Skip to main content

Dotted or Feathered? 

A very common response to any sentence that includes the word "Indian". It is to distinguish the indigenous peoples of India from the Native Americans.
Intellectual person #1 "So I was talking to my Indian acquaintance last night...."

Intellectual person #2 "Dotted or feathered?"

Intellectual person #1 "Definitely dotted."

feather not dot 

An American Indian or Native American, as opposed to a person from India.
Ms. Mantooth is an American Indian-- feather not dot

Dot Not Feathers

Dot Not Feathers is a description that differentiates between the two "Indian" possibilities. "Dot" refers to the Indian that comes from India (the word "dot" refers to the forehead festoonery that represents the third eye in the Hindu Religion). The word "Feathers" is descriptive of the American Indian who use feathers to accessorize their cranium.
The Indians (dot not feathers) are good businessmen - they own a lot of motels. On the other hand the Indians (feathers not dot) are even better businessmen, they own casinos where the dots gamble.

dot not feather

1. Person from India, not American Indian. Use with hand motion of finger to forehead then four fingers behind head.
Shim is Indian, dot not feather.

Down Feather 

Down Feather is a condition like Down Syndrome. But only birds can get it.
Look at yoshi sitting there with his beak open, he totally has down feather.
Down Feather by J.Vicidomine August 5, 2018

INDIANS? DOT OR FEATHER? 

When discussing Indians there is often confusion about who you're talking about, native Americans or people from India. To clarify the matter you can ask, "Dot or feather?" The feather refering to native Americans or dot, referring to the red dot worn by Indian women.
Judy said, "I was downtown and a large group of Indians were in the park."
Chesney replied, "Indians? Dot or feather?"
Judy replied, "Feathers."

Steve said, "There's a new Indian TV channel on Direct."
Tilt replied, "Dot or feather?"
Steve, "Dot, lots of dots."
INDIANS? DOT OR FEATHER? by MR WOLF September 17, 2007