Meaning of the phrase "mighty white of him"

[AU80cruiser 1,102]

On 2/5/2019 at 5:54 PM, auburnphan said:

Kirby Smart called  to let Mizzou know he won't be poaching any of their players according to an article, how nice of him!!!!

Reminds me of a saying my dad used to say, "That's mighty white of him."

[gravejd 3,270]

12 hours ago, AU80cruiser said:

Reminds me of a saying my dad used to say, "That's mighty white of him."

 

[AU80cruiser 1,102]

4 hours ago, gravejd said:

 

I figured some wouldn't understand this old saying and probably never heard it. FTR I'm white and so is my dad.

[McLoofus 35,182]

9 minutes ago, AU80cruiser said:

I figured some wouldn't understand this old saying and probably never heard it. FTR I'm white and so is my dad.

By all means, feel free to explain. 

I'm very familiar with the saying but maybe I'm unclear on the actual meaning.

[LKEEL75 2,566]

2 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

13 minutes ago, AU80cruiser said:

I figured some wouldn't understand this old saying and probably never heard it. FTR I'm white and so is my dad.

By all means, feel free to explain. 

I'm very familiar with the saying but maybe I'm unclear on the actual meaning.

Based on my understanding of the definition & what the urban dictionary says,  I would say "Let sleeping dogs lie"

[gravejd 3,270]

40 minutes ago, AU80cruiser said:

I figured some wouldn't understand this old saying and probably never heard it. FTR I'm white and so is my dad.

Oh i've heard it be used before.....but maybe it no mean what i think it means. So whats the saying mean for you?

[AU80cruiser 1,102]

10 hours ago, gravejd said:

Oh i've heard it be used before.....but maybe it no mean what i think it means. So whats the saying mean for you?

It's when you give up something you pretend is valuable to you for the sake of some poor unfortunate soul to boost your public persona when in reality your motives were for personal gain and not genuine in nature.

[gravejd 3,270]

6 hours ago, AU80cruiser said:

It's when you give up something you pretend is valuable to you for the sake of some poor unfortunate soul to boost your public persona when in reality your motives were for personal gain and not genuine in nature.

Well that’s pretty interesting and not what I always thought it meant. I always thought it was a way of praising someone for doing something good or honest thereby implying other races do not do good honest things. TIL 

[ellitor 33,092]

here's 2 common meanings for the phrase. Neither one has a negative connotation...

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mighty white of you

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_the_white_man

[McLoofus 35,182]

36 minutes ago, ellitor said:

here's 2 common meanings for the phrase. Neither one has a negative connotation...

https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=mighty white of you

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Play_the_white_man

Um, that 2nd one is super racist. And the 2nd definition in the 1st link is super racist.

That said, sincere apologies to @AU80cruiser.  I had never heard it used in that way before, either. But, hey, top definition on UD so I stand corrected.

 

 

[alexava 6,973]

8 hours ago, AU80cruiser said:

It's when you give up something you pretend is valuable to you for the sake of some poor unfortunate soul to boost your public persona when in reality your motives were for personal gain and not genuine in nature.

This is exactly how I always understood and used it. Not racial at all. 

[ellitor 33,092]

52 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

that 2nd one is super racist

How is "meaning to be decent and trustworthy in one's actions." racist?

[McLoofus 35,182]

2 minutes ago, ellitor said:

How is "meaning to be decent and trustworthy in one's actions." racist?

Because you're associating those qualities with being "white".

[ellitor 33,092]

3 minutes ago, McLoofus said:

Because you're associating those qualities with being "white".

@McLoofus Much like a couple others in the discussion above I don't associate a race with the phrase. I can see where it can be interpreted that way but I don't interpret it that way..

[McLoofus 35,182]

1 minute ago, ellitor said:

@McLoofus Much like a couple others in the discussion above I don't associate a race with the phrase. I can see where it can be interpreted that way but I don't interpret it that way..

Okay.

Just know that when you associate a behavior or personal characteristic with being "white" or "black" (or "red" or "yellow" or "brown"), you might be asked why you chose that color, and you should be prepared to answer. This thread is evidence of that.

By the way, until somebody offers a specific reason for the use of the color white, the way in which Cruiser used the expression still sounds an awful lot like a self-deprecating play on race*. The fact that Cruiser subsequently clarified his and his father's race would seem to be an acknowledgment of this.

*Which I applaud FWIW.

[AU80cruiser 1,102]

7 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Um, that 2nd one is super racist. And the 2nd definition in the 1st link is super racist.

That said, sincere apologies to @AU80cruiser.  I had never heard it used in that way before, either. But, hey, top definition on UD so I stand corrected.

 

 

No worries. I still see my definition as being a bit racist though in saying that its only in a white persons nature to do such a thing.

[AU80cruiser 1,102]

6 hours ago, McLoofus said:

Okay.

Just know that when you associate a behavior or personal characteristic with being "white" or "black" (or "red" or "yellow" or "brown"), you might be asked why you chose that color, and you should be prepared to answer. This thread is evidence of that.

By the way, until somebody offers a specific reason for the use of the color white, the way in which Cruiser used the expression still sounds an awful lot like a self-deprecating play on race*. The fact that Cruiser subsequently clarified his and his father's race would seem to be an acknowledgment of this.

*Which I applaud FWIW.

I already commented before I read this and I agree with you loof. 

[gravejd 3,270]

On AUFamily we go deeper then just sports discussions. We deal with the hot button issues other sites are afraid to touch!!! 😅

[PUB78 1,358]

Clint Eastwood had this line in one of his movies in the 70’s-80’s.

[KolchakAU85 430]

5 hours ago, PUB78 said:

Clint Eastwood had this line in one of his movies in the 70’s-80’s.

You beat me to it.  It was a Dirty Harry movie.  I can still see that scene in my mind. 

I heard that terrible phrase many times in my youth.  But then again I remember "White Only" signs above water coolers in Sears, circa 1969.