LONG TIME NO SEE

Meaning: “Hey, it’s been a while since I last you!”

In the early 1900s, this phrase was used to mock immigrants who spoke English as a second language. In particular, it was used as a way to mock the Chinese language, given the words are derived from Chinese pidgin English, in accordance with the language’s sentence structure.​

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/from-long-time-no-see-to-bugger-these-overused-expressions-have-racist-origins/news-story/8ec88c31249f092e250a0353894411cf​

​NO CAN DO

Meaning: Sorry, I won’t be able to do that.

According to the Oxford Dictionary, this phrase is also an imitation of Chinese pidgin English. The phrase dates back to around the same time period, when racist western attitudes towards the Chinese would present themselves in mocking speech imitations.

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/from-long-time-no-see-to-bugger-these-overused-expressions-have-racist-origins/news-story/8ec88c31249f092e250a0353894411cf​

​Jipped

Meaning: “To be cheated or taken advantage of in some way."

Origin: The word is derived from the word “gypsy”, which in itself is seen as a derogatory term to describe the Romani people, or people from Eastern Europe more broadly. According to NPR, the term was derived from “the popular experience with thieving Gypsies”.

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/from-long-time-no-see-to-bugger-these-overused-expressions-have-racist-origins/news-story/8ec88c31249f092e250a0353894411cf​

​THE GRANDFATHER CLAUSE

Meaning: A North American term referring to any clause that “exempts certain classes of people from the requirements of a law affecting their rights, privileges or practices”

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Origin: The Grandfather Clause was a statute enacted in many states in the Deep South allowing prospective white voters to evade sitting literacy tests and other tactics designed to stop southern blacks from voting and having other rights similar to white people.

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/from-long-time-no-see-to-bugger-these-overused-expressions-have-racist-origins/news-story/8ec88c31249f092e250a0353894411cf​

​Mumbo Jumbo

Meaning: “A generic term for confusing or meaningless language.”

Origin: Historians and etymologists often trace this phrase back to the Mandinka word “Maamajomboo”, which refers to a masked male dancer who would take part in religious ceremonies. According to the Oxford English Dictionary: “Mumbo Jumbo is a noun and is the name of a grotesque idol said to have been worshipped by some tribes. In its figurative sense, Mumbo Jumbo is an object of senseless veneration or a meaningless ritual.”

https://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/from-long-time-no-see-to-bugger-these-overused-expressions-have-racist-origins/news-story/8ec88c31249f092e250a0353894411cf​