As we continue our series on words and phrases that Sting, today we share an often used term of “gypped.” “Words and Phrases That Sting” series is not about what we already know to be insulting; it’s about common expressions that may not be prejudiced on the surface but nonetheless have the potential to discomfort.
People use the phrase gypped to mean that they have been cheated in some way. While the idiom has a similar meaning to “Jewed,” it may not automatically connote bigotry the same way, but it means practically the same thing.
The term most likely originated from “Gypsy,” itself a derogatory slang way of referring to Europe’s Roma people. For ages, “Gypsies” were—and still are—stereotyped as sneaky thieves. They have been persecuted, enslaved centuries ago, murdered in the Holocaust, and denied civil rights today. Consequently, the common perception of the modern Roma individual is that of a roaming beggar.
Increasingly, people are becoming more aware of the term’s troublesome use. Last year, for example, author Carol Higgins Clark released a book called Gypped: A Regan Reilly Mystery, which, unsurprisingly, had nothing to do with Roma people. The title led to numerous complaints of racism. Prior to a scheduled book signing, one protestor (who’s neither Jewish nor Roma) asked the bookstore owner, “Would you be hosting a book launch for a book called ‘Jewed’?”
The brouhaha led Clark to issue the following statement: “I am truly sorry for any offense caused by using the word ‘Gypped’ as the title of my book. It was a familiar word since childhood which no one I knew associated with its origin. Since this issue arose, I’ve asked many people who also had no idea of any negative connotation. Again, I apologize.”
I don’t doubt Clark’s sincerity, but the incident does speak to the importance of being cognizant that certain words and phrases, as the name of this series implies, sting. Consequently, it’s worth thinking twice before saying you’ve been “gypped,” given the word’s racist underpinnings.
