Fuzzy Wuzzy Woman

gb12345

I know that you mention that you aren't black, but are you anything that could be construed as dark-skinned (Asian, mixed-race or even southern European)? To me this definitely sounds like racial abuse (or if you are a white Brit then the guy is a nutter).

paddyrg

xcarlyx wrote: »

I am not in a union as it is only a small company

Don't worry, the citizens advice bureau (CAB) will help you free of charge.

You are being made to feel uncomfortable in your workplace by bullying, it has to stop. Is there anyone at work you trust, a friend you can talk to who can reassure you. I honestly believe most people will think this guy is a massive tool anyway, it may help you to hear it from some others.

If I owned the company, I would absolutely want to know this was going on and I would absolutely want to resolve it immediately. Not doing so would open all kinds of legal problems for me in the future and it would also make me very concerned if this ambassador of ignorance ever represented my business to the public. To be honest if you came to me at 11am, this guy would be emptying his locker/desk by lunchtime. They should take this very seriously.

imatt

Originally used by British colonial troops in the 19th century to describe the people of an E. African tribe, the Hadendoa.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/146100.html

Being black myself (first time I have brought this up on these forums, but this time it has some relevance), I would take offence.

Calling a white person a nig***, w*g, or indeed fuzzy wuzzy is not the same as calling a black or Asian colleague such terms. However, it is still offensive language and a white person would still have the right not to have such language used in their presence.

xcarlyx, you have said it is a small company. If you don't mind could you say what sort of company it is? Does it have a customer facing role? If so, just suppose a client turning up was indeed black and they overheard such language? Even if not directed at them or another black person, the implications could still be serious.

Language aside, if this person is making you feel uncomfortable, then I'd have a word in your bosses' ear.

rds60h

I'm sorry but I think people read too much into this PC lark.
The slightest inckling or innuendo of something that could possibly be taken the wrong way and people are jumping up and down in histrionics. Chill out !!
What next racism for calling a sotsman jock, an irishman paddy or mick, a welshman taffy ?
Things need to be taken into prospective, one poster even says that the term was used by Corporal Jones in Dad's Army and that was OK but in any other situation it is truely offensive !! So is he saying that it is impossible to use the phrase in the same light as the Corporal Jones character ?
Given that the lady appears to have no particular ethnic background she needs to approach the guy in question and ask him exactly what he means by the term, then and only then will the possible need for complaint be apparent.
Sometimes racist complaints are raised because it is actually the complainant that has racial issues, now just because I have stated this please do not think that I believe racism does not exist, because I do and when it blatently occurs I find it extremely abhorent. But there needs to be a level of tolerance from everybody or else there will end up being an all out hatred of anyone other than someone of your own skin colour, region of origin, religion and like mindedness.

mumcoll

The only reference to this apart from Corporal Jones is in this kid's rhyme:

Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear
Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair
So Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't Fuzzy (Wuzzy) was he?

So it would mean hairy in this context. Still doesn't sound very nice though!

Savvy_Sue

xcarlyx wrote: »

I am not in a union as it is only a small company

Doesn't matter whether the organisation is large or small, you have the right to join a union. You could then get advice and support in dealing with such things.

Union Finder.

Have you asked him not to call you names, and if he's said you touched him up more than once, have you asked him not to do so? A reasonable person would respond by ceasing and desisting ...

Cycrow

rds60h wrote: »

I'm sorry but I think people read too much into this PC lark.
The slightest inckling or innuendo of something that could possibly be taken the wrong way and people are jumping up and down in histrionics. Chill out !!
What next racism for calling a sotsman jock, an irishman paddy or mick, a welshman taffy ?

sometimes people take it too far. At school i once got into trouble for being racist because i called them an idiot

rach_k

rds60h wrote: »

I'm sorry but I think people read too much into this PC lark.
The slightest inckling or innuendo of something that could possibly be taken the wrong way and people are jumping up and down in histrionics. Chill out !!
What next racism for calling a sotsman jock, an irishman paddy or mick, a welshman taffy ?

You might want to Google those terms. They are all considered derogatory now, whether you mean them that way or not.

I agree that immediately calling somebody a racist for saying a particular word isn't necessarily fair because they may have heard the word and not understood its history (e.g. my three year old went through a phase of shouting 'Paki', which considering her dad is Asian was quite funny), but once a person is informed that it's not okay, they can't continue using it and not be considered in the wrong. In the OP's position I would have a word with somebody higher up and get them to point out what the word means before shouting about racism. I once told a colleague that '!!!!!' isn't an acceptable term for a scallywag and he was mortified that he'd been using it unaware of the meaning.

LittleVoice

rach_k wrote: »

You might want to Google those terms. They are all considered derogatory now, whether you mean them that way or not.

I agree that immediately calling somebody a racist for saying a particular word isn't necessarily fair because they may have heard the word and not understood its history (e.g. my three year old went through a phase of shouting 'Paki', which considering her dad is Asian was quite funny), but once a person is informed that it's not okay, they can't continue using it and not be considered in the wrong. In the OP's position I would have a word with somebody higher up and get them to point out what the word means before shouting about racism. I once told a colleague that '!!!!!' isn't an acceptable term for a scallywag and he was mortified that he'd been using it unaware of the meaning.

Off original topic, but what is acceptable clearly changes over time but not all "non PC" phrases remain so.

I recall that, about ten years ago or so, "nitty gritty" was said to be unacceptable with suggestions of connections to the slave trade. Fortunately that myth didn't take hold and the phrase is still heard today.

Similarly trainers were told not to use the term "brainstorming" but to ask trainees to do a "quick think" session. I think brainstorming may have survived that.

Saturnalia

rds60h wrote: »

Given that the lady appears to have no particular ethnic background

How is that possible, then? :rotfl: