Leslie

You couldn't have got that more wrong.

DeanUK2US

Oh, ROFL!

You would really hate the games industry with its 'code monkeys', 'design monkeys', 'QA monkeys'... It's very easy to get such a term confused with a racist slur. The term 'monkey' in such a context means a grunt. In Bob's sense he meant an 'idiot'.

I only take monkey as offensive if they precede it with 'black'.

Dan725

Bunch of Monkeys, the lot of you....

DeanUK2US

Chimps are 'apes', actually!

Tracym

I once met a guy who had the monkeys on a keyring - but he had four of them

Bob

baring in mind this is a Brit expat site, it ain't a racial slur, just like Spooks isn't a racial slur in the UK.

But for you, replace monkey with a kipper.

Jerseygirl

Your reply enforces everything I said about you.

Rete

Whoa that is just plain ridiculous. Besides the fact that is a British Expats forum, populated by 99% Brits, think you are carrying that just a bit over board.

Besides, as an American, I don't think the word monkey or the way it was used was a racial slur. I did not grow up with racial prejudice in my personal life or my professional life. I can honestly say I have never in my life thought of another human being as a monkey. As a jackass, yes, but never as a monkey. And personally, I can't remember anyone I know who has used that term in regards to a member of a minority race in this country.

Thought the victory in BO's election win was to put this negativity and racial tension behind us and accept each other without looking for innuendos in actions and speech.

Bob is one of the most honest, forthright and decent fellows I have ever come across and to even suggest that he is not, is a slur on a fellow member of BE.

RoadWarriorFromLP

In certain contexts, references to monkeys can certainly be racist.

But in the context that Bob was using it, it wasn't. He wasn't referring to Obama or to blacks when he used it. Had that been his intent, then yes, it would have been racist, but he clearly wasn't doing that.

meauxna

Rete, baby, uga's entitled to her offense. I know you hang around only upstanding, polite members of our society, but there are some seriously backward people who do use that term in the way Erin first read it.

I'm sure she's clear on Bob's meaning now, but it's not fair to call her response ridiculous.

Ray

There is far too many people spanking their monkey ....

Kaffy Mintcake

Well said.

Rete

Point taken. I retract the comment re ridiculous.

Don't know how upstanding they are but I grew up in a lower middle class neighborhood with as many black friends as white and called a couple my parents were very friendly with as aunt and uncle.

I've heard of many slurs used to describe blacks but in my area monkey was never one of them.

tamms_1965

Yes, I can remember it well being used as a racial slur where I grew up. I'm a child of the 60s but I grew up in a backwards area of southern Ohio where racism was rampant.

Jerseygirl

To Brits the term 'monkey' is not a racial slur. I often say 'you cheeky monkey'...if I use it on here a British Expats website...am I going to be called out for being a racist as UGA did to Bob?