Posted by Mike Dennis on August 10, 2013 at 06:15:31 user MTD.
In Reply to: Re: Re Ransome's working-class characters and the use of certain words posted by Duncan on August 10, 2013 at 00:24:11:
I agree, I think it was pretty general. My maternal grandmother always spoke of nigger-brown (paint, fabric colours etc) even in the 1970s. Though it has gone out of general use as an insult, those of that frame of mind have just found alternatives. In the 1980s I worked for an USA company and one of the senior managers I liaised with used 'porch monkeys.' He meant to be racist too, he had other offensive phrases for women and those that did menial work on the assembly line.
As for AR, I have said before that the books are snapshot of a moment in time and at that time it was not considered offensive.