5 Words And Phrases You Didn’t Know Have A Racist Past

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at MSU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

The meanings behind words and phrases naturally change. Oftentimes, the original meaning of a word or phrase is unknown to a lot of people, and that’s not the fault of any individuals. However, there is a long list of phrases and words that, although commonplace, have actually been used to reinforce racist standards. Due to this, it’s important for people to educate themselves on the origins and previous use of these words and phrases. We must not only learn from history, but also try to distance ourselves from the widespread acceptance of such racist terms. Below is just a small list of some of the commonplace words and phrases that are rooted in a racist history, along with alternatives: 

1. Picnic

The exact origin of the word “picnic” does not hold any racist connotations, but it did evolve to signal a racist pastime. Coming from the French word “pique-nique,” it simply means to pick at your food, yet the act of eating outside took a more dreadful turn in the South during the Jim Crow era. It would be common to have families gather outside and eat communally (a picnic) while often watching the lynchings of Black Americans as entertainment. These lynchings in the grand scheme of things are still relatively a recent series of events, resulting in the term maintaining a racist connotation and past, especially for Black Americans. Instead, you could call an outdoor meal something more specific, such as a cookout or barbecue/barbie, or another general term such as gathering. 

2. Spirit Animal 

Calling something your “spirit animal” is meant to convey how you identify with the characteristics of a particular animal or how you believe an animal is intrinsically connected to you through your mannerisms, personality, and other traits. However, using the term is considered an appropriation of Indigenous American culture, as it’s used to evoke the legitimate spiritual connection a human has to a non-human item or animal. Not only does it appropriate Indigenous culture, but it is also largely misused. Many Indigenous people and tribes do not have a similar phrase or understand the meaning of the colloquial term, further highlighting the misappropriation of spiritual connections that were meant to invoke Indigenous culture. Some other alternatives you can use are “patronus” (thank you, Harry Potter) or “kindred spirit.” 

3. “Long Time, No See” and “No Can Do”

Both of these phrases originally meant to mock or belittle those first learning English and spoke it in its broken form when they came to the United States. While it’s unsure the exact populations that were mocked for their use of broken English, it is believed that “Long Time, No See” was meant to mock Indigenous Americans. “No Can Do” on the other hand was meant to mock Chinese people, both around the 1800s. Instead, it’s more mindful to say the entire phrase, such as “I can’t do that” or “I haven’t seen you in a while.” 

4. Uppity

“Uppity” is meant to describe someone who is self-important, arrogant, or thinks highly of themselves. This one, in particular, compared to the other phrases on this list, has a definite racist origin. The term dates back to the Jim Crow era of the United States where white people would use the term to describe Black Americans who they believed were acting above their station or who were considered too independent. It was an insulting way to disparage Black people for not acting submissive and not considering themselves beneath their white counterparts. This often led to targeting and lynchings. If you still want to call someone self-important, you could call them snobby, conceited, or other synonyms. 

5. Hip Hip Hooray / Eenie Meenie Miney Moe

Both “hip hip hooray” and “eenie meenie miney moe” are typically said in a sing-song tone, and to many, have happy connotations of celebration or singing. However, both phrases are intrinsically tied to racism.

The first part of “hip hip hooray” is another form of saying “hep hep,” which was an old German shepherds’ herding cry. While not racist in origin, the phrase became an anti-Semitic rallying cry when hunting down Jewish people in ghettos, as heard in the Hep-Hep riots of 1819 and also during the Holocaust. To avoid the anti-Semitism, it’s much easier to just say, “hooray!” or “congrats!”

In comparison, “eenie meenie miney moe” is part of the nursery rhyme, “Eenie meenie miney moe / Catch a tiger by the toe / If he hollers let him go / Eenie meenie miney moe.” It’s frequently sung when one wants to make a decision or to choose something/someone from a list. However, in its origins, white slave owners would say the n-slur in place of “tiger” in an attempt to mock, frighten, and capture enslaved people. Due to its racist origins, it’s best to use other counting sounds (if you still want to sing), such as, “one potato, two potatoes.” 

Since racism is so entrenched in our everyday language and society, it’s important to learn the racist history of some of the terms and begin to condition yourself to stop using them. While learning the origins of words and phrases is not always easy or readily apparent, taking steps to educate yourself is a step in the right direction and an important way of recognizing the history of racism in the United States.