Why redheads are called gingers

The definition acknowledges the derogatory nature of the word. Calling someone ginger may reopen old wounds. Most people with red hair have been bullied at some point in life, especially in school. Movies also show red-haired kids as targets for bullies as they are very noticeable. Anyone who has been bullied may always associate the term with such memories and hate it forever.

When you call them ginger, you remind them of the past from which they may not have healed. Redhead is much more widely used, especially in recent times, to refer to someone who has red hair. Its use is right on par with how we call dark-haired people brunettes or blonde-haired people blondes. The term redhead is used in a descriptive way rather than a derogatory way.

Great Britain also has a high number of redheaded people. We hope that this article was helpful to you, giving you the information you need to inform your decision-making on this matter. Does Braiding Help Hair Growth? What Happens? Definitive How to Guide. Looking in other books from the time, both black and white ginger were the roots of the same plant, but preserved differently — black ginger was boiled, while the more expensive white ginger was peeled and sun-dried.

Jamaica was one of the chief sources of ginger, and both Philadelphia and England are likely to have used Jamaican ginger. The best preserved ginger is nearly translucent; it should be chosen of a bright yellow colour; rejecting that which is dark-coloured, fibrous, and stringy. One can also find other books in Google books from a few years earlier in the s which also seem to indicate that ginger was yellow, but none of their descriptions is as unambiguous as this one.

After the ginger one found in the market became yellow, it seems that some people started using ginger for yellow-colored hair. Sven Yarg's answer shows that some people considered light yellow hair to be ginger coloured in the second half of the 19th century. He has found the following definitions in Google books—. Both of these definitions seem to come from a time after the ginger sold in markets became yellow.

However, the idea that ginger hair was yellow seems not to have lasted that long. Nowadays, despite the fact that the ginger we buy in stores is yellow, people agree that ginger hair is red, and it is quite possibly a broader range of shades of red than it was originally. Not far off hair colour. Although the colour is mostly from the treacle ie molasses , the flavour is ginger. The earliest dictionary instance I've been able to find in which ginger is used in connection with a description of hair color is in Francis Grose, A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue , which has this entry:.

Charles Hartshorne, A Glossary of Words Used in Shropshire , published as part of Salopia Antiqua has an interesting additional note on local usage:. This elegant epithet is chiefly applied to the softer sex. I know ginger has a foul temper.

Reddish in colour ; hence ginger -headed, ginger whiskers. Ginger -poll is a common nickname for a redheaded boy. The earliest dictionary mention of "ginger pated" as a synonym for red-haired—the one in Grose's Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue —suggests that the term originally applied to red-hackled fighting cocks.

And indeed a farcical " Letter to the Editors of the Sporting Magazine ," from one "Sam Snaffle" in Sporting Magazine March confirms the cock-fighting connection:. I am a buck of the first head, I keep a curricle and a brace of tits; am a constant attendant at Newmarket and Epsom meetings, make a dash at the Cock-pit, cut a figure on a Sunday in Rottenrow, and am, in my opinion, quite an accomplished fellow: and yet, Gentlemen, would you believe it, I cannot persuade Miss W———s, to whom I said all the tender civil things in the world, to listen to my addresses.

She smiles at my professions of love, and particular regard for her, and actually asked me a few days ago, after I had given her a particular account of a match between me and Sir John Jostle, which might have captivated a cherub, whether I was not out of my senses.

Though I say it, I know a thing or two, for I do not ride above ten stone, saddle, whip and all. In cocking, I suppose you will not find a better breed of gingers , or a nicer walk for the purpose in the world. I know the long odds, and hedging is my forte. Have always been fortunate in calling seven and nicking it. As to cricket, when I played last summers, the amateurs declared they never knew such a stop behind, it would have done you good to see the notches I got off on my own bat, and I astonished the oldest of them with bowling.

In my famous match at Billiards, with the Italian, I gave him fix with my cane, and pocketed him. And at Tennis, with a bare brush under my leg, I beat the noted marker from Paris. My thanks to Josh61 for pointing out the existence of this missive.

Take notice, then, of this group of gamblers, of all ranks; as well noblemen, as butchers, chimney-sweepers, shoe-blacks, post-boys, thieves, and blackguards of all denominations; I say noblemen, for, to what meanness will not men submit, to gratify their reigning passion? Read in their faces, the disposition of their hearts. Next the pit, on the left of this plate, is one man, registering the bets; another, with a bag, containing a favourite cock, for a by-battle; and, near him, another, with the utmost eagerness, bawling out, " Ginger against Pye , for that piece who says done?

George appendant. An early instance of ginger used in the sense of red-haired appears in Joseph Reed, Tom Jones: A Comic Opera , second edition , which begins at Squire Western's house in the immediate aftermath of a fox hunt:. Gentlemen, tho' none of you will stay dinner, I must insist on your pushing it about. We've had a hard ride, and a refreshing draught will not be amiss—come, brother sportsman, to our next merry meeting in the field. One possibility is that the plant that 18th- and 19th-century English speakers were referring to wasn't the spicy yellowish root of Zingiber officinale —though it was certainly well known in England from an early date—but a different plant altogether.

One candidate is a plant commonly known as garden-ginger. In some old sources "garden-ginger" is identified with dittander Lepidium latifolium , a plant that is related to mustard and has panicles of very small white flowers. Ger[ard] K[indes] as the common and annuall. T[emperature] the leeves but especially the roots , are very hot, burning and bitter. Park[inson] the French is hot and fiery, sharp as the rest, and works the same effects : it h[elpeth] gouts and any paine in the joynts, or other inveterate griefs, the leaves bruised and m[ixed] with old axungia ap[plied] as Sciatica cresses, and h[elpeth] discoloring of the skin, and burnings with iron: the juyce d[runk] in ale c[auseth] speedy delivery in travaille : the leaves held in the hand ease the tooth ach, it's used for sauce for cold stomacks.

Another source, however, says that garden-ginger is another name for cayenne pepper Capsicum annuum , which has white flowers but when ripe bright red fruits. Mistaken or not, Halliwell persists in this identification at least through the tenth edition of his dictionary. But whether the fighting cocks' red hackles were called ginger in honor of Cayenne peppers, or in honor of blister-causing dittander, or in honor of plain ginger root, I think the likeliest explanation for the connection is that ginger or garden-ginger is hot to the taste, and heat suggests fire or a fiery temperament , and fire suggests redness.

I hate to add this rather robust listing of answers, but I believe this may have been missed. I believe that speaking on behalf of my age the term came about because ginger was often pickled for storage, adding longevity and preservation for its use.

As a result it is very red in color Pickled ginger images. Pickling began years ago using cucumbers native to India. There was much debate among viewers as to who was the more attractive of the two. Eventually the debates devolved to a simple personal preference: Mary Ann or Ginger? Basically were brunettes or redheads more attractive? As this was a very popular show at the time of its airing, the debate became a widespread phenomenon.

As with most popular trends they take a while to traverse the pond. Syndication of the show and its popularity in America led to eventual reruns broadcast in the U. As brunettes are more plentiful and are considered less exotic, the term Mary Ann never caught on as a generalization for them. I will attempt to track down a reference. However, I expect that resources will be scarce at best.

As with most trends and slang terms there is no immediate empirical evidence available. Rather, data must be extrapolated from the phenomenon in order to explain it. This is one reason why currently popular terms are not constantly added to dictionaries. But the 19th century definition is not directly responsible for the current popularity of the term. Most linguistic trends in this day and age are not rooted in origins and dictionary history but rather in popular media.

Sign up to join this community. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. Stack Overflow for Teams — Collaborate and share knowledge with a private group. Create a free Team What is Teams? Learn more. What is the origin of the term "ginger" for red-headed people?

Ask Question. Asked 9 years, 3 months ago. Active 5 years, 4 months ago. You are a ginger. But you are also a redhead. While the term 'redhead' conjures thoughts of genetic mystery and glamour, 'ginger' hits a nerve and can emit a negative vibe. Society has a heavy hand to play in this. From the playground to mainstream media, our attitude towards the nickname goes back to the way 'ginger' is used and the power we allow the word to have over us.

A lot of the time, it's no wonder it hits a sore spot. From the earliest age, particularly in the UK, children grow up thinking that it's appropriate to make fun of redheads, and that 'ginger' is a fair term to use. But because this insult relates to hair colour, rather than disability, sexuality or race, it is swiftly dismissed as a form of discrimination, and thus society continues to embed this idea that it's socially acceptable to tease redheads for their hair shade. A lot of speculation has simply put the 'ginger' nickname down to ginger root, used in cooking to give it a bit of a kick.

Some think this is because redheads are believed to have a fiery temper and can pack a punch not always literally. Another theory follows ginger-flavoured food, which tend to show a warm, reddish tinge: ginger cake, gingerbread, and ginger snaps. American TV has also been cited as an influencing factor towards redheads' sometimes reluctant nickname.