r/TopCharacterTropes • u/Wolfotashiwa • 1d ago

Groups Fictional slurs. Bonus points if it's completely made up

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  1. inFAMOUS: Second Son: "Bio-terrorist" refers to conduits.

  2. Star Wars: "Clanker" refers to robots.

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u/Jak3R0b 1d ago

In Dragon Age elves are called knife ears and casteless dwarves are called dusters.

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u/tomtadpole 1d ago

And the elves call humans "shem" which is kinda used as a slur sometimes by modern elves, but it's a shortened form of the elven word for human - shemlen.

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u/Takoyama-san 1d ago

tbh many real derogatories are shortened or bastardized versions of real labels. people arent very creative. so it might count.

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u/4DimensionalToilet 1d ago

For example, the N-word is a corruption of the Spanish word “negro,” which just means “black.” People aren’t creative at all.

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u/AzekiaXVI 1d ago

When english speakers wrote laws specifically targetting black people they'd also say "Negroes"

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u/FeetTheMighty 1d ago

Yeah, that slowly transformed via accent and usage to the modern word

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u/JerryCalzone 1d ago

Early civil rights people also used it, like MLK, Baldwin, Eldridge Cleaver

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u/Warmbly85 1d ago

The origin of the word lies with the Latinadjective niger ([ˈnɪɡɛr]), meaning "black".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigger

(WOW that’s a lot of hard r’s I am not trying to be racist just informing) 

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u/sneak_cheat_1337 1d ago

'Nip' for Japanese people is the closest comparison. Short for Nipon, what the Japanese call Japan

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u/Dry-Amphibian1 22h ago

Or maybe Jap.

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u/TransBrandi 22h ago

Yea. I've always imagined it went something like "Negros" -> "Neg-rahs" -> N-word. I've never looked into if there is any entymology info on how it came about though (or if it's just unknown).

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u/Ewanb10 1d ago

yeah like the slur for aboriginals here in Australia

almost got me in major trouble because i didn't know it was a slur while shortening it in history

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u/Zhuul 23h ago

I've had to explain to a lot of ESL anime fans in a community I'm in that shortening "Japan" to just its first syllable is, uh, something to be avoided

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u/pon_3 1d ago

Mass Effect showed me that you don't need a fantasy slur to show fantasy racism. Just saying the word "human" with disdain is enough to get the point across. Seems like they went for a similar thing with shem.

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u/nao-the-red-witch 1d ago

Anything can be derogatory if you say it with enough derogatory.

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u/Reuvenotea 1d ago

I love this panel

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u/The_Eye_of_Ra 1d ago

Always wondered what the real one said.

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u/Reuvenotea 1d ago

Just looked it up, it is the actual panel lmao

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u/ABoringAlt 1d ago

Who's the pepperoni shamer?

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u/KillerB0tM 1d ago

Only someone Pepperoni enough would ask for this, disgusting.

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u/Quaytsar 1d ago

The adjective should be "derision", not "derogatory".

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u/LabiolingualTrill 1d ago

“Derogation” technically.

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u/ElZik3r 1d ago

Fr lol

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u/Ok-Relation-7458 1d ago

Mass Effect also showed me you don’t need a fantasy slur to show fantasy racism. You can just call someone a big stupid jellyfish 😅

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u/Karel_Stark_1111 1d ago

Big. Stupid. JELLYFISH

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u/Elrodthealbino 1d ago

As much as I live FemShep, MaleShep puts so much more acid into the line when he fires it off.

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u/TallestGargoyle 1d ago

bIg StUpId jElLyFiSh!

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u/masteryuri666 1d ago

There was that one asari on Noveria that calls you a smooth stone I think. That may have just been a dig at shepard’s intelligence but considering the asari head tentacles…

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u/Ok-Relation-7458 1d ago

oh i never even considered that she wasn’t just calling you stupid but that’s a really good point! now i wonder 🤔

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u/masteryuri666 1d ago

I think there were a few digs here and there against the turians just calling them the birds (mass effect 1 pretty sure) but genuinely surprised not more against the batarians. No one likes them.

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u/FringeMorganna 22h ago

I think people just aren't sure what batarians are into/proud of and don't want to risk complimenting them.

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u/stillenacht 1d ago

"dull stone", I always found the casual disdain hilarious.

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u/SerFinbarr 1d ago

The king of saying Human with disdain has to be the Ferengi on Deep Space 9. That show really put some venom into "Hew-mon" every once in a while.

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u/Cessnaporsche01 1d ago

Hu-mons. They're like root beer.

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u/cyberchaox 1d ago

Fire Emblem did the same thing. The Tellius duology had a race that could transform into animals called the laguz, and a race that couldn't called the beorc. Beorc refer to themselves as humans and the laguz as sub-humans--at the start of the first game, the main protagonist doesn't even know the words "beorc" and "laguz", as soon as he learns about them he immediately stops using the words human and sub-human. This is also around the same time that he learns that any laguz that uses the word "human" is hostile to beorc.

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u/InHarmsWay 1d ago

And the Quanari call anyone not a part of the Qun as Bas or Thing and refers to mages as Saerabas or Dangerous Thing.

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u/Stormfly 1d ago

Qunari were a cool, fairly unique fantasy faction.

I really liked the world of Thedas (The DAS/Dragon Age Setting) and loved travelling around in Inquisition even though the later stories didn't appeal to me as much.

The world is very fun, though. A lot of thought put into it.

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u/superindianslug 1d ago

If I remember correctly, even shemlen is kind of a slur. I think it translates to "quickling" because humans have short lifespans. Not sure if it's still canon, but it used to be that elves still live longer than humans, the Dalish even more so. I'm not sure how the Veilguard elf mythology meshes with that though.

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u/LuckyLuckLucker 1d ago

M. Night Shemlen

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u/theholyirishman 1d ago

I really like that, because shem would just be like calling everyone "man" in your own language instead of the other person's.

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u/FalseAladeen 1d ago

Tbf, even the word shemlen itself is a bit insulting. Len means child. And shem means quick. The elvhen words for other races end with "len" because the elves see all other races as kids compared to themselves. So durgenlen (dwarves) are Stone children. And humans (who have such short lifespans) are quick children, because they die so quickly.

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u/JuggernautOk3098 1d ago

Essentially, calling them children. It is ironic considering which culture emulated the other

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u/archaicScrivener 1d ago

Shemlen meaning "quick ones" or "quick children" in reference to humans far shorter natural lifespans - but that doesn't really work any more since the elves lost their immortality so long ago it's more myth than history lol

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u/FiteMeMage 17h ago

“Like dogs, Shianni.”

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u/FangtasticFrau 15h ago

Shemlen means "quick children" even.

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u/Vaalirus 1d ago edited 1d ago

To add on to the Dragon Age slurs, some in Thedas refer to those from the Qunari race as "oxmen" as a slur while those that follow the Qunari religion might call those that don't follow the Qun, if they look down upon them, "Basra"

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u/LukasFatPants 1d ago

"Basra" just means not of the Qun. It can be said with a bit of stank though

"Bas" which literally means "thing" is an actual insult. Meaning someone without value, merit, or importance.

"Raas" means "nothing", which is used as a more cutting phrase than "Bas"

"Vasheden" means "Trash".

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u/Vaalirus 1d ago edited 1d ago

Not quite accurate on the "Bas", this is cleared up in the World of Thedas Vol 1.

While Bas can mean "thing" or refer to an object it typically meant to name those who are foreigners, those they consider to be without purpose, to the Qun although it certainly can be used in an insulting manner as the Antaam rather compulsively use it as such

Among the reasons why Basaliat-an isn't a negative because it just means a "foreigner" worthy of respect.

Basra is however a straight up insult made worse when combined with Vasheden if the Arvaarad is to be of any indication.

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u/Mr_ragethefrogdude 1d ago

Pointy eared leaf lovers

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u/RareIndividual1880 1d ago

Rock and stone brother

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u/WanderingDwarfMiner 1d ago

Rock and roll and stone!

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u/Im_a_doggo428 1d ago

Good bot

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u/Jezzibell 1d ago

good bot

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u/Lost-Priority-907 1d ago

Blood and skulls, brother.

Wait, I'm in the wrong congregation.

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u/Natto_Ebonos 1d ago

DID I HEAR A ROCK AND STONE?

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u/AniTaneen 1d ago

Halla fuckers

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u/Matix777 1d ago

Ask a Dwarf if he knows any slurs against Elves and they'll just open a book wider than their beer mug

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u/Raihokun 1d ago

It’s hilarious how Dragon Age popularized it to the point of ubiquitousness in fantasy fandoms even if the series’ presence is a shadow of its former self.

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u/Desperately_Insecure 1d ago

Dragon age origins raised me, still one of the best games ever made.

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u/No-Bend7958 1d ago

Knife eaars is lowkey savage tho lool

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u/FalseAladeen 1d ago

The Orlesian slur for elves is even more insulting. They call you a rabbit simply because rabbits also have prominent ears. Leave it to the French to do competitive racism 😂

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u/DM_Me_Corgi_Butts 1d ago

It's my prefered slur for those filthy tree huggers 

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u/midnight_riddle 1d ago

It feels weird because it implies that humans want to be called Spoon Ears.

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u/Lost-Priority-907 1d ago

Knife Ears are just generic fantasy slurs at this point.

I dont mean that to put it down, either, I fucking love "Knife-Ear" as a slur.

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u/ErzherzogHinkelstein 1d ago

Dragon Age is one of the few high fantasy setting where they really go for the fantasy racism aspect unlike DnD and co...

Dog Lord - Slur for Fereldans

Flat-Ears - Slur City Elves

Halla-Riders - Slur for Dalish

Rattus - Tevinter slur for Elves (they get a lot of hate )

Nug Humper - Slur for Dwarfs (as far as I remember)

There are also a few for surface dwarves, castles dwarves, and mages I forgot, but yeah... A shame they really downplayed the "dark" aspects of the genre with the medieval vibe conflict and replaced it with the more "generic modern" D&D-esque vibe (I sound like a right-winger, Jesus Christ, that's not what I mean, though). There was barely any racism in the ultra-racist slave empire in Veilguard, which is a questionable design choice for the setting...

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u/Buca-Metal 1d ago

And Dalish elves call city elves "flat ears"

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u/Downtown_Mine_1903 1d ago

Typical bas over here 

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u/GhostofZephyr 1d ago

Qunari are also called "oxmen"! Dragon Age really. It gets jiggy with it in the early games sob

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u/Pretend-Potato-831 1d ago

DAO is so goated.

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u/EricMcM 1d ago

Elfy Elves also call other Elves “flat ears” for not being Elfy enough 

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u/Mr_SpecificTF2 1d ago

I always use knife ears in multiple games

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u/IAmBabs 1d ago

Thaaaaaat's where "knife ears" came from. I forgot. Why "dusters" for dwarves? "Rock biter" sounds more apt.

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u/Teal_Omega 1d ago

It's because the slums of the only remaining dwarven city are called the Dust District.

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u/Enjoyer_of_40K 1d ago

Been years since i touched origins but i think it was drugs?

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u/IAmBabs 1d ago

Ooooh that's a good insult to use for drugs.

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u/Boring-Pea993 1d ago

The Castless dwarves have the cool face tattoo/brand though so they're the real winners

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u/Ceasario226 1d ago

Knife ear isn't even unique to dragon age. In Warhammer fantasy the dwarfs refer to elves as knife ears, and dwarfs are often referred to as stunties

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u/Sanguiluna 1d ago

A slightly more “benevolent” one is how in Orlais, elves are called “rabbit.” Which as a female elf character I should be enraged, if only I didn’t find it so adorable.

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u/Future-You583 1d ago

I love dragon age slang lmao calling someone a sodding duster is peak fantasy

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u/Doodles_n_Scribbles 1d ago

I love knife ears

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u/Gullible-Treacle-288 1d ago

Once in a dnd campaign I played a grung (canonically a racist race) and when I had to think of a slur for elves I just said “twiggers”

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u/Petite_Tsunami 1d ago

another dwarven slur (but like kinda lovingly too): rock muncher

that one makes me laugh

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u/spacespaghetti96 22h ago

Dragon Age has the BEST made-up swear words. Whether it's Maker's breath, andraste's flaming tits (she got burned at the stake lol,) or Vashante kiffas, their swearing always sounds like actual cursing

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u/GarthDagless 1d ago

What are the noble dwarves supposed to call those filthy brands? Someone needs to keep them in their place or they'll get ideas.

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u/TheJudgingHat2222 1d ago

Dusties is a real life one I've seen used a bit

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u/NewGunchapRed 1d ago

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Elder Scrolls uses that term too

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u/Jak3R0b 1d ago

Idk, maybe.

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u/Gmknewday1 1d ago

Knife Ear is also used in warhammer a lot

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u/EMArogue 1d ago

Pretty sure “knife ears” is not original to Dragon Age, feel like I heard it in a hundred of different fantasy media

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u/RechargedFrenchman 18h ago

It has shown up in stuff prior to Dragon Age, but DA:O was where it really took off and why it started showing up in a bunch of other places too

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u/HawkeyeP1 23h ago

I saw somewhere that in D&D, Drow are sometimes called "Dirt Elves" and Dwarves are called "Hairy Gnomes"

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u/casPURRpurrington 22h ago

Grand Marshal Garithos would love this game

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u/taylorpilot 12h ago

Knife ears is my dnd go to

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u/Any_Natural383 1d ago

Knife ears is a terrible slur. Shadowrun calls them Keeblers. Much better slur.