"Simon" <shepshep1@excite.com> wrote in message 
news:l4oHe.403$9K3.62@newsfe7-win.ntli.net...
> Sorry, I'm sure this has been covered many times in the past.
> I'm aware that some people consider the word "gaijin" insulting in some 
> way but I'm not exactly sure why!
> Is this because of the way it's been used in the past rather than the 
> actual meaning of the word?
> How is gaijin different from foreigner as they appear to have the exact 
> same meaning?
>

Can't really answer your question - but did impress myself (getting harder 
to do these days) by remembering this post I made back in 1998 
http://tinyurl.com/dqqu3 about "gaijin".

I note that the overall quality of my English, 7 years ago, was notably 
superior to what passes as my mother tongue these days - I'm now officially 
depressed.

--
jonathan
"Never knowingly supplied ducks with weaponry"