As language evolves we sometimes forget the offensive origins of certain words and phrases, or have no idea about their past meanings in the first place. Well, you'd be surprised to learn that there are a number of common terms and expressions that are actually rooted in racist language. For example, the term "uppity," nowadays used generally to refer to a stuck-up or arrogant person, was commonly employed to describe Black people who "didn't know their socioeconomic place." Fortunately as society has evolved, so has our choice of words enabling us to swap out language that is offensive and demeaning. But there are still some common English words and phrases you may want to rethink about using in everyday conversation.
Click on for 15 popular everyday terms and expressions that have a problematic past.