There is a neighborhood in Hartford, Connecticut called Frog Hollow, so named because of the preponderance of French Canadiens who lived there. It was not a derogatory reference, it was said with affection by most people. It is mostly a Latin neighborhood now, but it's still called Frog Hollow.
There is nothing like a good round of tribal joshing, but nobody has a sense of humor about it anymore. My old neighborhood in Hartford was filled with Polacks, Dagos, Wops, Guineas, Frogs, Micks, Harps, Kikes, etc. These were not fighting words, it was just a rough and tumble repartee that everyone engaged in and it was not malicious. (Most of the time.) There were these two Hungarian brothers we had difficulty in labeling. Somebody tried "Rooskie," but it never caught on.
As in over there, there is a color line that wasn't crossed. Blacks and Puerto Ricans were not joked with in this way. It's curious that it's taboo in Europe to make Jewish jokes, but here they mix it up with everyone else. |
