The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #168875 Message #4079977
Posted By: Senoufou
17-Nov-20 - 03:04 PM
Thread Name: BS: A person of color and a colored person
Subject: RE: BS: A person of color and a colored person
This 'naming by colour' business works the other way round too. In all the W African countries I've visited, little children would call out "Eh! Toubabe!" meaning, "Oi! Whitey!" They'd grin and laugh. I found it very endearing. After all, in spite of a bit of a tan, I was very white-skinned compared to them. And I knew full well they meant no harm.
However, at university, I had for a brief time a Scottish boyfriend, from Fife. He took me home to meet his parents, and they were very anti-English (a touch of what I call Braveheart-itis). When they learned that not only was I from England, but born and raised in dreaded LONDON, you'd think I was a mass murderer. Fortunately, my surname is very Scottish, and my ancestors hailed from Caithness way. This exonerated me somewhat and I was offered a cup of tea and some black bun. Then I let out that my mother was Irish. Oh dear. (I didn't see him again!)