Suara.com - As language evolves, we sometimes forget the offensive origins of certain words and phrases.
Or we never knew them in the first place.
Many of them began in racist, sexist, or generally distasteful situations.
Let's abolish these 12 examples in everyday conversation.
1. "The itis"
More commonly known now as a "food coma," this phrase directly alludes to the stereotype of laziness associated with African-Americans. It stems from a longer (and incredibly offensive) version — ni****itis.
Modern vernacular dropped the racial slur, leaving a faux-scientific diagnosis for the tired feeling you get after eating way too much food.
We recommend using the technical term instead: postprandial somnolence.
2. "Uppity"
A couple years ago, Rush Limbaugh pontificated that a NASCAR audience booed Michelle Obama because she exhibited "uppity-ism." Glenn Beck even defended him, citing the First Lady's love of arugula.
During segregation, Southerners used "uppity" to describe blacks who didn't know their socioeconomic place. Originally, the term started within the black community, but the racists adopted it pretty quickly.
3."Peanut gallery"
This phrase intends to reference hecklers or critics, usually ill-informed ones. In reality, the "peanut gallery" names a section in theaters, usually the cheapest and worst, where black people sat during the era of Vaudeville.
4. "Gyp"
"Gyp" or "gip" most likely evolved as a shortened version of "gypsy" — more correctly known as the Romani, an ethnic group now mostly in Europe and America. The Romani typically traveled a lot and made their money by selling goods. Business disputes naturally arose, and the masses started thinking of Romani as swindlers.
Today, "gyp" has become synonymous with cheating someone.
5. "Paddy wagons"
In modern slang, "paddy wagon" means a police car.
"Paddy" originated in the 1930s as a shortened form of "Patrick," and then eventually a pejorative term for any Irishman. "Wagon" naturally refers to a vehicle. "Paddy wagon" either stemmed from the large number of Irish police officers or the perception that rowdy, drunken Irishmen constantly ended up in jail.
Neither are particularly nice.
6. "Bugger"
When you call someone a "bugger," you're accusing them of being a Bulgarian sodomite. The term stemmed from the Bogomils, who led a religious sect during the Middle Ages called "Bulgarus." Through various languages, the term morphed into "bugger."
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