The word, niggardly, meaning stingy or miserly, is seldom used in the West
anymore. It apparently sounds too much like a racial slur to the politically
correct rule makers in allegedly developed countries. Actually, the word
comes from the Old Norse verb nigla, which means "to fuss about small matters".
It has nothing to do with the word nigger at all! There are even warnings on the
internet that you can lose your job for using the word niggardly in emails or
reports. So I guess I should be really niggardly when using niggardly in this
short story about the word niggardly. The exorcising of this word from everyday
vocabulary is just another example of how free speech is dealt with in the West.
I believe it’s been hijacked by the overly sensitive, overweight red rinse brigade.
Niggardly is, however, I note with politically incorrect glee, a Chinese female’s
all time favourite etymological scalpel for performing verbal disembowelment
upon spouses or boyfriends. My colleague Mike, told me he wishes he had
an RMB for every time his wife called him niggardly. “I’d be a bloody
millionaire,” says he. In fact, the opposite happens. His wallet magically opens,
is duly raped and pillaged until the next time the epithet comes round, like a
returning boomerang. He shrugs, “That’s Chinese women and Chinese customs
for you. Men pay for everything... everything, I tell you!” And that coming from
a nice Chinese fella, but only when the trouble and strife is out of earshot!
Now, being of Jewish ancestry myself, I’ve never taken umbrage at “Tight Arse,
Scrooge, Moth Wallet or even Mr. MingySkinflint” right from my school
yard days to nowardays. On the contrary, to me, niggardly is just another arrow
to be deflected off my teflon coated exterior. Nay, a badge to wear when striding
down to the hutong shops where I’m known as xiao qi gui ren. So when my
darling Qianqian asks me where we will go for the new year holidays, I point
out the new jade bracelet on her wrist. Next, I remind her of how much we had
to give her friend Fatty Girl when she got married a month ago.
(Can you imagine having a friend you called Fatty Girl in the West? You’d find
yourself in court faster than you could say “niggardly” in front of the Fat Girl
Appreciation Society! Then you’d get sued by the Thin Girls Cooperative for
making them feel excluded.)
“The jade and Fatty Girl were this year’s holiday, my darling,” I say. “We
will stay home and paint the apartment in January...if I can scratch up enough
money to afford the paint”.
“You are sooooooo niggardly,” says she, stomping away in her high heels.
“No darling. It’s called proudly niggardly or in layman’s terms - budgeting" say I.
Tags:Lifestyle Expat Tales Expat Rants & Advice Language & Culture Travel Teaching & Learning Relationships Arts & Entertainment Health & Environment General
All comments are subject to moderation by eChinacities.com staff. Because we wish to encourage healthy and productive dialogue we ask that all comments remain polite, free of profanity or name calling, and relevant to the original post and subsequent discussion. Comments will not be deleted because of the viewpoints they express, only if the mode of expression itself is inappropriate. Please use the Classifieds to advertise your business and unrelated posts made merely to advertise a company or service will be deleted.
Please login to add a comment. Click here to login immediately.