(the) tarbrush

(the) tarbrush
   partial descent from a non-white ancestor
   If a brush is used for tarring, it will retain dark streaks when you seek to use it later for a lighter colour. The genes controlling dark skin pigmentation are also dominant:
    ... her body was slightly darker than could be expected even by a rich girl's sunburn, her breasts were brown. (Touch of the tarbrush there,' murmured Pinn.) (I. Murdoch, 1974)
   The use, once prevalent, especially among the British in India, is offensive.

How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms. . 2014.

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  • a touch of the tarbrush — n (having) a skin colour which suggests a trace of black or coloured ancestry. This euphemism, often heard in a discrimi natory context, originated in the mid 19th century, when it was also used to refer to sailors (the tarbrush being used on… …   Contemporary slang

  • lick of the tarbrush —    see tarbrush …   How not to say what you mean: A dictionary of euphemisms

  • tarbrush — ˈ ̷ ̷ˌ ̷ ̷ noun Etymology: tar (I) + brush 1. : a brush for applying tar 2. : colored or Negro blood everyone s brothers under the skin, but there s no tarbrush in my family Michael Williams very complicated, this color business … you might, you… …   Useful english dictionary

  • tarbrush — n See a touch of the tarbrush …   Contemporary slang

  • tarbrush — /ˈtabrʌʃ/ (say tahbrush) noun 1. a brush for applying tar. –phrase 2. a touch of the tarbrush, (derogatory) African or other dark skinned ancestry or appearance. {tar1 + brush1} …  

  • touch of the tarbrush — noun A derogatory descriptive phrase for when a person of predominantly Caucasian ancestry has real or suspected African or Asian distant ancestry …   Wiktionary

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  • List of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City characters — A number of recurring characters appear during various missions or cut scenes in the video game Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, set in 1986. Prominent characters are listed here. Contents 1 Major characters 1.1 Tommy Vercetti 1.2 Sonny Forelli …   Wikipedia

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