I'd learned about this last week, and this stuff is a bunch of Wikipedia searches so forgive me if I miss anything :]
Similar to git master and whitelist/blacklist having addressed racist origins, I've just learned that "ricing" -- i.e. way-far-from-default, colorfully souped-up *nix customizations -- came from a derogatory word for Asian "riced out" cars.
(click to enlarge spot where I came to learn about this)
Example in the lemmy.ml/c/linux community.
The linked Wikipedia article doesn't list *nix ricing specifically, but it's probably not a far reach -- for example, tech's master-slave came from cars too.
Now I'm not here to start a debate on whether the term itself is bad. The arguments are done to death and predictable (old thread~hope~ ~I~ ~can~ ~link~ ~here~). Rather, I posit that we could probably invent a new term if we forced it hard enough.
For example, 4chan forcibly invented the use of the ok hand for "white power", as a collective prank (Wikipedia).
Further, Tumblr invented 'then beg' as an insult response to 'I beg your pardon/to differ'. (click to enlarge)
Based on Pukicho.
So why can't Lemmy invent something too?
Here are some earlier takes. (click to enlarge for source, but they are listed below anyway)
I surmise it has to be (1) somewhat unique and (2) short and nounable/verbable.
- Customization doesn't fit -- it's too broad. Changing the wallpaper is a customization -- diagonalizing your screen is a rice (term to be replaced...).
- Bespoke doesn't fit either. That's for a duct-tape script you hack together.
- Pimping out... is not a good alternative. It preexists^(citation^ ^needed?)^ and has inertia but it's not any better.
- Souping up... doesn't roll off the tongue so much. But it's food-related (and thus not far from "rice"). Though I can't see myself saying "Yo, check out this epic soup."
Brainstorming welcome :P
In one of which an Asian dude literally says it's not used as a derogatory anymore. Talk about being offended for others
I saw a BlackPeopleTwitter post yesterday where one local (so, black) user gave another Asian user a coveted "invite to the cookout" for posting some decently well meaning kinda intersectionalist words, and they ATE THE FORMER USER ALIVE, saying paraphrased obviously "we give this privelage out way too readily to people who evidence the bare minimum decency". Some people want to gel so bad they jump the gun and so you can't assume one minority giving you a privelage related to their community stands for all in the community. The paradox of the N-pass.
The paradox of the n-word pass is similar to the paradox of the daoist leader; if you were of good enough character (as an outsider/Bourgeoisie) to warrant the privilege of leadership/cookout, then you'd be wise enough to never want to use them.
An stranger on the internet just gave you license to say a historically racist term, how convenient for you. Next they'll be some /r/asablackman posters saying its okay for you to use the n-word, because it doesn't bother them.
Should they've included a selfie or an id pic? Because when black ppl use that n-word you're trying to draw parallels with (which, BTW, is still a derogatory towards a person and has no other meanings, as far as I'm aware) nobody gets offended. And, aside from the use of the "r-word", their comment was a valid opinion on topic asking for that opinion