How is the expression ‘an Indian’ not offensive?

[Yellownotblue]

As in, an Indian take away or delivery meal.

I find it quite odd to hear one specific type of cuisine referred to like this. Would you say “ we’re going for a French tonight” or “he invited me to his place for an Italian”? Somehow it seems dismissive and disrespectful.

For full disclosure, I’m not Indian but my husband is of Asian ancestry and our children have dual heritage. I’m British (first generation migrant). I was born and brought up in North America and can’t remember the expression ‘an Indian’ ever being used as short for Indian food before I moved to Britain.

I’m not American so will let Americans answer for themselves.

You said you were born and brought up in North America so happy for you to comment on Canadian and/or US usage.

These are not terms I use personally. And I genuinely don’t see why you are trying to make this into a debate here. But a bit of whataboutsim never hurt anyone, eh?

Nope. Just trying to make you see how provocative and ridiculous you’re being starting such an accusatory thread about a very minor issue.

Yeah. You're being totally disingenuous here op. Just own it and admit you've probably got this one wrong eh?

Quite possibly the most ridiculous thread I’ve read on mn

Is this a joke?

We say going for an Indian, Chinese, Italian

No idea why you think it’s dismissive and disrespectful, it’s a type of cuisine,

Should we also stop buying books headed Indian, Chinese, Italian, Mexican etc?

Get over yourself

I never said Indian and Chinese are lesser cuisines. Honestly, did you not notice the quotation marks, or are you ignoring them on purpose?

I'm not sure what you think quotation marks do. Question marks are used to quote something that a person said.

Did you mean to use inverted commas? Because no-one has said those cuisines are lesser, for you to be able to quote them. Who exactly do you think you are quoting?

What about going for an English?

www.dailymotion.com/video/x6perng

'What's the blandest thing on the menu? '

I'm Indian and I don't find the term offensive.

However this thread has made me realise we never say 'go for a (insert cuisine here)' and neither does anyone I know, Indian or otherwise. We always say the name of a restaurant or say 'I fancy Chinese tonight' or 'shall we get Thai food' etc. I do find putting 'a' in front a bit weird but weird in the same way I find it when people call dinner 'tea'. It's more a dialect thing IMO.

I think this is one of those;
OP: “AIBU?”
Everyone: “Totally, indescribably ridiculous AND unreasonable.
OP: “No, I’m right. You’re all stupid and don’t understand my genius point.”
Everyone:

It grates when people refer to our local favourite restaurant as an 'Indian' when it's actually a Bangladeshi restaurant. But we would call it an Indian restaurant if it was one, and we like a Moroccan restaurant too. Should we not say that?

@Yellownotblue

Maybe it’s a class or regional thing. I literally have never heard anyone say ‘going for an Italian’. It’s just “lesser” (ethnic) cuisines that are referred to that way.

I just posted out of curiosity. No need to get all agitated. I’ve read all the answers and taking it all on board. I’m interested in linguistics.

I'm interested in the "lesser" comment OP. You've said that you don't think that '(ethnic) cuisines' are lesser, so who are you referring to when you write 'It's just "lesser" (ethnic) cuisines that are referred to in that way'?

From your experience, who do you think it is that believes that?

Well no, it’s terrible 😄. There are so many better breakfast options out there! Start by putting some fruit on the plate

Ffs that's almost as bad as putting pineapple of a fucking pizza 🙄

As an American, someone saying they're going for an Indian does sound odd to me, because we don't say it that way here. We mostly just say Indian, or Chinese, or Mexican, etc. But I don't think it's offensive. 🤷‍♀️

A lot of phrases you all use sound odd to me, and vice-versa, I'm sure. Like, why do you say "in hospital" instead of " in the hospital?"

Tomato is a fruit.

People say going for an Italian, going for a Chinese, going for a Thai, going for a Brazilian... anything, really.

I don't live in the UK anymore but I did for a long time and I heard people saying these things all the time. I never thought of it as offensive. How else would you describe it? I suppose you could say "we're going for some traditional Indian cuisine" or similar, but it's all a bit long winded.

I'm now seeing the full Irish in a whole new light.

Is that also implying Irish people are fat?

I certainly don’t think of Indian/Chinese as lesser cuisines.

I’m just interested in how the article (a/an) gets added. I think most people in Britain have a stereotypical idea of a Chinese/Indian restaurant, in a way that markedly differs from the stereotype of a French/Italian restaurant. And that’s where the article comes in, for many people.

This is the first comment of yours that makes any sense. It really isn't a class thing to say 'going for an Indian' (though tbf they are almost always Bangladeshi ) or 'going for a Thai'. Sometimes I fancy a Greek. There are certain pronounced characteristics of some national cuisines that enable us to stereotype them - eg, the sorts of herbs or spices they tend to use, or the types of cooking. Maybe reductive but certainly not offensive.

But yeah, I always feel a twinge for the Bangladeshi cooks, miscategorised.

@FredaFlintstone

We're having an Indian We're going for an Italian We're ordering a Chinese We're going to try a Thai

All things I've said and hear people around me say. It's so utterly basic i think it's odd you find it odd

We say all of these too!

Gotta be Chinese tomorrow for Chinese New Year 🐉 🧧 @Honeybobbin

Good grief some people actively try to be offended don't they.

What would you rather it be called OP?

@MistressoftheDarkSide

Been mulling this over and my only linguistic interpretation is that "an Indian" or a Chinese feels in my head like a complete dining experience from starter to dessert, so it's a thing. Whereas Italian or other cuisines might include other European dishes so is a little more generic. Maybe cos I am old Indian or Chinese seems like more of a special, exotic event, especially if authentic - as in food prepared and eaten by the ethnicities themselves. It feels a bit magical and a bit of a privilege if I'm honest.

So from my POV the absolute opposite of "lesser" .

That’s really interesting. Thank you!

And, yanno, in the old days when we actually went to restaurants the whole ethos was something that might substitute for a holiday (remember those?)

It’s idiomatic, OP. People in the UK don’t say ‘I’d love some Indian/Chinese/Thai food for dinner’ which is a common construction in North American English. This is our equivalent. In my experience a lot of second language English speakers worldwide now use American idiom (and increasingly in the UK too) so you may have heard it elsewhere too. But it’s not UK English.

The phrase is a lazy contraction in which the end of the sentence is left off, whether that’s ‘takeaway’ or ‘restaurant’. I imagine it’s also used generically for some cuisines more than others because of the number of outlets available.

Would say an Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Italian - might add the world takeaway or meal to let people know if eating at home or at the restaurant. I think just using Chinese or Indian is more common because they are the most usual takeaways, not because they are perceived as ‘lesser’ in some way.

@RickiTarr

Where do you stand on widespread American use of “retard” and “handicapped” OP?

I have lived in the US for more than 25 years and have NEVER heard or heard reported anyone use the word retard. Ever.

Not that it has anything to do with the OP so no idea why you posted this except to have a dig at the yanks - those bastards. being offensive about americans is perfectly fine on MN.