Jiggs as a racial epithet


Trivia section for this movie says:

"In the novel and the earlier version of the film, Seven Days in May (1964), the character played here by Forest Whitaker was named Martin "Jiggs" Casey. The nickname, which in the context of an African-American actor was a racial epithet, was clearly inappropriate and was not used."

Could someone explain to me in what sense is "Jiggs" a racial epithet? I'm not from the States and this is the first time I hear about this, so I'd really appreciate it if someone could clarify this for me. Thanks.

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The term Jig is short for *beep* which is a racist term for African-American. The name Jiggs is too close to the insult for comfort. However, there was a comic strip called Maggie and Jiggs. Maybe that is where the nickname came from.

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There is a racial epithet for African *beep* isn't heard much anymore, thankfully, and hopefully the other epithets will one day be as unfamiliar to most people as this one is.

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Jig is short for jiga boo.

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Always better to play it safe.

http://centuryofobscurity.blogspot.com/
Reviewing films 100 words at a time.

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As far as I can tell from internet research (never entirely reliable, of course), jiggs is a sexual epithet, not a racial one. Either way it had to be removed.

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Jiggs is close to *beep* which is a bad term for a black man.

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