I found this post:

quote:

Sooner was originally a derisive term, but was adopted with pride by those being scorned. The same is true of yankee and hoosier.

If you folks can supply me with four more, I'll have a theme. Help is solicited. Thank you.

Are you asking about names of sports teams?

Laughing at myself!

Sorry about the ambiguity, Kalleh. I'm asking about ethnic (etc.) slurs that were proudly adopted by the victims as their own name, and thereby lost their offensiveness.

Certainly the N-word is used among the African-American community with respect. Certain musicians, I think, take pride in calling themselves "White Trash".

This goes beyond ethnic slurs. The "Big Bang" was originally a slur. There is actually a general linguistic principle about such reversals. Knight, for example, comes from the word meaning knave.

Winners of the Washington Post Style Invitational Contest are collectively known as losers.