Wog

Wog is a word with several meanings, one commonly derogatory, the others not.

As a synonym for "illness" in Australian English

"Wog" is also used in Australia (less so these days) to mean a minor illness, so slang for a cold or the flu. Once the racial meaning became prevalent this lead the way open for bad jokes along the lines of Yesterday I was in bed with a wog punning on the previous meaning.

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The derogatory nature of the term when used as a racial taunt succeeded in driving out use of the term wog to describe illness. Users of the term risked being labeled a racist by people not realising the context in which it was being used.

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