Quote Originally Posted by basschick
it's only recently that i've heard thug used racially - and only on the internet. thug was always used in my hearing as a non-racial word.

from good ol' dictionary.com -
Thug: A cutthroat or ruffian; a hoodlum.

Thug: One of a band of professional assassins formerly active in northern India who worshiped Kali and offered their victims to her.
I read the same definition, that's why I created this thread, to see if others identified with it the same way I did. LOL It must be cultural and/or age related.