[General] cotton picking

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentences?

Keep your cotton picking hands off my flowers!
You've got to clean up your room, son, this is a cotton-picking mess!
cotton picking = worthless, crude, common, messy

When May and Mary went screaming and running crazily down the street, dad muttered, "You two are out of your cotton-picking minds.
be out one’s cotton picking mind = to say someone is crazy, a fool

Thank you for your efforts.

Regards,

V.

 

[mayita1usa]

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentences?

Keep your cotton picking hands off my flowers!
You've got to clean up your room, son, this is a cotton-picking mess!
cotton picking = worthless, crude, common, messy

When May and Mary went screaming and running crazily down the street, dad muttered, "You two are out of your cotton-picking minds.
be out one’s cotton picking mind = to say someone is crazy, a fool

No, your interpretations aren't exactly correct.
The expression cotton-pickin' is an intensifier, and it's used in place of an inappropriate swear word (such as f*****g or G**d***). It probably originated in the south of the USA, where lots of cotton was/is grown, and where English is often used very creatively.

Does that help?

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good morning, Vil.

You have received some excellent replies to your question.

I just wanted to add a cultural tip:

If you visit the United States, it would be very helpful NOT to

use this phrase in speech (or even in writing). There are some

people who would be very offended and might become very angry

with you.

Have a nice day!

 

[EhabIsaac]

useful, thanks.

 

[Barb_D]

Parser, where do you think people would be upset by this? I've heard it all my life in the northeast and if anything, it's a mildly amusing alternative to far courser language. I can picture Yosemite Sam on the Bugs Bunny cartoons saying that.

Is it racist in the South?

 

[TheParser]

Parser, where do you think people would be upset by this? I've heard it all my life in the northeast and if anything, it's a mildly amusing alternative to far courser language. I can picture Yosemite Sam on the Bugs Bunny cartoons saying that.

Is it racist in the South?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Good morning, Barbara.

(1) Your last sentence touched on something that I did not dare

raise. (I carefully obey the website's guidelines.)

(2) Since you mentioned it, I must add that this does not apply

only to the South.

(3) When learners come to this country, they might innocently

use this phrase to someone who would be OUTRAGED, and the visitor

to our country would suffer terrible consequences.

(4) Thank you, Barbara, for giving me the courage to repeat my

heartfelt advice to learners: Do NOT use this phrase. Period.

Have a nice day!

 

[Barb_D]

My dad grew up in the South. They were white and they were poor. They picked cotton.

Does it have the racial overtones of slavery or does it mean "poor and worthless"?

(I am not worried about violating the rules of the forum in this case - we are explaining why it's objectionable, not making sweeping statements about people.)

 

[TheParser]

My dad grew up in the South. They were white and they were poor. They picked cotton.

Does it have the racial overtones of slavery or does it mean "poor and worthless"?

(I am not worried about violating the rules of the forum in this case - we are explaining why it's objectionable, not making sweeping statements about people.)

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

I do not know, Barbara, what exact overtones it has.

But can you imagine what would happen if a foreign visitor

innocently used this expression in certain settings?

I guess the learners who are reading this thread will just have to

decide for themselves -- just as they do when there is a difference

of opinion about a grammar question.

Thank you again for permitting me to explain the basis of my advice

to our wonderful, sincere, and innocent learners.

Have a nice day!

 

[mayita1usa]

My dad grew up in the South. They were white and they were poor. They picked cotton.

Does it have the racial overtones of slavery or does it mean "poor and worthless"?

I also used to hear that this phrase had racist overtones, but the origin of the expression doesn't actually indicate that, as Barb says: there were lots of people who picked cotton, not just African slaves. My mom used this expression all the time, and she was extremely concientious when it came to such things.

However, that doesn't change the fact that some people are offended by it, even if there's no etymological reason to be.

:?: I'd like to reiterate this question to TheParser: Is there a specific part of the country where this is most likely to be perceived as offensive? If you don't know what overtones it has, what is your experience with people being outraged by it?

Thanks much for your insight.

 

[Barb_D]

For the record, I am not discounting the advice to not use expressions likely to cause offense. I personally find "goddamn" to be very offensive while others see it as a mild oath. I would be surprised and annoyed to find someone advising learners with "Oh, use 'goddamn' all you want. Only prudes are offended." The advice should be "If there are some who are offended, don't use it!" I do agree.


But in this particular case, since his experience of "outrage" is so vastly different than my "mildly amusing" (again, Yosemite Sam!), I did want to learn more.

 

[TheParser]

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

Thank you, Barbara and Mayita (alphabetical order), for your insightful comments.

You and the other posters have done a wonderful job in explaining to the learners about
an expression that they may encounter in their readings. I hear that the expression is considered a bit old-fashioned and not used that much nowadays.

I feel very uncomfortablle about being too specific. I will just again repeat that ONLY in my opinon, foreign visitors to our country would be wise (very wise) to avoid talk about picking cotton. There are many people who would take this as a grave insult.

I enjoy your posts, for I always learn so much from you both.

Have a nice day!

 

[Barb_D]

"It sure beats picking cotton."

A sentiment I'm sure my dad would agree with.