In the wake of George Floyd's death and the reinvigoration of the Black Lives Matter movement, words and phrases associated with racism and slavery have been toppling faster than Confederate statues.

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has ordered the deletion of the phrase "and Providence Plantations" from the official name of her state. New Jersey lawmakers have voted to call county elected officials "commissioners" instead of "freeholders," a term dating to a time when only white men could own land.

A Massachusetts appeals court has stopped using "grandfathering" to refer to the granting of preexisting exemptions, because it's linked to the nefarious grandfather clause, a legal subterfuge that once prevented Blacks from voting.

Activists urge us to shun terms tied to slavery and racism, including "sold down the river," "crack the whip," "lynch mob" and "master." Some realtors have stopped using "master bedroom," and computer technicians have dropped the phrase "master-slave" to describe one component's control of another. Some commentators have even called for the renaming of the Masters Golf Tournament.

Sometimes, a tainted term's connection to slavery or racist stereotypes isn't readily apparent. "Cakewalk," meaning "an easily accomplished feat," derives from a dance performed by slaves and by white actors in blackface in minstrel shows. "Peanut gallery," which now refers to a theater's cheap seats or children's section, once denoted the rear balcony where Black people sat.

The true origins of some terms alleged to be racist are, in fact, uncertain. Some linguists claim "nitty-gritty" first referred to the debris at the bottom of slave ships, but most experts say it's a rhyming phrase derived from the adjective "gritty," meaning "plucky."

Likewise, there's no evidence to support the claim that "picnic" originally referred to whites' picking Black people out for persecution, or that the term "jimmies" for chocolate sprinkles derives from Jim Crow. And terms such as "blacklist," "blackball" and "black mark" have been targeted, even though their origins weren't based on race.

Many people view this linguistic cleansing as a reasonable way to begin dismantling systemic racism. Others say it's simply political correctness run amok.

Ultimately, each of us must decide whether to use a term that might offend someone, even if the term's origin had nothing to do with racism. No matter where you stand, this heated debate makes it abundantly clear how much words matter.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Connecticut, invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via email to WordGuy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254.

Photo credit: viarami at Pixabay