[kedean]

That rule usually only applies if the word doesn't have other valid uses. For example, 'cracker' is a racial slur for white people, but it also means an edible snack, so it's in the clear. To my knowledge, the word 'kike' does not have a non-offensive meaning, at least in the english speaking world.

[Dr_tldr]

Again, only in the United States. The word "kikel" is the yiddish word for "circle", and illiterate Jewish immigrants coming to the US didn't want to write an X by their name because they inferred they were being asked to draw a cross.

Once this was figured out as the problem, Jewish immigrants were instructed (in yiddish) to write a circle instead, thus they were referred to as "kikes" by immigration officials.

Since the origin of the term is specifically american, why should the rest of the world have to deal with it? You're not really addressing the original concern. Your theory of offensiveness as being "words with only one possible meaning" is fallacious, since again, that meaning is derived from the very specific mores of only one society. Very disappointing to see this kind of thoughtless "america is the center of the universe" opinion in HN.

[joshAg]

The rest of the world doesn't have to deal with it if they don't want to. This is easily solved by registering the trademark with someone other than the US, establishing the brand and trademark and then coming to the US.

[jacalata]

Do you know of any other uses of the word in English?

[josai]

But no-one said "kike". You guys regexed it out of a larger word, a totally reasonable word. My point is that no-one but you would even have that word in their regex, so it's wrong to get all upset about it.

[phamilton]

I think there's a difference between getting upset and asking the author to change it. I saw very few people get

[rashkov]

It's not just matching strings. It's the obvious way to pronounce the word, as it is spelled, in English.