13 Phrases Many Coloradans Don’t Realize Have Troubling Origins

As time goes on, it's important to recognize that things that were once accepted among certain demographics have not aged well due to underlying prejudices. We see this in examples like certain Disney films not seeing rereleases due to disrespectful portrayals of certain ethnic groups, but sometimes the prejudice isn't as obvious.

Today, people are more connected than ever, and prejudices based on once commonplace attributes are deemed unacceptable and ignorant by today's standards.

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That being said, it may come as a surprise to find that there are quite a few phrases that are used every day with no malice intended that have extremely troubling origins.

Unfortunately, hate does still exist and although Colorado is much more accepting of superficial differences than other parts of the country, crimes based on things like race, religion, sexual orientation, and even disabilities do exist.

While the everyday terms with troubling backgrounds are still prevalent, it can be quite an eye-opener to find out where they came from.

13 Phrases that Colorado Residents Likely Don't Realize Have Troubling Origins

Unfortunately, many of the phrases deemed disrespectful due to their origins but are still commonplace have roots in pre-Civil War America. Phrases like 'Fuzzy Wuzzy,' 'Sold Down the River,' and even the playful children's rhyme 'Eenie Meenie Miney Moe' all originate from slavery in the South.

However, other phrases have origins that are just as disrespectful to groups like the Jewish Community, Asian people, Indigenous Peoples, and even Romanians.

Keep scrolling to learn about these 13 words and phrases and the troubling origins behind them: