N-word pass
English
Alternative forms
- n-word pass
Etymology
From the fact that the word nigga is commonly used in African American Vernacular English, despite being considered racist when used by a non-Black individual.
Noun
N-word pass (plural N-word passes)
- (slang) A notional pass giving permission for a non-Black person to say the words nigga or nigger without being considered racist.
- 2018 November 2, Rafael Motamayor, “Bodied is one of the most surprising, scorching satires of the year”, in Polygon, archived from the original on 2022-12-06:
- Behn jokes about the kid being just another white boy looking for an "n-word pass", but then Adam accepts a challenge by a cocky rapper looking for an Old West-type draw (the punk even calls himself Billy Pistols).
- 2019 May 26, Matthew McClure, “End the "N-word pass"”, in The Spokesman-Review, archived from the original on 2022-10-22:
- I have had the N-word said to me three times and when I said, "Hey that's not OK," they replied that I have the "N-word pass," I am 1% African American, or they said that racism is over, and that is sadly not true. People today are still being treated differently because the color of their skin.
- 2020 January 23, Lisa Damour, “My Son's Friends Use Slurs in Online Games. What Can I Do?”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 2022-11-25:
- Your son might question this last idea if he is familiar with the concept of an "N-word pass," by which a black person grants a nonblack person permission to use the term.
- 2020 June 11, Janelle Griffith, “Georgia high school investigating racist yearbook photo involving Martin Luther King Jr.”, in NBC News, archived from the original on 2022-12-26:
- The doctored photo shows Martin Luther King Jr. next to a student who is holding a sheet of paper that reads, "Official N-word pass."
- 2021 October 21, Laura Meckler, “Justice Dept. finds Utah school district allowed 'severe racial harassment' of minority students”, in The Washington Post, archived from the original on 2021-10-24:
- It found that some non-Black students demanded Black students give them an "N-word Pass," which would allegedly give them permission to use that slur freely, and said that if Black students resisted, they were sometimes threatened or physically assaulted.
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Usage notes
- In the "theory" of n-word passes, a pass may only be granted by the explicit approval of a Black person.
- It is considered highly offensive for a non-Black person to use the n-word in any context, a "pass" notwithstanding. See the usage notes on nigga.