I am so sick of this!

[Jester]

I'm going to be brutally frank here.

The next time I hear someone say, "I got Jewed!" when they mean they got ripped off or robbed in some way, I am going to punch them right in the fucking face.

Then they can tell all their friends how they really "got Jewed."

These are often the same fucktards who will say, "I'm not racist, but..." and follow it up with something blatantly racist.

Fucking idiots.

[anakhouri]

I'd never heard this term until a few years ago, when my in-laws said it (each of them) within a short time of each other. Actually they said, "Jewed them down." when referring to how they haggled at an antique shop for something. I got the implication, even though I'd never heard it before.

The crazy thing is, my father-in-law is the least prejudiced person I've ever met; he honestly doesn't give a crap who you are as long as you work hard. His only real hatred is for laziness.

It's just a term they heard growing up and I think neither of them ever really considered what it meant. It shocked me but I think my husband said something to them because they've never used it since. Still pretty awful but in their case I just think it was thoughtlessness.

I don't think I've ever heard it from anyone else.

[Sarah Valentine]

This is the first time I'm hearing it and it makes me angry.

[Jester]

I've told this story before, about this woman who came into my bar and was inquiring about some of our t-shirts.

HER: "How much are they?"
ME, MR. FRIENDLY: "Most of them are about twenty five dollars."
HER: "Can you make me any kind of deals?"
ME: "For you....twenty five dollars?"
HER: "Can I Jew you down?"
ME, NO LONGER MR. FRIENDLY: "Excuse me?!?"
HER: "Are you sure I can't Jew you down?"
ME, BOTH JEWISH AND LIVID, BUT RETAINING MY POLITE ALBEIT NO LONGER JOVIAL COMPOSURE: "Ma'am, the price is twenty five dollars."

When I relayed this conversation to my boss later, still seething, he understood my anger, and thanked me for keeping my cool. I told him I wasn't sure I'd be able to do it again if it happened in the future.

Why no, folks, using terms that perpetuate the stereotype that Jews are money-grubbing, greedy, ripoff artists is not in any way offensive to Jews. Why would you ever even THINK such a thing?

[Andara Bledin]

While it's still utterly tacky and tasteless, the phrase "Jew you down" is a reference to haggling, which, considering that it's often used in reference to what the speaker is doing, isn't seen as a bad thing.

However, Jewed, or it's no-less-offensive cousin Gypped, is utterly offensive in every way.

And nobody who has any class at all would ever be caught using any of them because no matter your actual views, nearly everyone else will consider you a seething biggot.

[Jester]

While it's still utterly tacky and tasteless, the phrase "Jew you down" is a reference to haggling, which, considering that it's often used in reference to what the speaker is doing, isn't seen as a bad thing.

I would respectfully disagree with you on this point.

The idea of "Jewing down" someone is based on the idea that Jews are so ruthless and conniving and money hungry that they will always get the lowest pride possible.

And if you don't see it like this, or don't find the phrase offensive, I have to ask...are you Jewish? Because I am, and while I understand what you're saying, the fact is the root of the phrase is not from people who were paying the Jews a compliment about their impeccable business savvy. It is a derogatory phrase and an insult, even if many (generally non-Jewish) people don't see it that way.

[violiav]

However, Jewed, or it's no-less-offensive cousin Gypped, is utterly offensive in every way.

Curious. I've always spelt it "gipped" or "jipped". Im guessing by it's spelling it has something to do with Gypsies? I never really thought of that. But then, I really dont think of Gypsies as being actually around outside of fiction and parts of Europe.

Just another way of saying "ripped off" in my mind. I figured it the be some local version that moved in to common usage (my dad always said "what a gip/jip!" whenever he put money on a horse that didn't win).
Sort of like buggy/Trolly/basket/bascart/shopping cart.

[Andara Bledin]

Yup. And, to make it doubly racist, Gypsy comes from Egyptian, because don't you know all those darker-skinned people are from northern Africa? Unless they were being called Bohemians or Flamenco, which are based on two more regions that the Romany don't actually hail from.

Honestly, I can't think of any instance where you can use a designation for a group of people as a verb or adverb that isn't insulting and offensive.

[Gravekeeper]

Who even says that? I've only ever heard rare legends of people uttering this phrase. I've never heard it in real life. It just seems so obviously offensive that I can't imagine anyone in their right mind saying it out loud in public with no shred self awareness.

Protip: If you're using the name of a group of people as a verb, you're probably an asshole.

[Ginger Tea]

I was once told to "stop being such a Jew" and I had no idea what the effing hell they were on about, that's when I found it was another form of tight fisted ness, using a religious/cultural stereotype, don't recall hearing it since mind.

Gypped I had no idea meant "ripped off by a gypsy" as like Violay, I had spelt it with an I and cant remember if it was a G o a J as I have not used it in some time, not cos of the root, but I don't do much writing bar posting on forums.

[draco664]

Honestly, I can't think of any instance where you can use a designation for a group of people as a verb or adverb that isn't insulting and offensive.

Spartan? For someone who lives minimalistically? (Or who has a fantastic set of abs...)

[Jester]

Honestly, I can't think of any instance where you can use a designation for a group of people as a verb or adverb that isn't insulting and offensive.

The only one I can think of is "Frenched," which is a valid cooking term involving a way to trim meat off of bones.

Who even says that? I've only ever heard rare legends of people uttering this phrase. I've never heard it in real life. It just seems so obviously offensive that I can't imagine anyone in their right mind saying it out loud in public with no shred self awareness.

Well, Canadians ARE generally more polite than Americans, you know.

And as you may be able to gather from the vociferousness of my original post, this was not a random thing...I heard the comment YET AGAIN, quite recently, and it just got my blood boiling.

Spartan? For someone who lives minimalistically? (Or who has a fantastic set of abs...)

I try not to be a grammar nazi, but in this case it's kinda necessary, because th comment was about using the name for a group of people as a verb or adverb (Jewed, Frenched), and Spartan generally, and as you use it here, is an adjective. Bit of a difference. For example, "German chocolate cake" is a perfectly acceptable use of the term. "I got Jewed"...is not.

[Panacea]

Who even says that? I've only ever heard rare legends of people uttering this phrase. I've never heard it in real life. It just seems so obviously offensive that I can't imagine anyone in their right mind saying it out loud in public with no shred self awareness.

Sadly, I have a friend who uses this phrase all the time. He's not a bad guy, but he does get boxed into racial and cultural stereotypes sometimes.

Another one I hear a lot is "nigger rigged," which is equally offensive and likely to get you shot in some parts of the country.

[Ree]

While it's still utterly tacky and tasteless, the phrase "Jew you down" is a reference to haggling, which, considering that it's often used in reference to what the speaker is doing, isn't seen as a bad thing.

However, Jewed, or it's no-less-offensive cousin Gypped, is utterly offensive in every way.

Pardon me, but that makes no fucking sense at all!
How can it be seen as OK but also offensive???
"Jewed" is "Jewed" in any form and is just as offensive, no matter how it's intended.

[Seshat]

And if you don't see it like this, or don't find the phrase offensive, I have to ask...are you Jewish? Because I am, and while I understand what you're saying, the fact is the root of the phrase is not from people who were paying the Jews a compliment about their impeccable business savvy. It is a derogatory phrase and an insult, even if many (generally non-Jewish) people don't see it that way.

I refer anyone who is not aware of this to the Shakespeare play "The Merchant of Venice".

Shylock, "the Jew", is a classic stereotype of the 'Jewish haggler' or 'Jewish Merchant' - the source stereotype of the jew/haggler thing. He is presented as totally and utterly the villian of the piece: so much so that just reading the play, you can imagine him twirling his mustache and tying an ingenue to a railroad track.

Edit to add: I'm not a Jew. In fact, I'm actually Aryan Caucasian, if it matters. I just know my history, and literature.