The phrase "nigger in the woodpile" is an idiom steeped in a history of racism and prejudice. It means an unknown factor, something that causes things to turn out differently than would normally be assumed. The phrase declined in use during the 20th century, and now its occasional use by public figures has often been followed by controversy and apology.
To fully understand the gravity of the phrase, it's crucial to delve into its origins, usage, and the impact it has had on society.
A Democratic Party parody, titled "'The Nigger' in the Woodpile", lampooned what they said were Republican efforts to play down the antislavery plank in their 1860 platform. Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln, who had worked as a laborer splitting wooden rails as a young man, is sitting on top of the pile. Illustration believed to have been drawn by Louis Maurer.
Origins and Etymology
The etymology of "nigger" is often traced to the Latin word "niger," meaning black. In Early Modern French "niger" became "negre" and, later, "negress" (black woman) was clearly a part of lexical history. One can compare to "negre" the derogatory "nigger" - and earlier English variants such as "negar", "neegar", "neger", and "niggor" - which developed into a parallel lexico-semantic reality in English. Regardless of its origins, by the early 1800s, it had firmly established itself as a derogatory name.
Woodpiles used to be stacked loosely with spaces, to avoid rot (see illustration) and were presented by racists as natural hiding places for Black people, where they could either nap (fitting the stereotype of the lazy Black man) or spy on their White neighbors.
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Another theory notes that the "fence" and "woodpile" variants developed about the same time in the period of 1840-1850, when the Underground Railroad was flourishing. Another possible origin comes from the practice of transporting pulpwood on special railroad cars. In the era of slavery, the pulpwood cars were built with an outer frame with the wood being stacked inside in moderately neat rows and stacks.
Historical Context and Usage
The idiom was once common in literature and film, and has also appeared in musical lyrics. Dr. Seuss used the term in a 1929 print cartoon "Cross-Section of The World's Most Prosperous Department Store", wherein customers browse through a department store looking for items to make their lives more difficult.
How the n-word became the 'atomic bomb of racial slurs'
A Democratic Party parody, titled "'The Nigger' in the Woodpile", lampooned what they said were Republican efforts to play down the antislavery plank in their 1860 platform. Republican candidate Abraham Lincoln, who had worked as a laborer splitting wooden rails as a young man, is sitting on top of the pile. Illustration believed to have been drawn by Louis Maurer.
Controversies and Modern Usage
In 1994, judge Inge Bernstein used the term in a summation to a Liverpool county court jury. In July 2008, the leader of the Conservative Party, David Cameron, was urged by some Labour politicians to dismiss Conservative peer Lord Dixon-Smith, who said in the House of Lords that concerns about government housing legislation were "the nigger in the woodpile".
In July 2017, the phrase was again used by Conservative Party politician Anne Marie Morris who said that Brexit without a deal with the European Union was the "real nigger in the woodpile". She later said, "The comment was totally unintentional. I apologise unreservedly for any offence caused." However, she was suspended the same day by the party's chief whip, on the orders of the party leader, Prime Minister Theresa May. The Conservative Party whip was restored to Morris on 12 December 2017, one day before a crucial vote on the Brexit process.
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In 2018, it was revealed that Irish race-car driver and commentator Derek Daly had used the phrase in a radio interview in May 1983. Daly explained he was a foreign driver now in America, driving for an American team, with an American crew, and with an American sponsor-and that if things did not go well, he would be the only nigger in the woodpile. His comment caused an immediate uproar from people listening in Gasoline Alley as they warned him of the volatility of that phrase. Daly apologized and said the phrase had been an Irish colloquialism, and was not intended as a racial slur. Once it was revealed, Daly lost his commentator job.
In 2019, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) ruled that radio station 2GB breached the Commercial Radio Code of Practice when the broadcaster Alan Jones used a "racially charged phrase" during a segment in 2018. "The nigger in the woodpile here, if one can use that expression - and I'm not going to yield to people who tell us that certain words in the language are forbidden - the person who's playing hard to get is Mathias Cormann", Jones told listeners. ACMA found that, while the phrase was widely considered racist, its use in the broadcast did not likely incite "hatred", "serious contempt" or "severe ridicule".
The Word "Nigger" and Its Impact
The word, "nigger", carries much hatred and disgust directed toward Black Africans and African Americans. Historically, "nigger" defined, limited, made fun of and ridiculed all Blacks. It was a term of exclusion, a verbal reason for discrimination. Whether used as a noun, verb, or adjective, it strengthened the stereotype of the lazy, stupid, dirty, worthless nobody. No other American surname carries as much purposeful cruelty.
"Nigger" (as a word) is also used to describe a dark shade of color (nigger-brown, nigger-Black), the status of Whites that mix with Blacks (nigger-breaker, dealer, driver, killer, stealer, worshipper, and looking), and anything belonging to or linked to African Americans (nigger-baby, boy, girl, mouth, feet, preacher, job, love, culture, college, music, etc.). "Nigger" is the ultimate American insult; it is used to offend other ethnic groups. Jews are called White-niggers; Arabs, sand-niggers; Japanese, yellow-niggers.
The hierarchy was set up by an ideology that justified deceit, exploitation, and intimidation to keep Blacks "in their place." Every central societal establishment offered legitimacy to the racial hierarchy. Ministers preached that God was White and had condemned Blacks to be servants. Scientists measured Black skulls, brains, faces, and genitalia, seeking to prove that Whites were genetically superior to Blacks. White teachers, teaching only White students, taught that Blacks were less evolved cognitively, psychologically, and socially.
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The criminal justice system sanctioned a double standard of justice, including its unspoken approval of mob violence against Blacks, and there is still a similar double standard today: anti-Black laws and images saturated both American slavery and the Jim Crow laws that followed. The negative portrayals of Black people were reflected in and shaped by everyday objects: toys, postcards, ashtrays, detergent boxes, fishing lures, and children’s books.
Ironically, the word no longer needs racism or brutal and blatant forms to survive. Another interesting and confusing experience in American speech is the use of "nigger" by African Americans.
Herein lies part of the difficulty: The word, "nigger", endures because it is used over and over again, even by the people it insults. When asked, Blacks who use "nigger" or its variants argue that it has to be understood in its situation; repeated use of the word by Blacks will make it less offensive. It’s not the same word because Whites are saying "nigger" (and "niggers"), but Blacks are saying "niggah" (and "niggaz").
Blacks, from slavery until today, have internalized many negative images that White society cultivated and broadcast about Black skin and Black people. This is mirrored in cycles of self and same-race hatred. The use of the word, "nigger" by Blacks reflects this hatred, even when the user is unaware of the psychological forces involved. "Nigger" is the ultimate expression of White racism and White superiority, no matter how it is pronounced. It is a linguistic corruption, a corruption of civility. "Nigger" is the most infamous word in American culture.
Caricatures and Stereotypes
No American minority group has been caricatured as often or in as many ways as Black people. These misrepresentations feature distorted physical descriptions and harmful cultural and behavioral stereotypes. The Coon caricature, for example, was a tall, skinny, loose-jointed, dark-skinned male, often bald, with oversized, ruby-red lips. His clothing was either ragged and dirty or highly gaudy. His slow, exaggerated walk suggested laziness. He was a pauper, lacking ambition and the skills necessary for upward social mobility. He was a buffoon.
When frightened, the Coon's eyes bulged and darted. His speech was slurred, halted, and stuffed with malapropisms. His piercing, high-pitched voice made Whites laugh. The Coon caricature dehumanized Blacks and served to justify social, economic, and political discrimination.
Progress and Lingering Issues
The civil rights movement, Supreme Court decisions, the Black empowerment movement, broad civil rights legislation, and a general embracing of democracy by many American citizens have worn down America’s racial pecking order from slavery, moving into the Jim Crow period, and today’s institutional racism. Yet, the word "nigger" has not left, and its relationship with anti-Black prejudice remains symbiotic, interrelated, and interconnected.
Black use of the word or its alternatives has not lessened its hurt. This is not surprising in a four-century-old racial hierarchy, shaping the historical relationship between white-European Americans and African Americans. Anti-Black attitudes, motives, values, and behavior continue. Historically, "nigger", more than any other word, captures the personal hatred and institutionalized racism directed toward Blacks.
In 2022, actor Samuel L. First attested in the 1840s. While "nigger in the woodpile" largely disappeared from American English by the 1960s, it has continued to see occasional use in British English into the 2020s.
Table of Key Events and Controversies
| Year | Event/Controversy | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1840s | First Attestation | The phrase "nigger in the woodpile" is first recorded. |
| 1929 | Dr. Seuss Cartoon | Dr. Seuss uses the term in a cartoon, reflecting its common usage at the time. |
| 1994 | Judge Inge Bernstein | Judge Inge Bernstein uses the term in a Liverpool county court jury summation. |
| 2008 | Lord Dixon-Smith | Conservative peer Lord Dixon-Smith uses the phrase in the House of Lords, leading to calls for his dismissal. |
| 2017 | Anne Marie Morris | Conservative MP Anne Marie Morris uses the phrase, resulting in her suspension from the party. |
| 2018 | Derek Daly | Irish race-car driver Derek Daly's past use of the phrase leads to his dismissal. |
| 2019 | Alan Jones | Australian broadcaster Alan Jones uses the phrase, resulting in a breach of the Commercial Radio Code of Practice. |
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