“Calling a spade a spade” means being forthright and ‘telling it like it is’. The British eventually wiped out the group, who appropriated the word to fall on the more-brutal end of the spectrum of gangsters. Their methods were profoundly brutal, and many would murder their victims and rob them. Thugs were an organised group of thieves operating in India for over five centuries. Thug is derived from the Hindu word Thuggee, meaning thief. The racist undertones of the word thug also go back to its origins. The term thug is probably more often applied to Black people than White offenders who commit the same crimes. The term is often used in news reports when talking about violence carried out by groups, especially groups of young Black men.
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> DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE: GETTING STARTED WITH YOUR RACIAL EQUITY STRATEGY ThugĪ thug is a violent and brutal criminal. Given this context, talking about being “sold down the river” to describe an everyday betrayal is inappropriate. The phrase refers to the Mississippi River and originated with Northern enslavers threatening to sell enslaved people down the river to ensure compliant behaviour.Įnslaved people considered ‘difficult” would be separated from their families, removed from everyone they’d ever known and shipped down the Mississippi river to carry out brutally hard labour in the Deep South. The phrase is American in origin and dates back to before the American Civil War. To be sold down the river means to be deeply betrayed.
Due to their origin, either of these phrases could make racially marginalised people feel uncomfortable and should therefore be avoided. The same is true of the closely-related phrase “long time no see”. It was originally used to mock the speech patterns of Chinese immigrants to the United States. The racist origins of “no can do” might not be immediately apparent, but it’s impossible to unsee once it’s been pointed out. It’s rarely used in a serious conversation. “No can do” is often used as an upbeat way of telling someone that something isn’t possible. Just as you wouldn’t dream of using any other racial slur in a casual description of backache, it’s not appropriate to use the word gyp. You might not be aware that “gyp” is a racial slur derived from the word “gypsy”, a derogatory term for people of Romani descent. People also use it to describe something not working well or being unreliable, for example, “My back’s giving me gyp”. The word “gyp” is commonly used to refer to being cheated or scammed. In this post, we’re going to shed some light on some of the most common words and give you handy hints on what to say instead. To create a culture where everyone feels respected and valued, take the time to understand the phrases we use and why you should avoid using some of them. There are many words and phrases in the English language which many people are commonly using as they do not realise are entrenched in racism. Whilst we can all agree that racism has no place in society, it is an issue people are currently facing on a daily basis in our workplaces, towns and cities. Getting started with your Racial Equity Strategy in 2022What if we told you that some of the words and phrases you are using have racist origins?
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