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Off the reservation -

This phrase dates back to the 1800s, when the federal government forcibly removed Native Americans from their land and sent them to live in designated reservations. 

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Off the reservation -

Over time it came to be used to describe anyone acting outside what's expected or is customary, particularly in political situations. 

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Sold down the river -

Before the phrase "sold down the river" was allied with betrayal, it was associated with a literal slave-trading practice. In the US, enslaved people from northern regions were sold and transported to cotton plantations in the Deep South via the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. 

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Sold down the river -

For enslaved people, the threat of being "sold down the river" meant separation from family and a life of guaranteed hardship and brutality. 

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Gypped (sometimes spelled jipped) -

Meaning defrauded or cheated, this word comes from the word gypsy, which is a derogatory name for the Romani people, also known as Roma. 

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Gypped (sometimes spelled jipped) -

The Romani are people with their origins in northern India who have migrated around the world, and especially across Europe, over the course of the last 1,500 years. They’ve faced persecution and discrimination throughout, and are often unfairly accused of theft.

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Peanut gallery -

This phrase references hecklers or critics, usually those ill-informed. In reality, the "peanut gallery" was the name given to sections in theaters operating during the Vaudeville era that held the grubbiest and cheapest seats. 

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Peanut gallery -

These were the only seats African Americans were allowed to reserve during the early to mid-1900s. "Peanut gallery" is therefore a phrase both racist and classist in nature. 

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Cakewalk -

Associated today with easy tasks and quick wins, the term cakewalk has a much darker origin. Rooted in the pre-war South, some enslaved people were made to spend Sundays dressed in smart attire and forced to dance in front of slave owners, effectively mocking white upper class attitudes. Judged by slaveowners, they competed for a decorative cake, hence the name.

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Cakewalk -

Two alternative phrases to the term cakewalk are “this is simple," or "I got this."

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Spirit animal -

Using "spirit animal" to refer to something you love or identify with is a form of cultural appropriation.  

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Spirit animal -

Some Native American tribes believe in "spirit animals," spirits that guide and protect them on a journey or throughout life in general. Using this term any other way diminishes its true meaning and undermines indigenous culture.  

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Hip hip hooray -

A classical congratulatory cheer, the origins of hip hip hooray are rather dark. This expression of exuberance is thought to have derived from the anti-Semitic chant "Hep Hep!"

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Hip hip hooray -

This was a rallying cry to attack Jewish people during the German Confederacy in 1819, which came to be known as the "Hep-Hep riots." Better just say "hooray!"

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Uppity -

While its use started within the Black community, racists adopted it pretty quickly to describe Black people who violated their expectations of deference, or who they viewed as "not knowing their place."

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Uppity -

Today the word is used to describe someone arrogant, but it still has racial connotations. Previously, conservative critics have referred to former US president Barack Obama and Michelle Obama as "uppity."

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Eenie meenie miney mo -

Used to describe a random selection in a children’s verse, this counting-out nursery rhyme was well known in the US during the slavery era. 

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Eenie meenie miney mo -

You’re probably familiar with the version that goes, "eenie meenie miney mo, catch a tiger by the toe." But in a previous version of the rhyme, the n-word was used instead of "tiger." Just horrible. 

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Grandfathered in -

This phrase is used when old rules continue to apply in certain situations rather than using a set of new rules. In the South during the Civil War former African American slaves and their descendants were denied the right to vote, receive an education, or be allowed to purchase property because the were not "grandfathered in." 

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Grandfathered in -

In other words, if you were White, you were "grandfathered in" by being allowed to vote and receive other benefits. Alternatives for this phrase are the words "exempted" or "excused."

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Master bedrooms and master bathrooms -

Typically referring to the largest bedroom or bathroom in the house, these terms evoke the days of American slavery.  

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Master bedrooms and master bathrooms -

Now, because of the slavery-era connotations, some people working in the real estate industry use the word "primary" instead. 

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Lynch mob -

An umbrella term used today to describe an "unjust attack," a lynch mob originally referred to large groups of White people intent on torturing and murdering Black people. 

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Lynch mob -

In the 19th and up to the mid-20th centuries, African Americans could be lynched for simply speaking to a White person. 

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Blacklist and whitelist -

In tech, a blacklist refers to a directory of specific elements, such as email addresses, IP addresses, or URLs, that are blocked. On the other hand, a whitelist is made up of elements that are allowed.

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Blacklist and whitelist -

Though the origins of these terms don’t appear to be directly connected to race, some argue that they reinforce notions that black is bad and white is good. Developers are being encouraged to use "blocklist" and "allowlist" instead. 

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Long time, no see -

There are two theories about where this phrase originated. One is that members of the British and American navies picked up the phrase in their encounters with Chinese people who spoke in broken English. 

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Long time, no see -

The other theory suggests "long time, no see" developed from the way Native Americans spoke English. Either way, the phrase can be seen as mimicking non-native English speakers. 

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Mumbo jumbo -

Before it was synonymous with confusion or bewilderment, the phrase mumbo jumbo described a masked dancer who participated in ceremonies. It originated from the word maamajomboo from the West African Mandinka language.

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Mumbo jumbo -

Former Royal African Company clerk Francis Moore transcribed mumbo jumbo in his 1738 book, 'Travels into the Inland Parts of Africa.' From then on it was applied to anything that appeared or sounded confusing.  

Sources: (CNN) (Mental Floss) (Babbel)

See also: Words for things you've felt but can't explain

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