nigger/nigga

also known as the “N-word,” these racial slurs and contemptuous terms for a Black person are some of the most racially charged words in the language, and may never be used by a non-Black person. Always deeply offensive and off-limits when used by others, the n-word is under debate among African Americans: some believe their open use of it among themselves will strip it of its racist meaning; others say that no matter who uses it, such a hideous pejorative needs to be stricken from the national vocabulary. The variation "nigga" is seen in entertainment culture, and some people consider it different than nigger -- a term of affection or even neutral. Others insist it is still a slur, no matter the spelling. For the completely unacceptable "nigger in the woodpile," substitute catch, hitch, snag, drawback. "Timber nigger," a highly offensive term describing American Indians involved in the fishing and hunting rights debate, has no good alternative except "American Indians involved in the fishing and hunting rights debate." See also African American, Black/black (n.), insider/outsider rule, racism.