Is It P.c?

[Dinger2]

In this neck of the woods it is commonplace to overhear people refer to the corner shop (if indeed it is) as the" ***-shop", Is this term in any way derogatory or is it simply an accurate term of description of a native of Pakistan used as an alternative to the term "Pakistani" I think it is merely a shortening of the word like "Brit" instead of British and as we all know our American friends the "Yanks", often refer to us "Poms" (Australianism) as "Limeys" with no offence intended OR taken. Can someone enlighten me ??

[Baldric]

///" ***-shop"///

Just curious as to what 3 letter word describes a Corner Shop?

[Canary42]

I think the term is p a k i - s h o p.

[Canary42]

It is now generally regarded as derogatory although frequently used in good faith.

[hc4361]

How do they know the corner shop owners are Pakistanis? Were they born in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Wales? The very nice people who run the corner shop local to me are Kenyan Asians. Their ancestors moved from British India to build railways in Uganda and the family fled from Kenya in the 1960s. The local ignorants insist on calling the the P word.
The shortened form is derogative as has been discussed here many times before.

Brit isn't complimentary either - Brit's abroad, drunken Brits. Yank is highly offensive to some Americans whist pom and limey is meaningless.

[Jeza]

IMO it is PC gone crazy. You can be a brit, a pom ,a yank, a paddy,a jock, a taff but you can't be one of those the poster said. Crazy.

[Mamyalynne]

As a teen in my home town we had shops run by Pakistanis and yes, we did use that phrase. Not in any derogatory way at all , I am however glad it is gone, easier to just say the corner shop.

[hc4361]

Mamya - how did you know they were from Pakistan?

[Mamyalynne]

We spoke to them.

[Jeza]

So can you say the P word if they are from Pakistan?

[Mamyalynne]

The correct term is Pakistani, but as you say others get shortened - it did get a bad name name by misuse and some ignorance, that is sadly the way it goes.

[Jeza]

I think people take too much to heart. I realise it can be derogatory if said in an offensive way. We often went to a cricket match locally where one of the players was from the Caribbean. Everyone called him Chalky. He was not offended as no offence was intended. A bit like a friend from a long time back who was called Lofty by everyone who knew him. He was 5'2".

[stewey]

The entire discussion is so subjective or judgmental isn't it? I would say that the majority of people who use the term "***" are using it in a pejorative sense as are those who use the terms "wop". "mick", ***", "jap", "polack" etc, etc. I'm wondering if this post will make it past the censor.

[Sparkles62]

I had words with my nephews a few years ago when they kept referring to the shop at the end of the street as the p*** shop, I told them that they should think about the shopkeeper and consider his feelings, he has a name you know, I told them.
When I saw them a couple of weeks later they reffered to the shop as Stans.
Thats much better, I commented to my sister, at least they've learnt his name.
When my sister finished laughing, she told me that they called the shop Stans because the owner came from Pakistan!!

[Buenchico]

As has been said, the term is generally regarded as offensive. When I was teaching in Sheffield, any council employee who used that term could be instantly dismissed for doing so. However 'p*** shop' was so often used as a synonym for 'corner shop' or 'convenience store' that there were Asian pupils in our school who, when asked about their parents' occupations, would happily reply "Oh, our family run the p*** shop up the road"!