n, slang
synonymous with:
redneck, honky, cracker, white bread, hay-eater, marshmallow, the Man
Mostly used to describe white people by black racists but is also used to describe white racists by non-racist blacks as sort of a "back in your face" comment. "Don't Call Me Nigger, Whitey," a song by Sly and the Family Stone, would be an example of the later.
Most white people are not offended by this word. I know I'm not. I believe it's because I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and not Alabama (although you would be suspired how racist some Native Americans, the "minority" where I grew up, can be). For people who grew up with an abundance of racism in their culture and at some point, usually as a small child, were harmed by words like whitey or cracker, it can be as defamatory as calling a black person a nigger. Perhaps it's a good thing that people aren't really offended by this any more. As blacks that call each other nigger say it's a good thing when these words lose their potency. It is a direct result of racism losing its potency.