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Wherefore art thou, N-word? : Code Switch It is probably the most radioactive word in the English language. At the same time, the N-word is kind of everywhere: books, movies, music, comedy (not to mention the mouths of people who use it frequently, whether as a slur or a term of endearment.) So on this episode, we're talking about what makes the word unique — and how the rules about its use line up with other words.

Code Switch

Wherefore art thou, N-word?

Wherefore art thou, N-word?

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The infamous "N-word."
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LA Johnson/NPR
The infamous &quot;N-word.&quot;
LA Johnson/NPR

The "N-word" is probably the most radioactive word in the English language. At the same time, it's kind of everywhere: books, movies, music, comedy (not to mention the mouths of people who use it frequently, whether as a slur or a term of endearment.) So on this episode, we're talking about what makes this word unique — and how the rules about its use line up with other words.