This study discusses how appropriated usages of own slurs by earmarked groups for non-demeaning goals, (like the appropriation of ‘nigger’ by the African-American community, or the appropriation of ‘queer’ by the homosexual community,) are conceived as echoic, in relevance theoretic terms: in-groups iterate derogative uses in manners and contexts that reveal a detachment from insulting contents. It is shown that this echoic strategy has interesting benefits over alternative theories, and particularly over Anderson and Lepore's deflationary strategy.