Is Kraut and Jerry a bad or offensive way to call Germans?

[theknight571]

"Don't mention the war." .. LOL Classic Fawlty Towers

The Germans

 

[Spacehead]

It would never occur to me to call some one a Kraut or Jerry. I would think, given it was used mostly during WW2 that it would be offensive, but i don't know.


The only time nowdays i hear anything like that is the term krautrock in music reviews/magazines.

 

[DarkKnight69]

Originally posted by: Braznor
Sorry if it offends you, but I have frequently noticed WW2 era Allied soldiers using those words referring to German soldiers.

Are they outdated now and are no longer used? I hardly see them anymore, except when it comes to WW2 movies, games etc.

Is calling a German person as a Kraut or Jerry offensive like the N word or is it merely impolite like using Oriental instead of Asian?

I am german and it offends me...kinda like calling japanese 'japs'...

 

[So]

Originally posted by: waggy

Originally posted by: The Cornballer
my roomate in school was german.
we called him a kraut.
we also fist fought.
he was sensitive and a tad reactionary.

gee i wonder why?

Because he was German. All Germans are oversensitive and a tad reactionary, with a tendency to resort to violence.

Oh, burn!

 

[chcarnage]

Kraut is more offending than Yank but less than N... But because it is outdated, every German will put this in the WWII context.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: Braznor
Sorry if it offends you, but I have frequently noticed WW2 era Allied soldiers using those words referring to German soldiers.

Are they outdated now and are no longer used? I hardly see them anymore, except when it comes to WW2 movies, games etc.

Is calling a German person as a Kraut or Jerry offensive like the N word or is it merely impolite like using Oriental instead of Asian?

Not any more offensive than those of us from the Vietnam era who were taught that the Vietnamese people were "gooks", or any other of the myriad of names used to help "de-humanize" and demonize the enemy you were there to kill. Many people still refer to them in those terms, even though they're no longer our enemy, and are no longer (hopefully) something you only want to see through the sights/scope of your rifle...

 

[CaptainGoodnight]

Originally posted by: rivan

I didn't realize yank was derogatory?

Perhaps because yank has different meanings inside the United States. To someone in the south, it's any northerner. To some people in the north it only refers to a New Englander, and so on.

I've never taken offense to it.

 

[BoomerD]

I worked with folks from the south for a few years, and my hard-hat ALWAYS had an American flag and the words "Dammed Yankee...and PROUD of it!"

 

[CaptainGoodnight]

Saw this on Wikipedia:

To foreigners, a Yankee is an American.
To Americans, a Yankee is a Northerner.
To Northerners, a Yankee is a Easterner.
To Easterners, a Yankee is a New Englander.
To New Englanders, a Yankee is a Vermonter.
And in Vermont, a Yankee is somebody who eats pie for breakfast.

 

[hoorah]

We refer to our cars as "Krautmobiles" or "krautwagens" on the BMW boards.

 

[mzkhadir]

Originally posted by: Braznor
Company of Heros too used both these words frequently. That's why I asked.

so does call of duty 2

 

[iwantanewcomputer]

im pretty sure not many americans would be offended by being called yanks...I mean there is a baseball team named after that term

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: CaptainGoodnight
Saw this on Wikipedia:

To foreigners, a Yankee is an American.
To Americans, a Yankee is a Northerner.
To Northerners, a Yankee is a Easterner.
To Easterners, a Yankee is a New Englander.
To New Englanders, a Yankee is a Vermonter.
And in Vermont, a Yankee is somebody who eats pie for breakfast.

 

[aka1nas]

Kraut is anachronistic enough to have lost mose of it's offensiveness in the US. Jerry is what the Brits called them germans in WW2, so I don't know how that term is perceived over there. For various reasons, the period ethnic nicknames for the Japanese and other groups are usually considered more offensive in the US.

 

[jadinolf]

Originally posted by: leftyman
I would think its outdated.

Yep, WWII.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

I have a pretty healthy german heritage (bout 1/2 native american and 1/2 german) and I could give a shite less what you call me

 

[halik]

Krauts is on par with Japs, Frenchies, Amis/Yanks/Tommies or Polaks. It's a colloquial way to refer to refer to someone's nationality in a faux-negative way. I don't think anyone would get offended.

 

[DanTMWTMP]

I thought Jerry is to Germans like Charlie is to Vietnamese.

 

[toolboxolio]

I think calling them Jew killers is offensive.

Kraut / Jerry seems to just be politically incorrect.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: theknight571
"Don't mention the war." .. LOL Classic Fawlty Towers

The Germans

"I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it."

"Oh, I see. You're volunteering to go out and get some meat. Not necessary! We have meat here in zee building!"

:laugh::thumbsup: That's a classic episode! I love Fawlty Towers!

 

[mercanucaribe]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: theknight571
"Don't mention the war." .. LOL Classic Fawlty Towers

The Germans

"I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it."

"Oh, I see. You're volunteering to go out and get some meat. Not necessary! We have meat here in zee building!"

:laugh::thumbsup: That's a classic episode! I love Fawlty Towers!

Wow. That episode aired in 1975. The same length of time has passed since than that had passed from the war to 1975.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: mercanucaribe

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus

Originally posted by: theknight571
"Don't mention the war." .. LOL Classic Fawlty Towers

The Germans

"I mentioned it once but I think I got away with it."

"Oh, I see. You're volunteering to go out and get some meat. Not necessary! We have meat here in zee building!"

:laugh::thumbsup: That's a classic episode! I love Fawlty Towers!

Wow. That episode aired in 1975. The same length of time has passed since than that had passed from the war to 1975.

And it's still funny as hell to this day! :thumbsup:

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