Yellow-bellied, yellow streak
Ivan Weiss
It's been my contention that "yellow-bellied" and "yellow streak" originated
as slurs against Asians, intended to equate being Chinese with being
cowardly, as in the the epithet "You're yellow." However, I can't find
confirmation for this in any dictionary, and searches online have so far
been fruitless. I'll keep trying, but in the meantime, can someone tell
me if I'm right or wrong, and provide a citation? Thanks in advance.
Ivan Weiss
Seattle Times
iwei...@seatimes.com
Standard disclaimer
Lars Eighner
In our last episode <Pine.SUN.3.91.960625203109.10511D-100000@seatimes>,
Broadcast on alt.usage.english
The lovely and talented Ivan Weiss <iwei...@seatimes.com> wrote:
>It's been my contention that "yellow-bellied" and "yellow streak" originated
>as slurs against Asians, intended to equate being Chinese with being
>cowardly, as in the the epithet "You're yellow." However, I can't find
>confirmation for this in any dictionary, and searches online have so far
>been fruitless. I'll keep trying, but in the meantime, can someone tell
>me if I'm right or wrong, and provide a citation? Thanks in advance.
No.
I seriously doubt your contention, however, I will suggest
another avenure for your investigation. Have you considered
"yellow" in contexts in which it refers to being of mixed
African and European descent instead of Asian?
How far back can you date "yellow belly" and "yellow streak"?
"Yellow journalism" derives of "The Yellow Kid," but I don't
know why the Yellow Kid was yellow.
Anyone who has had jaundice (hepatitis) knows that one
does not feel particularly courageous or enterprizing.
Could this be the source?
Curiously, yellow bile is associated with being short
tempered--hardly consistent with the other senses.
--
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Robert Lipton
Lars Eighner (eig...@io.com) wrote:
On the specific issue of 'Yellow Journalism' it does, indeed, derive
specifically from the color printing used in Joseph Pulitzer's
newspapers. The Yellow Kid was done in Yellow because of available dyes.
Closely related, but not quite on the mark.
However, just because the primary derivation is one source does not mean
that another is not contributory. "Yellow" had the opprobrious sense of
"cowardly" at the time: Pulitzer could incite war, but far be it from him
to go down and fight.
: In our last episode <Pine.SUN.3.91.960625203109.10511D-100000@seatimes>,
dave
>
> It seems NetScape went a little crazy while I was replying earlier to
> Ivan Weiss <iwei...@seatimes.com>, who wrote:
> --------------
> >It's been my contention that "yellow-bellied" and "yellow streak" originated
> >as slurs against Asians, intended to equate being Chinese with being
> >cowardly, as in the the epithet "You're yellow." However, I can't find
> >confirmation for this in any dictionary, and searches online have so far
> >been fruitless. I'll keep trying, but in the meantime, can someone tell
> >me if I'm right or wrong, and provide a citation? Thanks in advance.
>
> Is this something you *want* to be true?
>
> It sounds to me as if, even though you've searched high and low
> and still found not one speck of verification, you are determined
> to stick to your opinion.
>
> For all I know, you may be right. But I think you are very wrong
> in your approach, in looking for evidence that supports a personal
> bias. Given how the internet works, you could end up supplying
> your own proof: some people interpret your query as a statement
> of fact and circulate the theory, which finally returns to you in
> a hundred different shapes, thus proving that a great many others
> do believe in what you want to be the truth.
>
> ---N.R.Mitchum <aj...@lafn.org>
> ....................
> Tie a cowardly ribbon round the old oak tree.
>
> [Post&Email]
Seems obvious to me but, calling someone Yellow in the cowardly sense
goes back to the wave of nausea that comes over you at these times. You
feel Yellow in the belly. How wrong am I?
Anne Cheilek
Ivan Weiss <iwei...@seatimes.com> wrote:
>It's been my contention that "yellow-bellied" and "yellow streak" originated
>as slurs against Asians,
Frankly, Ivan, I've never heard of anyone other than a sapsucker being
described as yellow-bellied. And in that case, no slur is intended--
the phrase simply evokes the aureate stripes on the gown worn during
the conferral of the Juris Doctor.
-Anne
--
Disclaimer: Some of my best friends are lawyers.
--
Bill Fisher
In article <4qromc$5...@zook.lafn.org>, "N.R. Mitchum" <aj...@mail.lafn.org> writes:
> Ivan Weiss <iwei...@seatimes.com> wrote:
> -----------
> >It's been my contention that "yellow-bellied" and "yellow streak" originated
> >cowardly, as in the the epithet "You're yellow." However, I can't find
> >confirmation for this in any dictionary, and searches online have so far
> >been fruitless. I'll keep trying, but in the meantime, can someone tell
> >me if I'm right or wrong, and provide a citation? Thanks in advance.
> -----------
>
> though you've looked high and low and never found
>
Here's a little bit of data that tends to indicate you're wrong.
I have a couple of popular humor books dating from the 1920's,
which probably represent the kind of humor that was common in
America from 1890 or so. A *big* stock in trade was making fun
of ethnic and racial stereotypes. (Actually, I'm not sure if
they're making fun of the stereotype or of the people.) They
*don't* portray Asians as cowardly, although they certainly do
portray other peoples as cowards.
-billf
Chris Norton
>In article <4qromc$5...@zook.lafn.org>, "N.R. Mitchum"
<aj...@mail.lafn.org> writ
>es:
>> Ivan Weiss <iwei...@seatimes.com> wrote:
>> -----------
>> >It's been my contention that "yellow-bellied" and "yellow streak"
>> originated as slurs against Asians, intended to equate being Chinese
>> with being cowardly, as in the the epithet "You're yellow." However, I
>> can't find confirmation for this in any dictionary, and searches
>> online have so far been fruitless. I'll keep trying, but in the
>> meantime, can someone tell me if I'm right or wrong, and provide a
>> citation? Thanks in advance.
>>
> though you've looked high and low and never found
FYI. In England the natives of the county of Lincolnshire are/were
known as 'yellow-bellies', in the same way that natives of Yorkshire
were 'tykes'. (My father and mother-in-law are both from Lincolnshire).
One theory I heard was that the name came from an old county regiment
that wore yellow waistcoats under their redcoats. The phrase may
have been an inter-regimental jibe ( the British army is full of them ).
There are other theories which associate the name with the colouring of
lizards or toads, a supine animal showing a yellow belly. I don't think
anyone really knows. Either way, yellow-belly is nothing to do with the
Chinese.
Chris Norton