Talk:maroon

Flare
What is the etymology of maroon as a signal flare? 85.211.1.23 21:56, 3 July 2012 (UTC)

Was definition 4 (moron) derived from definition 1 (fugitive slave settler)?
I always thought that Bugs Bunny usage of this term was like definition 4 (slang for moron), but I'm now wondering if Bugs was making making an insulting comparison to the fugitive slave settlers (definition 1). A few bloggers think this is the case. Does anyone know if this was a vernacular insult at the time these toons were current? A very incomplete search tells me Bugs used this term several times in Looney Toons episodes from 1947-52. / edg ☺ ☭ 15:42, 19 November 2014 (UTC)

I concur with the above ("A Maroon, as in a a backward or foolish person, refers to the name for runaway slaves on the Island of Jamaica in the 18th and 19th century.") and believe the entry should be amended accordingly. 75.134.88.56 12:05, 22 March 2016 (UTC)

No. Keep that stuff on your own personal blog.

Maroon from fugitive slaves? Really?
Not at all. Let's not get too tenderly PC about this all. In the context of Bugs Bunny, "maroon" is a comic pronunciation (or mis-pronunciation) of "moron". In much the same way as "ignoranimus" is of "ignoramus", "ta-ra-ra goon-de-ay" is of “Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay”, and I am sure many other deliberate manglings designed to evoke a smile.

If, on the other hand, I am wrong about this, it changes the whole issue about cartoons with sly nationalistic or racial overtones or undertones, with such characters as Olive Oyl, Speedy Gonzales, Jerry Mouse, and Kermit the Frog. Where do we stop? ParWoet (talk) 18:53, 28 November 2019 (UTC)

Maroon a "malapropism"
In the case of Bugs Bunny, I believe "maroon" is a malapropism, not a mis-pronunciation. A malapropism substitutes a similar sounding word for another. It has more humorous potential than does a simple mis-pronunciation. Bugs often uses malapropisms. I believe this is a case of malapropism with a deliberate racial slur.