Are These Common Michigan Phrases Actually Racist?

How often do you really think about the words that come out of your mouth, or that race through your head? Of course, there are careful moments, where you choose your words wisely, but then there are also come common phrases that we can use to convey a message in a way that everyone will understand.

But have you ever thought about where those phrases come from, and what you might actually be saying, or even implying, when you say something simple like, "You're being Uppity," or "This is such a Cake Walk?"

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Yeah, language is a strange thing, especially the English language. We use a lot of words and phrases, appropriated from different languages, dialects, and regions from all over the world. But some are uniquely American.

For instance, when you haven't seen someone in a while, you might say something like, "Ah, Long Time, No See!" 

Seems harmless enough, but the actual connotation, and origin of the phrase has roots in early mocking of Native Americans, using a broken form of English, such as how Native Americans would have tried to speak with settlers.

Or, if something has been "Grandfathered In," it just means that you can abide by previous rules, despite new regulations being in place, right? Actually, the term originated with Jim Crow Laws in America. It ties directly to the literacy tests that were implemented once black people could vote.

But, some southern white people were still quite uneducated, and couldn't pass the tests, so they implemented a rule that, if you're grandfather could vote prior to 1866, then you too could also vote without having to take the new literacy tests.

It got me questioning how many other phrases I've used, or at least seen that seem commonplace, but still have racial undertones to them?

In defense of the gallery below, SOME of these phrases aren't as commonly used as they used to be, but sadly, different parts of the country do still use them to this day.

Does this stop you from using any of these in your daily conversations?