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Karen

2020.01.14

Meaning:

In 2020 the name ‘Karen’ became a bad word to call someone. Karen is a very common woman’s name in English-speaking countries; like ‘Keiko’ in Japan. But in 2020, people on the internet started using the name to mean a demanding woman. The image of a Karen is a white, middle-aged woman with blond hair. And the idea of a Karen is that such women are demanding, difficult people. A waiter might warn another waiter ‘Be careful of Table 3; the woman has a Karen haircut’. This means, ‘Be careful of Table 3; the woman’ll be a difficult customer’. Some people don’t like this use of ‘Karen’; some say it’s ageist, racist and sexist. But it has now become part of common language; you can even find it used in news articles.

Example:

A: Look at this scratch on my car! I’m going to talk to the manager of the car wash.
B: Oh, don’t be such a Karen. I can’t even see the scratch. Let’s just go.

Talking Point(s):

Do any Japanese names suggest specific kinds of people?
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Practice English by posting an answer to the Talking Point on https://www.facebook.com/GetGOEikaiwa
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大人からの英会話getgo 西船橋・荻窪・津田沼・本八幡