ethnic joke
1
8.9
- noun
- /ˈɛθnɪk dʒoʊk/
- Offensive
:
chiste étnico
- Many comedians avoid ethnic jokes to prevent causing offense to audience members from diverse backgrounds.
Examples
-
However, ethnic minority faculty become uncomfortable when they are continuously the focus of heavy teasing and ethnic jokes.
Academic text (1996) -
Oh, it's kind of an ethnic joke, he says.
Fiction book (2002) -
Often this was done through what we would call ethnic jokes.
Academic text (1995) -
Don't do any ethnic jokes.
-
I'm shaking my head skeptically, never comfortable with ethnic jokes.
Fiction book (1997) -
Is this a joke made at their expense—an ethnic joke?
Academic text (2003) -
His attempt at humor fell flat because it was an offensive ethnic joke that hurt many people.
-
They decided to leave the party early after hearing too many inappropriate ethnic jokes that made them uncomfortable.
How Offensive
- Offensive
41
5.1
- Offensive
3
9.9
- Offensive
1
8.9
- Offensive
430
4.9
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase 'ethnic joke' is a straightforward noun phrase combining 'ethnic' (relating to a cultural or heritage group) and 'joke' (an amusing remark), so its meaning — a joke about or targeting an ethnic group — is directly derivable from the constituent words. This compositional pattern is common cross-linguistically and follows normal noun–modifier semantics, making it immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows both words.
Etymology
Ethnic joke comes from putting ethnic (a group of people with the same culture or background) and joke (a funny story) together. Picture someone telling a funny story that points at one group and makes them the target; that's why the phrase means a joke aimed at an ethnic group and is often called 'offensive'.