Since this is not about food I want to ask you a question. It’s because of something that happened now elsewhere. Suppose I am joking with a friend on a thread here. A very close friend. But others can read the chat too. I call him a Nazi. We both laugh because we have a funny background story about it.
Is it offensive because others can read it? Or should it be ignored because it’s a chat between me and my friend?
In the end it’s up to the @moderators, of course, but maybe just save jokes like that for PMs/DMs, just in case.
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I think if you know others are reading it is best to keep terms known to be offensive out of the conversation. Inside jokes are so-called because they are meant to stay inside your circle. Just my 2 cents.
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Agreed.
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I’d err on the side of caution, since most people would not read the word and assume “funny background story.”
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Private jokes are best kept private, IMO.
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Use of the word Nazi as a joke or insult is offensive. Unless someone is a member of a group that advocates genocide of Jews, find a different word to use to describe them.
The carnage wrought by Nazis isn’t funny.
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Nowadays it’s probably for the best not to use a word, phrase or anything that might offend someone or anyone somewhere or anywhere else for that matter. Because like someone said here. You never know when it might come back to bite you on the a$$.
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Yes, as recently as the mid-90s Seinfeld’s “soup nazi” was considered funny. No way that would fly today.
As the overwhelming consensus here emphasizes, it’s best to keep private jokes private and to avoid offensive terminology altogether.
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The real life inspiration for the character certainly didn’t think it was funny.
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Gotta’ admit I was never a big fan of the show, so I don’t know the backstory.
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I loved the show then and still do, which is why I even know the backstory.
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I would definitely avoid it. Like you said, the joke is funny because you two have a funny background story about it. All other readers do not know this history. To say the least, it causes confusion. Think of this forum or others as public space.
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Your post got flagged. I did gnatzi that coming. 
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Maybe - just maybe - perceived political victimhood is just as unwelcome here as most political discussions in general.
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Thank you everyone for your replies.
I must say it didn’t happen here, nor on any forum. I never do that on public fora.
It happened on the game I play. It was my group, and I and the group leader were having fun when someone new has reported it, as it looks.
But as you said, he may have done that without knowing that the group leader and I are close friends, so I can’t blame him, and therefore I didn’t kick him from the group either. Anyway it got my game account banned temporarily.
May be he did right, by reporting what generally is offensive. That’s why I wanted a second opinion here from a totally neutral group. I didn’t know where to draw the margin in terms of “who is at fault to which degree.” Especially my group in the game being international, I thought it’s better to get the opinions of as many adults as possible. 
Thanks again everyone, really appreciate it.
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If you have to ask if it is offensive, it probably is. Perhaps keep it private.
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That’s probably another reason why it’s best to avoid potential offensive terms.
I worked for a multinational corp. Here in the US signing off on an e-mail with “Take care” is completely banal. But apparently offense was taken elsewhere (didn’t help that the subject of the e-mail was a minor mistake made by a department). Hence all e-mail closings became some form of “Regards.”
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Even more important to be cautious, LMS, with an international group. What might not be offensive to some members of the group, may be offensive to others. I know that, on a couple of occasions over the years, I’ve written something on a forum that was an entirely acceptable humourous exchange in British English but was unacceptable to moderators who spoke American English.
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This is a good rule. Although I know some people who go (in my opinion) WAY too far in an effort to avoid giving offense.
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