{"id":4288,"date":"2022-05-31T17:42:14","date_gmt":"2022-05-31T17:42:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/?p=4288"},"modified":"2022-05-31T17:42:14","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T17:42:14","slug":"zipperhead-meaning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english-grammar-lessons.com\/zipperhead-meaning\/","title":{"rendered":"Zipperhead \u2013 Meaning, Origin and Usage"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did a 70-year-old man just call you a \u201czipperhead<\/em>\u201d? What does it mean? IS it some sort of sexual innuendo? This post unpacks the meaning and origin of this expression.<\/p>\n

Meaning<\/h2>\n

The term \u201czipperhead<\/em>\u201d is a derogatory racial slur against someone of Asian descent. Specifically, it refers to Korean and Vietnamese people. During the Korean and Vietnamese wars, American soldiers developed a range of racial slurs describing their enemy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

While these phrases and slurs were acceptable at the time, they are no longer tolerated in modern society. Society now values tolerance and freedom more than prejudice. Using the term \u201czipperhead<\/em>\u201d in the United States or Canada may land you with hate speech charges filed against you.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re found guilty of hate speech, it\u2019s possible for the court to sentence you to jail time. Therefore, using the language on social media platforms like Twitter could land you in a lot of trouble with people.<\/p>\n

If you hear people using \u201czipperhead<\/em>\u201d when they are yelling at Asian people, they are racists, and you should walk away from them and call the police. Don\u2019t engage hateful people as it may land you in trouble.<\/p>\n

Example Usage<\/h2>\n

\u201cDid you hear Clint Eastwood in that movie where he was a grumpy old man? He used so many racial slurs in the film that I\u2019m surprised people sided with him as the hero. He was a terrible human being.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you know those racist American soldiers would refer to Vietnamese people as \u2018zipperheads?\u2019 You won\u2019t believe me if I told you why.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVietnam was a shameful period in American history. The government so many young Americans to die at the hands of those gooks and zipperheads.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cA zipperhead almost took out Frank and me at the last base. We turned the tables on him and ran over him with the jeep.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThere is no reason for anyone to ever refer to a Vietnamese person as a \u2018zipperhead\u2019 again. The war is over, and society moved on from hate.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only good zipperhead is a dead one. When we were in the war, the gooks would try and kill us every night. If we didn\u2019t keep watch 24\/7, we would never have made it through the night.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Origin<\/h2>\n

The expression \u201czipperhead\u201d originates from the Vietnamese and Korean wars of the 60s and 70s. There are several supposed origins of this racial slur, and both of them are nothing short of horrific.<\/p>\n

The first is that American soldiers would aim for the forehead, and the machine-gun fire would elevate the rifle barrel as they fired, resulting in a zipper-like opening of the forehead.<\/p>\n

The second origin comes from Vietnamese and Korean soldiers on the frontlines that would be run over by American troops in jeeps. The tire pattern imprinted on the soldier would lead to the creation of the term because it looked like a zipper pattern.<\/p>\n