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tar baby "

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      [Noun]  | "tar baby" 


      1: something from which it is nearly impossible to extricate oneself


      Origin: 1882 ;

       From the tar baby that trapped Brer Rabbit in an Uncle Remus story by Joel Chandler Harris;

       No results from the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus...

       [ "tar baby" ]

      1: A dummy made of tar, which cannot be struck without getting oneself hopelessly stuck to it--from the story "Mr. Rabbit and Mr. Fox" by Joe Harris, as told by his fictional narrator, Uncle Remus.

        * e.g.,  ... The issue of immigration has become a tar baby for president Gearge W. Bush. 


       [ "tar baby" ]

      2: Tar baby has become short hand for a situation better avoided than confronted.

       [ "tar baby" ]

      1: a situation almost impossible to get out of; a problem virtually unsolvable;

        * e.g.,  ... His political advisers told him to stay away from the controversy, 

       [ "tar baby" ]

      1: Now used as an insult to black people, the tar baby was originally a jet black baby doll (becaue it was made out of tar) used to trap Br'er Rabbit Rabbit in an American folk tale. Tar baby can also be a term used to describe a "sticky" situation.

        * e.g.,  ... It's not racist to call an actual tar baby a tar baby! That's like saying it's racist to call Ritz "crackers" or chocolate sandwich cookies "Oreos"! 

       [ "tar baby" ]

      1: Tar baby is a synonym for nigger, except that it is only used in bigoted manners, whereas nigger can be a sign of respect, if the speaker is also African American.

        * e.g.,  ... Biff: Let's beat the sh*t out of that tar baby. 


       [ "tar baby" ]

      2: It comes from a children's story in which the dark skin and seeming ignorance (caused by a lack of schooling) of slaves were explained by the idea that black children were baptised in tar, which made them dark and dumb.

        * e.g.,  ... Tad: Shall we? 


       [ "tar baby" ]

      3: see nigger

       [ "tar baby" ]

      1: An african american baby, most likely very black.

        * e.g.,  ... Oh gosh it's a tar baby! Lock the car doors! 

       [ "tar baby" ]

      1: A Tar baby is a person that scams & fights & TRIES to turn around a situation with Lies, Alibis, Denial, Blame Switching, & Accusations of Racism. Best to avoid them, & their prickly stickiness. Do not show major fear as you TRY to avoid or ease away. Do NOT get excited, loud, or use the word they so rightfully Deserve.

        * e.g.,  ... I had already backed out of my parking spot, & this tar baby backed out without looking, & ran into my car. She started screaming it was my fault. 

       [ "tar baby" ]

      1: an extremely offensive word created in slave-days to make a black person feel inferior

        * e.g.,  ... None. 

       [ "tar baby" ]

      1: A self-proclaimed University of North Carolina (UNC) fan.

        * e.g.,  ... That tar baby only likes UNC because they win the championship every other year. 

       [ "Tar Baby" ]

      1: A sticky mess. Something unable to get away from.Alternate: Similar to a Catch-2 Damned if you do and damned if you dont. A mistaken notion or misunderstanding that immediately produces indignation.

        * e.g.,  ... Talking about un-wed teen pregnancy is a real tar baby 

       [ "Tar baby" ]

      1: 1) A black man. see coon, nigger, etc etc

        * e.g.,  ... 1)ship that tar baby back 


       [ "Tar baby" ]

      2: 2) A road cyclist because they can't ride anywhere but on the tar-seal without needing a different bike.

        * e.g.,  ... 2) Stupid tar babies on their pricey road-only bicycles 


       [ "Tar baby" ]

      3: 3) A booby trap: shaped like a baby but made of tar.

        * e.g.,  ... 3) I'm stuck to this tar baby 

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