Laurence Fox was ‘stumped’ by this most basic linguistics lesson so these people were only too happy to help out
To the world – briefly – of actor turned anti-woke campaigner and much else besides Laurence Fox, whose been having a long, hard think about linguistics and came up totally blank.
Specifically, why one of these abbreviations was offensive but the other one wasn’t (and we’ve spared you reading the second one for reasons that will be obvious).
It all started when London mayor Sadiq Khan tweeted this …
Racist abuse is never ‘banter.’ It’s racist abuse. I was on the receiving end growing up. It has a deep, lasting impact. https://t.co/xKIUtGCKhg
— Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) November 28, 2025
… and Fox responded with this.
Tricky to tell if he’s playing dumb or just dumb – and tricky to care as well, truth be told – but whichever it was these people were only too happy to help out.
1.
Because it’s been used as a racial slur for decades you absolute weapon.
— L (@littlecaesar007) November 29, 2025
2.
One is a derogatory term used by racists, the other isn’t. Do you need it written in Crayon for you?
— Dr Mariana Claire Marinovic (@DrMarianaClaire) November 29, 2025
3.
What do you not grasp about intent and context? Words shift depending on how they’re used, who’s saying them and why.
“Aussie” is a nickname Australians use for themselves with pride. “Paki” is not. It carries decades of being used here as a slur, hurled with malice at South…
— John Kirby (@csljohnkirby) November 29, 2025
4.
It’s pretty easy to understand why for normal people pic.twitter.com/6pAka5wPX2
— Dhillon14 (@Dhillon148) November 29, 2025
5.
No, you don’t ‘wonder’ You know exactly why, but just wanted an excuse to use the word ‘Paki’ because you’re a man child.
— Stephen (@StephenFPI) November 29, 2025
6.
You cannot be this dumb, can you?
— Harry (@HighPlainOutlaw) November 29, 2025
7.
Because it’s used as a racial slur you fucking moron. Unlike Aussie.
— LinusNadz (@LinusNadz) November 29, 2025
8.
One is a term of affection
One a term of abuse
Like “Foxy” vs “Fuckwit”— David Oliver (also on Blue Sky) (@mancunianmedic) November 29, 2025
9.
Because it’s often accompanied by a punch and a kick
— Paul Hammond (@paulkhammond) November 29, 2025
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