Coming from a culture where affection is most commonly expressed by insults - if an English person is polite to you, it's because they either don't know you or don't like you - I find this very interesting.

But there is a lot of difference between greeting a friend with "Look what the cat dragged in!", or coming across someone you know in the supermarket and remarking "If I'd known they were letting the riffraff in, I'd have gone to Sainsburys" and this 'playing the dozens'.

Some might characterise it as a form of rebellion - faced with racist insults from white people, Black people make up better ones and use them on each other. But for me, it seems to argue a deep internalisation of inferior status. An inferiority they might deny if challenged about it, but one that has nevertheless embedded itself in the culture. It certainly isn't helpful and might well become a major obstacle to setting things right.