Chinkies

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into List of ethnic slurs. (Discuss)

This article is about British English slang term. For the pejorative term it derives from, see Chink. For the cuisine it describes, see British Chinese cuisine.

Look up chinky in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

In the United Kingdom, a chinkies (sometimes known as a chinky chonky^[1]) is a slang term for Chinese takeaway restaurant, or the meal that one buys from such a restaurant. The name "chinkies" is the plural and adjectival form of chink, and like chink was originally an ethnic slur for Chinese and other oriental people.^[2]

After several campaigns by the Scottish Executive, in Scotland many now see this name as indirectly racist.^[3] The Broadcasting Standards Commission held in 2002, after a complaint about the BBC One programme The Vicar of Dibley, that when used as the name of a type of restaurant or meal, rather than as an adjective applied to a person or group of people, the word carries no racist connotation.^[4] However, a year earlier the Commission's counterpart, the Radio Authority, apologised for the offence caused by an incident where a DJ on Heart 106.2 used the term.^[5] Ofcom, the successor organisation of the two, classifies it as a derivative of the racist term "chink", but notes that the degree to which the term is deemed offensive varies according to age or ethnic origin of the listener.^[6]

Chinky (Chinki) is also a derogatory term widely used throughout India to refer to anyone who has facial appearances similar to a Chinese person, such as Northeast Indians with flat noses and almond shaped eyes.^{[citation needed]}