Bill Peters's definitions

macaca

Common French racist slur. Meaning and use is similar to English 'nigger,' and is used to described non-European (Arab and Black) North Africans. It was in particularly prevelant use during French occupation of Northern Africa. The term has been showing up with increasing frequency as a racial slur on racist websites and chatrooms.

In considering the controvery of whether Senator George Allen truly knew the meaning of the word in his infamous August 11, 2006 outburst, it is significant to note that his mother and numerous relatives are ethnic French expatriates of Tunisia in North Africa.

"This fellow here, over here with the yellow shirt, macaca, or whatever his name is. He's with my opponent. He's following us around everywhere. And it's just great . . . Let's give a welcome to macaca, here. Welcome to America and the real world of Virginia." -- Sen George Allen refering to S.D. Sidarth while campaingning in rural Virginia, Ausgust 20006.

by Bill Peters August 16, 2006

brown paper bag test

An actual test, along with the so-called ruler test in common use in the the early 1900s among upper class Black American societies and families to determine if a Black person was sufficiently white to gain admittance or acceptance. If your skin was darker than a brown paper bag, you did not merit inclusion. Thousands of Black institutions including the nation's most eminent Black fraternity -- Phi Alpha Phi, Howard Univiersity, and numerous church and civic groups all practiced this discriminiation. The practice has 19th Century antecedants with the Blue Blood Society and has not totally died out.

Zora Neal Hurston was the first well known writer to air this strange practice in a public. The practice is now nearly universally condemned (at least in public) as being an example of "colorism". Particularly cogent modern day critiques can be found in Kathy Russell's "The Color Complex", Tony Morrion's "The Bluest Eye" (an Ophrey Book Club choice) and Marita Golden's "Don't Play in the Sun." The best known send-up of the pactice, however, is Spike Lee's scathing and hilarious 1988 movie, "School Daze."

"Though the brown paper bag test is antiquated and frowned upon as a shameful moment in African-American history, the ideals behind the practice still lingers in the African-American community" -- Rivea Ruff, BlackCollegeView.Com

by Bill Peters August 19, 2006

blue vein society

See also brown bag test
A group of African Americans which limits its membership to "blue veins" or light skinned black people. During the turn of the century there were self-proclaimed Blue Vein Societies in dozens of US cities representing the miniscule Black upper and upper-middle classes. The societies aped partician white "Blue Blood Socieities" (satirzed by Edith Wharton) and their cheif purpose seems to have been to sponsor balls as meeting places for elgible "blue veined" youth.

The African American write Charles W. Chestnutt describes the origin of the term in the quote below when talking about the Cleveland Blue Vein Society.

"Some envious outsider made the suggestion that no one was eligible for membership who was not white enough to show blue veins. The suggestion was readily adopted by those who were not of the favored few, and since that time the society, though possessing a longer and more pretentious name, had been known far and wide as the "Blue Vein Society," and its members as the "Blue Veins." "
-- Charles W. Chesnutt, "The Wife of His Youth", 1898

by Bill Peters August 19, 2006

ruler test

A test used in 19th middle and upper class Black communities to decide of a black American was sufficiently white enough to warrant inclusion. The idea is that your hair should be as straight as a ruler. Today the practice is not rightly condemned as "colorism" but is not altogether abandoned. See also brown paper bag test

"Don't go swimming or you won't be able to pass the ruler test when you meet your date's parent's tonight."

by Bill Peters August 19, 2006

brown paper bag school

Perjorative term for Fisk, Spellman College and Howard Universities, all of which have in the past have been allegedly guilty of refusing to admit students with skin tone darker than a brown paper bag.

"No way am I going to a brown paper bag school. I'm applying to 'Skegee (Tuskegee)."

by Bill Peters August 20, 2006

eighty-six

Restaurant lingo meaning "take an item off the menu." By extension it can also mean to get rid of almost anything (including doing away with somebody). The Urbandictionary entry attributing the term to the 1980s is erroneous. I worked as a short order cook in the late 1960s and it was in use in a half dozen NewYork city joints where I worked. Oldtimers say the term was around in the 1940s and that the derivation is Article 86 of the New York Liquor Code which describes the circumstances under which liquor should be withheld from a customer.

Restaurant manager: "we ran out of chipped beef . . . eighty-six the shit on a shingle."

by Bill Peters August 21, 2006

short

Military and prison adjective for describing someone nearing the end of their tour of duty, enlistment or incarceration. A short-timer is someone who has less then 90 days to serve. A Korean War veteran told me these terms were in wide use in the late 1940s; they have been in continuous wide use in the military since then.

Sargeant: "Get you head out of your ass -- make something of yourself soldier."
Private (to self): "I'm short . . . I don't give a fuck."

by Bill Peters August 22, 2006