Tottenham Hotspur are now officially mentioned within the Oxford English Dictionary, in relation to the infamous Y-word that surrounds the club.
Spurs recently conducted a study among fans about the use of the Y-word, which has been adopted as an affectionate term for both fans and players of Tottenham.
However, the word originates as a derogatory description of a Jewish person, which is why it remains so controversial.
The study revealed that:
- 33% of Spurs respondents use the Y-word in a football context regularly.
- 18% of those who avoid using the term do so because they deem it offensive
- 35% of Jewish supporters who responded and do not use the word find it offensive
- 12% would use the Y-word outside of football
- 94% acknowledge that it can be used as a racist term
The Oxford English Dictionary have now announced their January 2020 additions, with a variation of the Y-word being included. They even reference Tottenham in the description of the word.
They say: yiddo, n.: “A Jew. Also in extended use: a supporter of or player for Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. See Yid n. 1, Yid n. 2.”