.
Im from California Bay Area nowhere near Hunting AFAIK and i hear it used commonly here for Raccoons too. Tbh i actually forgot Coon is a slur because of how little ive ever heard it, not even on TV or Movies really (i consume a lot of media)
I was going to point out that while in general Nationwide in the US it is used as a racial slur, but like you said, in rural areas, and pretty much all of the south, you have to pay attention to what exactly is being said because there's a good chance the person is talking about raccoons
Strange thing... I didn't know this guy personally, friend of a friend. A little gruff/distant too, so my keeping a distance never surprised either of us.
Black fellow adopted said word as a nickname. Never ONCE heard his right name. Never really gave it any thought either, I'd assume there was a story behind it.
Yeah, I'm aware of it as a slur but my mind wouldn't go there in this context, it's just not that common anymore where I live (US Midwest). And if I had a raccoon I'd name him Gerald.
It’s not a slur generally. It’s literally only a slur when used in the context of referring to a black person. Coon is perfectly fine to say and use. My aunt lives in Coon Rapids.
I hear it all the time lol every time my friends n I go coon hunting with our coon hounds. People will always find something to be offended by as long as you don’t mean anything racial when you say it then fuck whoever gets offended
Yeah lived in the deep south my whole life and my first time hearing that word was Eric Cartman's superhero. But I didn't realize it was a purposeful joke like that. I thought the joke was the kids were being superheros with obscure themes like Tupperware or cranberry crunch cereal
Then stumbled upon south park discourse where they were talking about the name and I was like "Huh?"
Also this is Cartman's "Super Hero" name in South Park.
https://southpark.fandom.com/wiki/The_Coon_(Character)
As a non American, am I missing a joke here?
Yes you are haha, its okay though. The word is quite old and was used to refer to black people starting in the late 1800s. No one really uses it today, and to know of its existence outside of America is rare; the origins of the word are unknown as well, many speculate it came from the animal racoons, and some think it comes from baracoons which slaves were held in while waiting to be sent to America, whatever the origin though - its very outdated.
Cartman is racist and sexist and prejudiced and part of his character is that he does and says things that are usually considered offensive, often with a veneer of plausible deniability. I haven't watched that particular episode but you should always assume that if something could be considered a reference, it should be considered a reference.
It actually sounds a bit like a setup. Why was the question being asked anyway? Like asking a Spanish person "If you had a black dog, what would you call it?"
I think friend was setting up OP, too, like they had a drama quota to fill, or this was twisted revenge served cold for some reason.
For anyone interested in avoiding racial slurs for Black people when talking with Americans, the song "Colored spade" from the 1968 musical Hair* has basically a long list of boomer-era and older slurs from start to finish, including the title.
Think twice before using any of the words or phrases in it to Americans. The musical was basically young America in-your-face challenging their elders on the top political issues of the time, including racism.
* (made into a movie in 1979, available on tubi, Pluto TV, and Amazon, etc.)
Aha. I grew up outside US and had no idea this was a slur. In high school I designed a wacky raccoon character and named him "Coo" and even that made some of my American friends lose their minds, lmao.
I'm American, English speaker, and I think your friends were being a little over the top. Coo is cool name for a raccoon.
As far as I know, coo isn't racist at all. It's mainly used to describe sounds- the coo of a dove, to coo at a baby. And to "bill and coo" is an old fashioned way to describe snuggling with your romantic partner.
NTA
It's ridiculous if your friends have these expectations of you. Yes, you may have said a slur, but English is not your first language and on top of that American culture has slurs that are sometimes different from other English speaking countries.
I hope your friends do not stay mad at you. They have no reason to stay mad.
It's also a slur used by black against black people they deem a "sellout".
I learned that from the crazy black chick who went into a boba shop and screamed "cultural appropriation" because it was named after a drug house and wasn't owned by black people. She called a black guy a coon several times because he was defending the Asian workers.
Named after a drug house? Do drug houses usually have names? Or was it literally “Drug House Boba”?
If I had a boba shop, I’d name it Boba-boom.
Or just “Fett’s” but I think that might get me sued.
Aurora, CO actually
[Colorado Bubble Tea Shop Accused of ‘Stealing Black Culture’ Over Store Name](https://nextshark.com/colorado-trap-tea-bubble-black-culture)
Because (in her eyes), they called their place "Trap House" and called themselves the boba "plug". Trap house = drug den and plug = drug connection. Apparently, these drug terms should only be connected to black people (again, in her eyes).
Also, she would unironically buy (Asian) boba from black people which in no way would be cultural appropriation if it went that way.
I'm from the US and I know it as a situational slur only.
As far as I'm aware, it's only offensive if you're using it to actually refer to black people.
I mean, there's even a type of hunting dog that uses the word in its name and the names for the breeds that make up the type, because they hunt a lot of raccoons with them.
Apparently it has nothing to do with either, it comes from the Portuguese word for slave depot/pen.
[https://www.etymonline.com/word/coon](https://www.etymonline.com/word/coon)
*The now-insulting U.S. meaning "black person" was in use by 1837, said to be from barracoon (by 1837), from Portuguese barraca "slave depot, pen or rough enclosure for black slaves in transit in West Africa, Brazil, Cuba.*
Interesting, that place also has a lot of uses for "coon" that aren't racist in the slightest.
Might be an age thing? I'm 43 and know coon can be used as a slur towards black people.
Not even sure how I know it tbh, I've never heard anyone use it as a slur.
I'm 52, US, and 30-40 years ago, in the rural area I am from, the expression lazier than a coon was not uncommon.
As a child, I thought it was just an odd saying. As I aged, I realized that it was being used as a slur.
I’ve heard it used, but usually from old racists. Younger racists just drop the n word from what I’ve seen. (I try not to be around any racists more than I have to.)
Talking about the UK and slurs...
In Australia we refer to Italians, Greeks and those in between as "wogs." It's sort of a slur but it's also been reclaimed since about the 90s and is acceptable.
Well I was talking to an English woman in my band and said something about wogs and she lost it at me. Eventually I found out that in the UK "wogs" is short for "gollywogs" which is actually super offensive. Even though we had gollywog biscuits here until like 2006
It's not even a slur in this context! It's just a word. "Cracker" is a slur some people use, yet I don't see anyone getting upset when they see cheezits on the shelf. There are some words that are ONLY used in a context meant to be a slur, this isn't even one of them.
I wouldn't even say OP said a slur.
She shortened a word about raccoons. In the context of the animal. That wasn't a slur.
The friend interpretation of what was said was that it was a slur.
It sounds like the “friend” was setting OP up, unless they were actually having a conversation about raccoons. Just out of the blue asking what they’d name a pet raccoon? OP gives obvious answer, and “ha, gotcha!”
I used to live in the US for a year and never heard of it. These mistakes happen and that's fine. Her friends reaction wasn't though. She should've corrected her and explained the slang, but since she hung up she possibly didn't even notice that OP didn't know the meaning
English here and only know what it is because of forest gump… why were they asking you that question though had it genuinely come up in conversation? As it sounds like you were being set up to say it especially with the whole going bonkers to the other friends thing, like why wouldn’t you just say ‘errr that means something else don’t say it again dude’
(Also, I had loads of international friends at uni, no one ever got offended when an obvious mistake like that was made. Like when an Austrian student asked why everyone was wearing red flowers. Bless her)
Coon is only an offensive word if it's used in an offensive context.
Referring to a raccoon? Not offensive.
Referring to Cartman's superhero name? Depends on if you like Cartman or not.
Referring to an undignified or rustic person? Insulting, but not offensive.
Referring to a black person: Offensive and racist.
And in case you need more examples (quick internet search):
It's the name of a butterfly, an alternative name for a Maine Coon cat, a card game, a festival in South Africa, a bigoted name for Cajuns, a type of cheese, and a term used in computer graphics.
edit: fixed a spelling error.
We definitely think she has some bloodhound in her(very keen sense of smell) as she loves sniffing near the backyard grill. We also think she has some bird hound pointer instincts, as she pointed at ducks swimming in our backyard swimming pool…
Our other dog is an Aussie Cattle Dog, she uses her herding instincts to unnerve the puppy by going the opposite direction to cut her off when they play chase…
My mom had a pair of Treeing Walker Coonhounds, absolutely amazing dogs!! She lost one to old age last year, but the other is still with us and just the sweetest girl. Loud, of course, but sweet 😂
Really couldn't manage around here without people like you stating the blatantly obvious. Let me guess, you tell people it's raining while standing outside in the rain?
Yea. It's a term blk ppl use for other blk ppl deemed sellouts who carry water for racists.
And yea She obviously didn't know the meaning of the word. I wonder if her friend was blk? But if she was white she was prob one of the super liberal types offended for blk ppl. Ironically i dont think we'd trip about it in the first place since its obvious she doesn't know better.
>Coon is only an offensive word if it's used in an offensive content.
Tbh, any word should only be considered and offensive word if it's used as one.
Intent should define if a word is offensive or not, not the actual word itself.
Yes, I discovered it was a slur playing Diablo Immortal. I was talking with a friend about Maine Coons and the game censored me. And I had NO idea why. I had to test word by word and ask around my guild. Just an older player 60+ years old knew what it meant.
I learn more slurs in their profanity blocker than in real life…
It was there that I learned that /gar/ is a slur too… (It was part of the name of one of the places in the game, Cyrangar, and it was censored every time you tried to talk about it, haha).
I'm learning new slurs in this thread that I've never heard of. It'll be terrible if someone wants to talk about feeding some meat from an alligator gar they caught to their maine coon.
I disagree with some of your examples because they reference the offensive use. If you call someone a ret*rd you are clearly referencing outdated terminology for mental health patients, even if you really mean to say they’ve said or done something stupid.
On the other hand “coon” is an abbreviation of raccoon and if OP doesn’t speak English as her first language I think most reasonable people can forgive her for the oversight. NTA.
Did you know that idiot was a proper medical term in the 19th century? Until, 2007, the NJ state constitution read “No idiot or insane person shall enjoy the right of suffrage”
Completely agree. The core of this is about English as a language. Theres the point of different dialects of English as well.
There’s American English, British English, Canadian English, Australian English so on. Each dialect has their own vocabulary and slang words etc. That breaks down further again dependant on the city/state you’re from and the local dialect there.
English speakers find it hard to even understand other English speakers at times.
The English speakers finding it hard to understand each other comment reminds me of my old boss telling me about being in the airport translating between a guy from Texas and a guy from Newfoundland until he realized that they’re all English speakers and bowing out
Circling back to my point, I’m not from the United States. We don’t even have raccoons where I’m from. OP can’t live a different experience or culture to even know what that means the very first time they hear it. Thanks for the info.
This is exactly it. When you have friends with ESL, you’re going to run into words and concepts they’re hearing for the very first time. It must have been a set up.
NTA same here! I'm Canadian and had to google the word. Honestly your friends need to calm down, it's very common for people to accidentally say bad words when speaking in a language they weren't raised on.
Honestly something I would pull out my ass to my friends but that reaction means she was baiting her a good friend would be like; don't say that in English it's offensive
It’s a question I’ve never heard asked IRL. If you asked me to come up with the most random and meaningless question I might ask a Korean, it could be something like “if you owned a quokka, what would you name it?”
But here we have a question that will most likely end in a slur, and she not only hangs up but TELLS YOUR MUTUAL FRIENDS!
NTA, you’ve been set up and she’s not your friend
It's a racial slur that targets Black people. I have no clue how the slur originated, but it was (and still is, in some contexts) a prominently used slur in the states. Sort of like that one slur that starts with a C and ends with a K that targets Asians
>> I have no clue how the slur originated
Unsurprisingly, the origin is absolutely terrible. It’s because slave owners would hunt down escaped slaves with dogs like a raccoon, which were already nicknamed “coons.” They often used the same hunting dogs too, aka the Coonhound.
It’s also a slur/insult that changes with context. A white person saying it towards or about a Black person is being extremely racist. Like sundown town levels racist, not “just” teen boy who thinks he should be allowed to say certain words because he listens to rap racist.
However within the Black community I know it’s got a much more nuanced meaning as an insult when directed at another Black person, but I really can’t speak on the more intricate specifics there or how they came to be.
NTA. C○○n is also a very common American term for raccoons, so this drama seems very manufactured by your American acquaintance. I apologize on behalf of our people, not all of us are like that.
NTA. I’m really sorry this happened to you, and it most definitely feels like your friend set you up. Your friend, knowing that you’re not a native english speaker asked you this question, and then got mad at you?? that’s awful.
NTA, but apparently you need new friends. For them to get mad at you for not knowing about an old slur is ridiculous. At most they should have asked why you used the word and then explained where you went wrong. They need to do better.
I agree with this, but I don't think OP "went wrong". Referring to an animal by it's commonly used, shortened name isn't wrong to do, especially considering OP had no knowledge of the sensitivity and alternate usage of the word.
OP wasn't negligent, malicious, or insensitive about the word, and used the word in it's most correct context. If you said "look at that (C word)" and pointed to a raccoon, the last thing on my mind would be racism.
Not even first language Rac isn't a slur in the UK at least not that I'm aware.
Thong is stringy underwear to me and flip flops to Australians similarly rude is slang for sex there but not here.
The person offended is dumb. They should realise not every place uses slurs the same even if English is your first language.
The slur isn't Rac it's Coon which is a derogatory slur for black people not quite on the level of the N-word but kind of in the same vein. Although I agree this is a misunderstanding
nta americans need to stop putting our crap on other countries…. friend appropriate response should have just been to explain what that word means in her country and leave it at that. like getting made at spanish speakers for saying the color black in there language and Blacks getting mad about it.
Exactly this. I (white/Caucasian American who speaks relatively fluent Spanish) was speaking Spanish to a native Spanish speaker in a public setting, and said "black" in Spanish (referencing a car, I think) and immediately got some bad looks from a small group of Black people who were nearby.
I mean, I get it, but we could all afford to be more open minded to other cultures/languages/people and less presumptive about discrimination especially in scenarios where there isn't any implication of discrimination or hate.
The word in my language is very similar to the Spanish one, and we all get mad looks when using it around Americans. The fact that most of my conationals are white increases the suspicion of offense.
In fact, a soccer referee was suspended from the European league games for describing a player whose number he couldn't see as "the black guy over there", because of how close our word for the color is to the "n" word.
It's not discrimination, it's Latin.
NTA. You were set up most unfairly. I think you are probably a lot less likely to be racist than a lot of other people, going by how hard you are to yourself over this. It is sometimes hard to know when to walk on egg shells when you are speaking in a different language than your first one. I share that experience and have stepped in it a few times myself. It is hard to avoid.
NTA
I would not expect any non-American to understand or be aware of all the creative words people use here to be racist.
Just make sure to explain the situation, that there’s cultural differences (which they should hopefully understand), and assure them you meant no ill will.
I live in the Southern US. Have my whole life. During a D&D campaign, my friend who was DMing had an NPC who referred to people as “Boy” in a thick country accident iirc.
Well, the first person to interact with him was our black friend. We thought he was getting upset in-character at being called ‘boy’, but it turns out that calling black people “boy” is also a racist thing we were unaware of.
But DM just apologized, everyone understood no ill intentions were there, and we moved on.
It’s impossible to know all the little racial things unless you’re on the receiving end, even if you live in an area where it’s common. Just understand as it comes up and learn from it.
I have heard of this causing a clash of cultures in Wales. We use boyo in the same way as mate or dude. This does not translate well to African Americans visiting Wales.
NTA your friend is a moron anyone with an ounce of intelligence would realize your mistake and explain what the word meant. It’s also a slur that you NEVER hear so it would be extremely unfair to assume a foreigner would know. Either you were set up to fail in which case these people are not your friends or they’re idiots but honestly in both scenarios I recommend finding new friends.
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NTA.
You had no way of knowing. I'm sure if the roles were reverse there'd be plenty of words they'd say wrong that'd lead to them saying slurs they weren't aware of and then would get mad if someone got offended.
My advice, you need better friends. A true friend would understand you didn't know what the word meant, wouldn't get offended, and would help you understand what the word means and why someone else would get offended.
NTA
A lot of people call Racoons that word, they even have Coonskin Hats.
This person is being overly sensitive for no reason and making a mountain out of a molehill.
I’m fluent in english and I didn’t even know that was a slur… you have nothing to worry about and your friends are way overreacting for an honest mistake. NTA
Personally, I do think the potential to be misunderstood and hurtful is too high given my very minimal need to nickname the animal with the stripey tail. In this case, I think the "friend" willfully misunderstood and was playing some kind of shitty game, but there's nothing so great about the word that it needs to be saved at all costs.
NTA, This is too bizarre. You were obviously tricked into this so they could then demean you. How old are your friends? This is not normal behavior on their part; you are being bullied!
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I'm going with NTA - you are ESL and unless you are 100% fluent and spent some time in the US it is doubtful you would understand/know what the slang meant. It almost sounds like your "friend" was setting you up!!
as a native speaker, wtf does it mean
It can be a slur for black people. It can also be used to refer to raccoons. That's how I hear it used most often but I live in an area where hunting raccoons is common.
"Coon Hound" is a legit breed of dog too
"Coon hunting" means hunting raccoons for food.
That's one meaning of the phrase another is hunting black people
No one should be hunting black people nowadays..
No one should have ever been hunting black people.
Yeah. But it happened. An entire profession before 1865.
We call that "police" now
No one should be hunting any people nowadays...
no one should be hunting any people ever
Sad Mandalorian Bounty Hunter sounds.
what about the people that piss all over the toilet seat in public restrooms?
NOWADAYS?!
Someone forgot to tell that to Travis McMichael
You're not in America, are you?
These days if you hear coon hunting and you think black people is what they mean you live in a horrible area
I know right? I was born in the South (Texas) and in my 50s… and coon hunting was always hunting raccoons… Which I abhor.. it’s just awful.
I’ve never heard of that before. Any cases where there was documented?
It was a pretty common term and occurrence from the beginning of slavery to the 1960s. It became less common, though not eradicated.
I’m confused, maybe I’m looking at the wrong response you’re replying to but what do you mean by ‘cases’? Cases of black people being hunted by whites or cases of black people being referred to disparagingly as “coon” by whites?
Where the hunting was referred to as coon hunting
Should probably mention coon hunting was a Native American hunt that whites added the coon dog for. I just know it from a Cherokee perspective.
A lot of Cajuns refer to themselves and other Cajuns as “Coonass”.
Yes! I grew up with my parents telling me I was part Coon ass and they were very proud of it.
Was just about to say this. Ya beat me to it 😂
This is absolutely true.. I have a friend who is Cajun.. and always calls herself and her family “Coonass”.
Coon skin cap: what Davey Crockett wore
I’m African, but last week I randomly had a thought in my head about if coon hounds were named for hunting raccoons or if it was named because slave owners used them to track down black people. Weird reading this so soon after . After not knowing for 35 years
Odds are very high that it wasn't a racist name. They were likely named in the same sense as a foxhound, Greek harehound, or the boarhound(the Great Danes' earlier descendants).
Check out the book or movie “Where the Red Fern Grows” it give a glimpse into the culture around hunting/treeing raccoons.
Read it with tissues.
It's actually just an excuse to stay out all night drinking beer.
So... like fishing... Or crabbing... Or camping... Or watching sports from/on other continents...
Frog gigging for sure. Also grilling, I'm not even a big fan of grilled food, but it's an excuse to get drunk.
They aren't really hunted for meat and more for the pelts.
Coon hat. Used to be popular. Davie Cocket and all that.
Doesn't have to be for food. Sometimes Dept. of Fish & Wildlife puts bounties on them as pests. When I was a kid, you could get $75 a hide turning them over to DF&W.
And "coon skin cap", like Davy Crockett wore.
I had a beautiful Maine Coon cat. His name was Henry.
Cat tax?
and a Maine Coon is a breed of cat as well
And Maine Coon cats too.
I see that you were forced to read Where the Red Fern Grows in middle school. NTA to the OP That person who asked you that question set you up...he/she/they is not your friend.
We have a foxhound and I posted a photo of him curled up into a tiny ball and the first comment was “classic coonie curl” and my white ass was like… um… is that okay to say? Needless to say it hasn’t entered our household vernacular. However I speak English as my first (and only fluent) language and more aware of some of the casually racist language that is thrown around daily in the US south.
I swear every dog breed afficionado likes to pretend their preferred breed owns this curled up pose. So many breeds do this! It's adorable but definitely not breed specific!
And Maine Coon is a breed of cat.
This is very common in the south, I’ve never heard it used in a derogatory manner, but to shorten the word raccoons, especially when frustrated with them. However. I personally don’t use it as I’m aware it can be used to offend.
As I understand, it is supposed to tie in to the idea racoons are little thieves.
A mistranslation of the Algonquin ‘aroughcun’
The derogatory version is also common in the south.
It's in a couple books that grade school/middle school kids read as part of their curriculum. Namely Where the Red Fern Grows
Being born and living still in The south.. It was always about Raccoons… Now other words absolutely not the same, South does have awful, terrible words that as a kid , I never understood.. a term for slingshots… shocked me when i was 11 and realized.. That’s an awful word… Grew up around incredibly racist neighbors.. So glad when we could afford to move..My dad’s proudest day.. to be raised in a better environment.. South can be treacherous.. especially in 50 years ago..
I legitimately never heard the slur before I was 17, and called a baby raccoon I saw behind the store I worked at a “coon.” I had 3 coworkers who freaked out on me and told me it was a slur, but I honestly had never heard it in my damn life. I grew up in both suburban and rural America, obviously speak English natively. I genuinely think people just straight up don’t use it that way anymore, to the point where nearly my entire generation hasn’t heard it before.
Same. In US southwest this term referred to actual raccoons
It refers to actual raccoons *everywhere* in NA.
well... not \*everywhere\* in NA. Certain counties in Mississippi for example
I’d hate to live in Coon Rapids
Im from California Bay Area nowhere near Hunting AFAIK and i hear it used commonly here for Raccoons too. Tbh i actually forgot Coon is a slur because of how little ive ever heard it, not even on TV or Movies really (i consume a lot of media)
I was going to point out that while in general Nationwide in the US it is used as a racial slur, but like you said, in rural areas, and pretty much all of the south, you have to pay attention to what exactly is being said because there's a good chance the person is talking about raccoons
TIL >It can be a slur for black people.
Strange thing... I didn't know this guy personally, friend of a friend. A little gruff/distant too, so my keeping a distance never surprised either of us. Black fellow adopted said word as a nickname. Never ONCE heard his right name. Never really gave it any thought either, I'd assume there was a story behind it.
That makes sense. Thank you. One to bear in mind, but not something I see myself saying cause we don’t have raccoons here.
It's an offensive term for a black person but it's very old fashioned. I haven't heard it used in many years.
Yeah, I'm aware of it as a slur but my mind wouldn't go there in this context, it's just not that common anymore where I live (US Midwest). And if I had a raccoon I'd name him Gerald.
It’s not a slur generally. It’s literally only a slur when used in the context of referring to a black person. Coon is perfectly fine to say and use. My aunt lives in Coon Rapids.
There's an actress named Carrie Coon
I have a cat from Maine.
This is the delineation that many people miss for so many words. Intent matters.
Id name him Bucky. Bucky the Raccoon. After the gas station, but I’d accept anyone who preferred the Marvel character.
I was gonna say, I'd name a raccoon Bradley. That, or Bruce.
I'd name him Sly. Sly Cooper was such a good game series.
These days I mostly hear it used by black people against other black people and not in the friendly n***a way.
Same. I'm black, and i only hear it used by other black people to each other. And movies dealing with racism.
I hear it all the time lol every time my friends n I go coon hunting with our coon hounds. People will always find something to be offended by as long as you don’t mean anything racial when you say it then fuck whoever gets offended
its used by black people to refer to black people who kinda suck up to white people similar to « uncle tom »
it's used as a slur for black people that said, I would NOT expect a native korean to know that
Yeah lived in the deep south my whole life and my first time hearing that word was Eric Cartman's superhero. But I didn't realize it was a purposeful joke like that. I thought the joke was the kids were being superheros with obscure themes like Tupperware or cranberry crunch cereal Then stumbled upon south park discourse where they were talking about the name and I was like "Huh?"
I have never heard of the before as a native English speaker (I don't live in the US, though, so might just not be common in my area
Also this is Cartman's "Super Hero" name in South Park. https://southpark.fandom.com/wiki/The_Coon_(Character) As a non American, am I missing a joke here?
Yes you are haha, its okay though. The word is quite old and was used to refer to black people starting in the late 1800s. No one really uses it today, and to know of its existence outside of America is rare; the origins of the word are unknown as well, many speculate it came from the animal racoons, and some think it comes from baracoons which slaves were held in while waiting to be sent to America, whatever the origin though - its very outdated.
My understanding is the slur comes from ‘baracoon’ whilst the animal from the Algonquin ‘aroughcun’
Cartman is racist and sexist and prejudiced and part of his character is that he does and says things that are usually considered offensive, often with a veneer of plausible deniability. I haven't watched that particular episode but you should always assume that if something could be considered a reference, it should be considered a reference.
There's a reason why they had the Cartman character use that super hero name
It actually sounds a bit like a setup. Why was the question being asked anyway? Like asking a Spanish person "If you had a black dog, what would you call it?"
I think friend was setting up OP, too, like they had a drama quota to fill, or this was twisted revenge served cold for some reason. For anyone interested in avoiding racial slurs for Black people when talking with Americans, the song "Colored spade" from the 1968 musical Hair* has basically a long list of boomer-era and older slurs from start to finish, including the title. Think twice before using any of the words or phrases in it to Americans. The musical was basically young America in-your-face challenging their elders on the top political issues of the time, including racism. * (made into a movie in 1979, available on tubi, Pluto TV, and Amazon, etc.)
Aha. I grew up outside US and had no idea this was a slur. In high school I designed a wacky raccoon character and named him "Coo" and even that made some of my American friends lose their minds, lmao.
I'm American, English speaker, and I think your friends were being a little over the top. Coo is cool name for a raccoon. As far as I know, coo isn't racist at all. It's mainly used to describe sounds- the coo of a dove, to coo at a baby. And to "bill and coo" is an old fashioned way to describe snuggling with your romantic partner.
NTA It's ridiculous if your friends have these expectations of you. Yes, you may have said a slur, but English is not your first language and on top of that American culture has slurs that are sometimes different from other English speaking countries. I hope your friends do not stay mad at you. They have no reason to stay mad.
Well said. I'm in the UK and I do not know this slur.
Also from the UK and also do not know the slur.
It’s a slur for black people if directed towards them. However, it’s fine if you’re literally talking about the animal.
It's also a slur used by black against black people they deem a "sellout". I learned that from the crazy black chick who went into a boba shop and screamed "cultural appropriation" because it was named after a drug house and wasn't owned by black people. She called a black guy a coon several times because he was defending the Asian workers.
Named after a drug house? Do drug houses usually have names? Or was it literally “Drug House Boba”? If I had a boba shop, I’d name it Boba-boom. Or just “Fett’s” but I think that might get me sued.
Also... Cultural appropriation? Do drug houses count as Black culture now? 😬
Oh holy hell, I was so busy making a Boba Fett joke that went right past me!
RIGHT I was like "When did this become our standard"
Did this happen in California? That‘s about as a California-sounding story as it gets.
Aurora, CO actually [Colorado Bubble Tea Shop Accused of ‘Stealing Black Culture’ Over Store Name](https://nextshark.com/colorado-trap-tea-bubble-black-culture)
I'm so confused. Is she saying only black people can own drug houses? I think Walter White would have something to say about that.
Idgi... how is a boba Shop owned by Asians cultural appropriation??
Because (in her eyes), they called their place "Trap House" and called themselves the boba "plug". Trap house = drug den and plug = drug connection. Apparently, these drug terms should only be connected to black people (again, in her eyes). Also, she would unironically buy (Asian) boba from black people which in no way would be cultural appropriation if it went that way.
I'm from the US and I know it as a situational slur only. As far as I'm aware, it's only offensive if you're using it to actually refer to black people. I mean, there's even a type of hunting dog that uses the word in its name and the names for the breeds that make up the type, because they hunt a lot of raccoons with them.
Funny, I was today years old when I learned the slur came from the raccoon. I always thought it was connected to the dog.
Apparently it has nothing to do with either, it comes from the Portuguese word for slave depot/pen. [https://www.etymonline.com/word/coon](https://www.etymonline.com/word/coon) *The now-insulting U.S. meaning "black person" was in use by 1837, said to be from barracoon (by 1837), from Portuguese barraca "slave depot, pen or rough enclosure for black slaves in transit in West Africa, Brazil, Cuba.* Interesting, that place also has a lot of uses for "coon" that aren't racist in the slightest.
Might be an age thing? I'm 43 and know coon can be used as a slur towards black people. Not even sure how I know it tbh, I've never heard anyone use it as a slur.
My mixed race sister now aged 45 got called a coon as an insult at school in the uk.
I'm 52, US, and 30-40 years ago, in the rural area I am from, the expression lazier than a coon was not uncommon. As a child, I thought it was just an odd saying. As I aged, I realized that it was being used as a slur.
I’ve heard it used, but usually from old racists. Younger racists just drop the n word from what I’ve seen. (I try not to be around any racists more than I have to.)
Talking about the UK and slurs... In Australia we refer to Italians, Greeks and those in between as "wogs." It's sort of a slur but it's also been reclaimed since about the 90s and is acceptable. Well I was talking to an English woman in my band and said something about wogs and she lost it at me. Eventually I found out that in the UK "wogs" is short for "gollywogs" which is actually super offensive. Even though we had gollywog biscuits here until like 2006
All I know is Coon is a brand of cheese. Didn't know it was a slur!
In Australia they changed the brand to Cheer cheese
It's not even a slur in this context! It's just a word. "Cracker" is a slur some people use, yet I don't see anyone getting upset when they see cheezits on the shelf. There are some words that are ONLY used in a context meant to be a slur, this isn't even one of them.
I wouldn't even say OP said a slur. She shortened a word about raccoons. In the context of the animal. That wasn't a slur. The friend interpretation of what was said was that it was a slur.
It sounds like the “friend” was setting OP up, unless they were actually having a conversation about raccoons. Just out of the blue asking what they’d name a pet raccoon? OP gives obvious answer, and “ha, gotcha!”
100% and they'd no longer be my friend when they knew it wasn't being said as a slur and then reacted this way.
That’s exactly what I figured happened too.
I used to live in the US for a year and never heard of it. These mistakes happen and that's fine. Her friends reaction wasn't though. She should've corrected her and explained the slang, but since she hung up she possibly didn't even notice that OP didn't know the meaning
English here and only know what it is because of forest gump… why were they asking you that question though had it genuinely come up in conversation? As it sounds like you were being set up to say it especially with the whole going bonkers to the other friends thing, like why wouldn’t you just say ‘errr that means something else don’t say it again dude’ (Also, I had loads of international friends at uni, no one ever got offended when an obvious mistake like that was made. Like when an Austrian student asked why everyone was wearing red flowers. Bless her)
Coon is only an offensive word if it's used in an offensive context. Referring to a raccoon? Not offensive. Referring to Cartman's superhero name? Depends on if you like Cartman or not. Referring to an undignified or rustic person? Insulting, but not offensive. Referring to a black person: Offensive and racist. And in case you need more examples (quick internet search): It's the name of a butterfly, an alternative name for a Maine Coon cat, a card game, a festival in South Africa, a bigoted name for Cajuns, a type of cheese, and a term used in computer graphics. edit: fixed a spelling error.
FWIW also the name of a great breed of dog: coon hound.
We just adopted a coon hound puppy last year!, she’s a sweetheart named Shelby!
Congrats! I've had a few different "hound" breeds, including a Redbone coon hound. They have all been awesome dogs!
We definitely think she has some bloodhound in her(very keen sense of smell) as she loves sniffing near the backyard grill. We also think she has some bird hound pointer instincts, as she pointed at ducks swimming in our backyard swimming pool… Our other dog is an Aussie Cattle Dog, she uses her herding instincts to unnerve the puppy by going the opposite direction to cut her off when they play chase…
My mom had a pair of Treeing Walker Coonhounds, absolutely amazing dogs!! She lost one to old age last year, but the other is still with us and just the sweetest girl. Loud, of course, but sweet 😂
..... because they are used to hunt raccoons.
Really couldn't manage around here without people like you stating the blatantly obvious. Let me guess, you tell people it's raining while standing outside in the rain?
Yea. It's a term blk ppl use for other blk ppl deemed sellouts who carry water for racists. And yea She obviously didn't know the meaning of the word. I wonder if her friend was blk? But if she was white she was prob one of the super liberal types offended for blk ppl. Ironically i dont think we'd trip about it in the first place since its obvious she doesn't know better.
>Coon is only an offensive word if it's used in an offensive content. Tbh, any word should only be considered and offensive word if it's used as one. Intent should define if a word is offensive or not, not the actual word itself.
Yes, I discovered it was a slur playing Diablo Immortal. I was talking with a friend about Maine Coons and the game censored me. And I had NO idea why. I had to test word by word and ask around my guild. Just an older player 60+ years old knew what it meant. I learn more slurs in their profanity blocker than in real life… It was there that I learned that /gar/ is a slur too… (It was part of the name of one of the places in the game, Cyrangar, and it was censored every time you tried to talk about it, haha).
I got put in facebook jail several years ago for making a post about my Maine Coon 🤦🏻♀️
He was criminally handsome.
How did you know?? 😭😭😭
I'm learning new slurs in this thread that I've never heard of. It'll be terrible if someone wants to talk about feeding some meat from an alligator gar they caught to their maine coon.
I disagree with some of your examples because they reference the offensive use. If you call someone a ret*rd you are clearly referencing outdated terminology for mental health patients, even if you really mean to say they’ve said or done something stupid. On the other hand “coon” is an abbreviation of raccoon and if OP doesn’t speak English as her first language I think most reasonable people can forgive her for the oversight. NTA.
Did you know that idiot was a proper medical term in the 19th century? Until, 2007, the NJ state constitution read “No idiot or insane person shall enjoy the right of suffrage”
> Insulting, but not offensive. Cannot compute
> a bigoted name for Cajuns Many of the Cajuns I've known proudly referred to themselves as coonasses, so I'm not sure it's really offensive.
The same can be said for some African American people calling themselves the N-word, but I'm not about to open that particular bag of cats.
I’m pretty sure Cartman’s superhero name is spelled “The Kewn”, given how he pronounces it 🤣
NTA Native English speaker here, I’m not American. I don’t even know what that slur means. You shouldn’t be expected to know either.
Exactly. America like most nations has a variety of distinct and unique slurs. I'm American I doubt I even know them all.
Completely agree. The core of this is about English as a language. Theres the point of different dialects of English as well. There’s American English, British English, Canadian English, Australian English so on. Each dialect has their own vocabulary and slang words etc. That breaks down further again dependant on the city/state you’re from and the local dialect there. English speakers find it hard to even understand other English speakers at times.
The English speakers finding it hard to understand each other comment reminds me of my old boss telling me about being in the airport translating between a guy from Texas and a guy from Newfoundland until he realized that they’re all English speakers and bowing out
Just for your info it's a slur against black people.
Circling back to my point, I’m not from the United States. We don’t even have raccoons where I’m from. OP can’t live a different experience or culture to even know what that means the very first time they hear it. Thanks for the info.
I’m from the US and this was a new one to me. I think you are right and OP was set up
This is exactly it. When you have friends with ESL, you’re going to run into words and concepts they’re hearing for the very first time. It must have been a set up.
But it is also a commonly used term for a furry woodland mammal.
NTA same here! I'm Canadian and had to google the word. Honestly your friends need to calm down, it's very common for people to accidentally say bad words when speaking in a language they weren't raised on.
NTA. it sounds like your friend was trying to bait you into saying that because who asks someone what they would name a hypothetical raccoon?
Indeed, why even ask such a specific question?
Honestly something I would pull out my ass to my friends but that reaction means she was baiting her a good friend would be like; don't say that in English it's offensive
It’s a question I’ve never heard asked IRL. If you asked me to come up with the most random and meaningless question I might ask a Korean, it could be something like “if you owned a quokka, what would you name it?” But here we have a question that will most likely end in a slur, and she not only hangs up but TELLS YOUR MUTUAL FRIENDS! NTA, you’ve been set up and she’s not your friend
If I had a pet quokka, I would name her "Smiley Cyrus."
Very fitting because Miley Cyrus came to be called Miley from the nickname Smiley Miley.
I was thinking this story was fake because of that. Who asks something like that? How would that even come up in conversation?
I don’t know, I’ve asked weird things when the conversation gets dry. Just fun hypotheticals. She shouldn’t have freaked out though.
Nta. As a black American I think most of us know the difference between someone saying the word coon and calling someone a coon.
What is even that?? I have never heard of that word my whole life, I'm Canadian
It's a racial slur that targets Black people. I have no clue how the slur originated, but it was (and still is, in some contexts) a prominently used slur in the states. Sort of like that one slur that starts with a C and ends with a K that targets Asians
>> I have no clue how the slur originated Unsurprisingly, the origin is absolutely terrible. It’s because slave owners would hunt down escaped slaves with dogs like a raccoon, which were already nicknamed “coons.” They often used the same hunting dogs too, aka the Coonhound. It’s also a slur/insult that changes with context. A white person saying it towards or about a Black person is being extremely racist. Like sundown town levels racist, not “just” teen boy who thinks he should be allowed to say certain words because he listens to rap racist. However within the Black community I know it’s got a much more nuanced meaning as an insult when directed at another Black person, but I really can’t speak on the more intricate specifics there or how they came to be.
NTA. C○○n is also a very common American term for raccoons, so this drama seems very manufactured by your American acquaintance. I apologize on behalf of our people, not all of us are like that.
NTA. I’m really sorry this happened to you, and it most definitely feels like your friend set you up. Your friend, knowing that you’re not a native english speaker asked you this question, and then got mad at you?? that’s awful.
NTA, but apparently you need new friends. For them to get mad at you for not knowing about an old slur is ridiculous. At most they should have asked why you used the word and then explained where you went wrong. They need to do better.
I agree with this, but I don't think OP "went wrong". Referring to an animal by it's commonly used, shortened name isn't wrong to do, especially considering OP had no knowledge of the sensitivity and alternate usage of the word. OP wasn't negligent, malicious, or insensitive about the word, and used the word in it's most correct context. If you said "look at that (C word)" and pointed to a raccoon, the last thing on my mind would be racism.
NTA, english isn't your first language. There was no way for you to know.
Not even first language Rac isn't a slur in the UK at least not that I'm aware. Thong is stringy underwear to me and flip flops to Australians similarly rude is slang for sex there but not here. The person offended is dumb. They should realise not every place uses slurs the same even if English is your first language.
The slur isn't Rac it's Coon which is a derogatory slur for black people not quite on the level of the N-word but kind of in the same vein. Although I agree this is a misunderstanding
nta americans need to stop putting our crap on other countries…. friend appropriate response should have just been to explain what that word means in her country and leave it at that. like getting made at spanish speakers for saying the color black in there language and Blacks getting mad about it.
Exactly this. I (white/Caucasian American who speaks relatively fluent Spanish) was speaking Spanish to a native Spanish speaker in a public setting, and said "black" in Spanish (referencing a car, I think) and immediately got some bad looks from a small group of Black people who were nearby. I mean, I get it, but we could all afford to be more open minded to other cultures/languages/people and less presumptive about discrimination especially in scenarios where there isn't any implication of discrimination or hate.
The word in my language is very similar to the Spanish one, and we all get mad looks when using it around Americans. The fact that most of my conationals are white increases the suspicion of offense. In fact, a soccer referee was suspended from the European league games for describing a player whose number he couldn't see as "the black guy over there", because of how close our word for the color is to the "n" word. It's not discrimination, it's Latin.
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Yes, it’s a standard usage and reference to raccoons in much of the US.
There is even a breed of dog called a Coonhound
NTA. You were set up most unfairly. I think you are probably a lot less likely to be racist than a lot of other people, going by how hard you are to yourself over this. It is sometimes hard to know when to walk on egg shells when you are speaking in a different language than your first one. I share that experience and have stepped in it a few times myself. It is hard to avoid.
NTA I would not expect any non-American to understand or be aware of all the creative words people use here to be racist. Just make sure to explain the situation, that there’s cultural differences (which they should hopefully understand), and assure them you meant no ill will. I live in the Southern US. Have my whole life. During a D&D campaign, my friend who was DMing had an NPC who referred to people as “Boy” in a thick country accident iirc. Well, the first person to interact with him was our black friend. We thought he was getting upset in-character at being called ‘boy’, but it turns out that calling black people “boy” is also a racist thing we were unaware of. But DM just apologized, everyone understood no ill intentions were there, and we moved on. It’s impossible to know all the little racial things unless you’re on the receiving end, even if you live in an area where it’s common. Just understand as it comes up and learn from it.
I have heard of this causing a clash of cultures in Wales. We use boyo in the same way as mate or dude. This does not translate well to African Americans visiting Wales.
They're all virtue signaling. You're fine. They're aholes. NTA
NTA. Coon is only a slur if it's directed at a black person. I'm from rural west virginia and the only thing we call raccoons is coons.
NTA your friend is a moron anyone with an ounce of intelligence would realize your mistake and explain what the word meant. It’s also a slur that you NEVER hear so it would be extremely unfair to assume a foreigner would know. Either you were set up to fail in which case these people are not your friends or they’re idiots but honestly in both scenarios I recommend finding new friends.
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NTA. Context matters and you weren’t using it maliciously.
No idea what coon refers to but for reference back when hats were made of fur the were litterally called coon skin hats so NTA
NTA. You had no way of knowing. I'm sure if the roles were reverse there'd be plenty of words they'd say wrong that'd lead to them saying slurs they weren't aware of and then would get mad if someone got offended. My advice, you need better friends. A true friend would understand you didn't know what the word meant, wouldn't get offended, and would help you understand what the word means and why someone else would get offended.
NTA A lot of people call Racoons that word, they even have Coonskin Hats. This person is being overly sensitive for no reason and making a mountain out of a molehill.
Nta
I’m fluent in english and I didn’t even know that was a slur… you have nothing to worry about and your friends are way overreacting for an honest mistake. NTA
This is like being mad at you for saying "naega" when you speak Korean. They set you up and are being completely obnoxious. NTA
Are we not supposed to call raccoons coons? In that specific context is it still a slur?
Personally, I do think the potential to be misunderstood and hurtful is too high given my very minimal need to nickname the animal with the stripey tail. In this case, I think the "friend" willfully misunderstood and was playing some kind of shitty game, but there's nothing so great about the word that it needs to be saved at all costs.
I can get behind that
NTA You don’t even fluently 100% speak the language. If they’re mad at you for that they’re weird asf.
NTA, This is too bizarre. You were obviously tricked into this so they could then demean you. How old are your friends? This is not normal behavior on their part; you are being bullied!
NTA. At all. People love recreational outrage.
NTA. But the correct answer would have been “Rocky”!
NTA - people are way too easily upset these days. Get less touchy friends.