cross-posted from: https://hexbear.net/post/2688493

i live in a predominantly white area so i get some racially-motivated and provocative comments from time to time

i just ignore them with a clear look of disapproval (+ sometimes a side-eye) because i don’t have the time to educate every single random stranger and it’s just not something i want to bother myself with (though i know i should to an extent).

i feel like replying with an insult that they won’t understand would make it very clear that i take offence with that they said/did without them reacting to what i actually said and would make me feel better that i retaliated rather than keeping quiet.

(plus responding to an ignorant comment with something they’ll be ignorant of feels pretty retaliatory to me)

so what are some non-English (or obscure English) retaliatory insults? ideally they should be a common insult (though it’s optional ig), short and should sound like an insult to an English speaker

EDIT: to clarify, i’m not concerned about further escalations as virtually all of these exchanges happen in passing where no one is able to continue the conversation (which is why i’m okay with responding in a potentially rude way).

but maybe ignore the last point about the insult sounding like an insult. saying an unknown phrase in a different language should be enough to suggest my disapproval

  • mayo_cider [he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
    7·
    5 months ago

    I’m not really following your logic with trying to shut up racist people by speaking in a foreign language

    Any time you stand up for yourself there’s a risk of escalation, and the only way to sway off (some of) the assholes is to convince them that you are not afraid to escalate

    Unfortunately some of them are just looking for an excuse to escalate, so the language you use doesn’t really matter if you respond

    • BJyXJe4LhZetOzA0 [comrade/them]@hexbear.netOPEnglish
      1·
      5 months ago

      i edited the post to clarify the nature of these interactions (TLDR: further escalation is highly unlikely but maybe avoid making it sound like an insult)

      honestly i don’t want to directly say that i’m not afraid to escalate (otherwise i would’ve used English insults) but i still want to say something without them ending the exchange as if they were able to say what they said/do what they did with no consequences.

      usually i just stay quiet and ignore them, but i know that i shouldn’t be afraid to talk back and that not talking back usually enables them to do it again (if we pass by on a regular basis)

      basically i want to end the exchange with something they could take as an insult but will never know the nature of to confuse/slightly irritate them that they aren’t able to properly take offence with it i guess