Wog
Wog is a word with two meanings, one commonly derogatory, the other not.
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2 Wog as a Scientology term 3 Wog in maritime use 4 See also |
British racial term originating in the colonial period of the British Empire. It was generally used as a label for the natives of India, northern Africa and the Middle East. More recently, it has come to refer to any non-local, including people from other towns and cities in England.
The origins of the term are unclear. Many dictionaries propose that it comes from the term golliwog (or golliwogg), a blackfaced doll with tangled hair introduced by Florence Upton in her book The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls, in which a black doll named Golliwog is featured. Others have suggested that it originated from acronyms for "Worthy Oriental Gentleman" or variants thereof. Those explanations, like other attempts to find the origin of words such as "cop" or "tip" in their supposed etymologies, are probably mistaken.
The use of the word is very much discouraged in Britain these days and most dictionaries refer to the word with the justified caution that it is slang and derogatory. James Robertson & Sons, a British manufacturer of jams and preserves, discontinued using the Golliwog as its trademark in the early 1990s for similar reasons.
If shouted at someone in the street the usage is generally derogatory. If used in some portions of society in casual conversation its intent may sometimes be so unspecific as to represent nothing more than a non-derogatory "not us" identifier. It would be unwise to use it in polite company.
Wog is also a derogatory slang term in Australian English, specificially directed against people from Italy, Greece and the Balkans though occasionally extending to people from other parts of Europe or the Levant. This meaning came into use in the 1950s when Australia accepted large numbers of immigrants from Southern Europe. Some contemporary Australians comedians from Italian or Greek cultures in Australia have attempted to reclaim the use of the word, but like all racial or ethnic epithets it remains a heavily loaded word.
The Church of Scientology also uses the term wog to describe anyone who isn't a customer of Scientology. Scientology's founder L. Ron Hubbard employed the term in his lectures and writings.
Wog is a shortened version of the word polliwog, used for sailors during the crossing the line ceremony, on the first time they cross the equator. This use is entirely non-derogatory and is not limited to British English.
Wog as a racial reference
Wog as a racial reference in Australian English
Wog as a Scientology term
Wog in maritime use
See also