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First of all, to clarify - I sincerely do not mean to offend anyone with this discussion of terminology. I find racism to be very offensive, and do not consider myself to be a racist and would never intentionally insult anyone based on the color of their skin or ethnicity. I think that is the lowest form of vulgarity and ignorance.
But I was just informed on another section of the forum that apparently "cotton picking" (as in, "This cotton pickin conversation has gone on too long") is a racist term. When I expressed my surprise to hear this take on it, the poster informed me that since a "particular race" was associated with "cotton picking," and since the phrase was often used to replace a curse word in a sentence, this is an offensive, racist term.
This came as a surprise to me, since I am as white as the driven snow, and my white ancestors spent many a hot day picking cotton for a living, as did many of their neighbors (both black and white) before technology advanced and made this arduous job obsolete.
This was a common phrase I heard growing up - "Get your cotton pickin' shoes out of the middle of the floor!" or "Dang it, I missed the cotton pickin' bus." That sort of thing. I never heard the slightest hint of racism in that phrase, and in fact, one of the folks who said it the most - my grandmother - picked cotton with her family starting when she was a toddler (and before that, she rode in a basket or sling on her mother's back while her mother picked cotton). And there was not a racist bone in that woman's body.
Another common phrase I heard growing up in the south was "coon fingering." As in, "Quit coon fingering those brussel sprouts - just eat them." My husband also grew up with this phrase. So a few weeks ago, he was in a different region of the country (the northeast) and a co worker picked up his pen and started inspecting it and my husband said, "Quit coon fingering my pen." The co worker was aghast - literally shocked - and accused my husband of making a racist comment.
Actually the term means exactly what it describes - the act of picking something up and fiddling/meddling with it, like a raccoon might do with it's little raccoon hands. It has NOTHING to do with race and I've never heard it used in a racist manner.
I realized after thinking this through that some people might find my common childhood phrase (the "old folks" used to say it a lot) "Yankee dime" (meaning quick, harmless, and generally meaningless little kiss) offensive. My grandmother used to say this ALL THE TIME. We'd be headed out the door and she'd say, "Wait a cotton pickin' minute. Get back over here and give me a Yankee dime before you leave!" I guess this would absolutely curdle the blood of some people now.
But words and meanings and nuances change over time. Just the other day, I heard my brother, who is adopted and is half Korean, aged 52, say "I really love Oriental food." I've also heard him say "Asian food," and he generally uses the term "Asian" (one of his favorite phrases, describing his own keen abilities, both intellectually and in a physical fight, is "Seems like he might need a bit of Asian persuasion!") and that's why it struck me when he used the word "Oriental," but it also struck me as unusual because I've been informed over the past several years that the word "Oriental" is offensive and racist now, so whatever - I quit using it. No need to accidentally offend someone, right? "Asian" has fewer syllables anyway! LOL Anyway, I am quite sure that my brother did not mean this word in a racist manner but apparently it would have offended some people.
What are your thoughts? Did you ever hear or use these phrases growing up and if so, were they used in a racially offensive manner? Have you ever said something innocently only to find out that someone else considers that phrase racist or offensive?
Last edited by KathrynAragon; 12-26-2016 at 07:59 AM..
Wow, I was just informed on another section of the forum that apparently "cotton picking" (as in, "This cotton pickin conversation has gone on too long") is a racist term. When I expressed my surprise to hear this take on it, the poster informed me that since a "particular race" was associated with "cotton picking," and since the phrase was often used to replace a curse word in a sentence, this is an offensive, racist term.
This came as a surprise to me, since I am as white as the driven snow, and my white ancestors spent many a hot day picking cotton for a living, as did many of their neighbors (both black and white) before technology advanced and made this arduous job obsolete.
This was a common phrase I heard growing up - "Get your cotton pickin' shoes out of the middle of the floor!" or "Dang it, I missed the cotton pickin' bus." That sort of thing. I never heard the slightest hint of racism in that phrase, and in fact, one of the folks who said it the most - my grandmother - picked cotton with her family starting when she was a toddler (and before that, she rode in a basket or sling on her mother's back while her mother picked cotton). And there was not a racist bone in that woman's body.
Another common phrase I heard growing up in the south was "coon fingering." As in, "Quit coon fingering those brussel sprouts - just eat them." My husband also grew up with this phrase. So a few weeks ago, he was in a different region of the country (the northeast) and a co worker picked up his pen and started inspecting it and my husband said, "Quit coon fingering my pen." The co worker was aghast - literally shocked - and accused my husband of making a racist comment.
Actually the term means exactly what it describes - the act of picking something up and fiddling/meddling with it, like a raccoon might do with it's little raccoon hands. It has NOTHING to do with race and I've never heard it used in a racist manner.
What are your thoughts? Did you ever hear or use these phrases growing up and if so, were they used in a racially offensive manner? Have you ever said something innocently only to find out that someone else considers that phrase racist or offensive?
I realized after thinking this through that some people might find my common childhood phrase (the "old folks" used to say it a lot) "Yankee dime" (meaning quick, harmless, and generally meaningless little kiss) offensive. My grandmother used to say this ALL THE TIME. We'd be headed out the door and she'd say, "Wait a cotton pickin' minute. Get back over here and give me a Yankee dime before you leave!" I guess this would absolutely curdle the blood of some people now.
Blacks (of the BLM type) don't think "white folks" ever did any hard manual labor. But even today, I see a lot of ditches being dug by "white men" (with or without a backhoe), and road crews that are "white men" shoveling gravel & such.
I have heard the cotton pickin' phrase but the "coon fingering" and the "Yankee dime" are new to me, but I grew up in Ohio. I'm sure that you mean no offense in the use of these phrases, but I guess I understand why some folks might see them as racist. The term "coon" in particular was long used as a pejorative to describe African Americans.
So you decide. What is the most important to you? Using the phrases, knowing some will find it offensive, or to stop using them, and resent the restrictions on your speech?
LOL I WILL use the term "coon fingering" around my multiracial family because we all happen to think it's a funny phrase, but to be honest, I hadn't even thought of the term "cotton pickin" in probably twenty years - since my white, cotton picking grandmother passed away.
Note - it may come as a surprise to folks outside the Southern US, but growing up in the south, I literally not ONCE heard the phrase "coon" used to describe a person of color, till I guess I was probably a young adult and someone somewhere (by then I'd lived in several regions of the US and my family, being military, lived in communities with folks from all over) used that phrase in a derogatory manner - which surprised me.
I guess it just surprises me when phrases that I know are not racist are assumed to be - by people who most likely did not grow up hearing these phrases. THAT frankly seems like a racist assumption to me - like someone just ASSUMES a white person using such a phrase is racist. Isn't that racist in itself? I mean, it's an assumption based on the color and ethnicity of another person in many cases.
I grew up with the phrase "n***** rigged" which was usually used as a compliment. I don't use it.
Wow, I'd never use that phrase. I don't blame you for not using it. But I had heard it before. Like you said, it was used in a generally positive manner. But it does utilize the N word so I can see how offensive that might be to people. Heck, it's offensive to me!
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