Nigger means nothing in Spanish, and no, it is not offensive here at all, just like negro isn't, I can understand it gets your attention being an English speaker. I can assure you that outside of the city of BsAs, nobody has a clue about English offensive terms, such as this one, or f**k, etc.
Um.. I'm not sure I agree with that. Negro IS a pretty offensive term here too - how often do you here "negro de mierda", etc. If it's not a good friend calling you negro, it's most often meant in an insulting way. Which is pretty much inexcusable to me.
Usually I just chalk things up to cultural differences but I have to say, in this day and age, there is no excuse to use language like that. And for a major retailer to use it - just wow. There are no words.
Um.. I'm not sure I agree with that. Negro IS a pretty offensive term here too - how often do you here "negro de mierda", etc. If it's not a good friend calling you negro, it's most often meant in an insulting way. Which is pretty much inexcusable to me.
Usually I just chalk things up to cultural differences but I have to say, in this day and age, there is no excuse to use language like that. And for a major retailer to use it - just wow. There are no words.
In Italian "bimbo" means "child" or "baby". I agree that they have no idea about the words they are using.
In Italy I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt with in giant letter "Hijo de puta" and on the back "De puta madre". Clearly, he had NO IDEA whatsoever of what that meant.
I have heard it used more than once by people referring to someone with dark skin. It was used interchangeably with negro. And not only have I heard it on the street, I've heard it used in professional settings. By both Argentines and Brasilians. So personally, I don't agree people wouldn't understand it.
And we're not talking bout people - we're talking about a corporation using it. Which is beyond egregious.
In Italy I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt with in giant letter "Hijo de puta" and on the back "De puta madre". Clearly, he had NO IDEA whatsoever of what that meant.
I once saw a video (which, of course, I cannot find now) of a guy in Argentina asking people what the English slogans and words on their t-shirts meant. Was very funny - most were utterly clueless.
Um.. I'm not sure I agree with that. Negro IS a pretty offensive term here too - how often do you here "negro de mierda", etc. If it's not a good friend calling you negro, it's most often meant in an insulting way. Which is pretty much inexcusable to me.
Usually I just chalk things up to cultural differences but I have to say, in this day and age, there is no excuse to use language like that. And for a major retailer to use it - just wow. There are no words.
The word nigger is used in a friendly / funny way among African Americans in the US as well. Also, I referred to the word Negro, not the adjective (...) I for one do not feel that any local company should spend a minute thinking about offensive words in a foreign language, from a market they do not even participate into. I have never ever in 40 years heard an Argentine say the word Nigger while speaking in Spanish ( except for maybe some teenager while watching a movie repeating foreign insults )