12 Everyday Words You Use That Are Actually Racist

11. Spook

Spook House Gif Everyone gets the spooks on Halloween, right? Well, let's hope not - because the original use of the word was one with extremely derogatory and racist connotations. First used in America in the late-18th Century, it is believed that "spook" was referred to people with black skin, who supposedly blended into the night sky, making them appear ghostlike. So basically, "spook" is almost as bad as "golliwogg" or "n****r" when used in its original form...
 
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NUFC editor for WhatCulture.com/NUFC. History graduate (University of Edinburgh) and NCTJ-trained journalist. I love sports, hopelessly following Newcastle United and Newcastle Falcons. My pastimes include watching and attending sports matches religiously, reading spy books and sampling ales.