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mahatmakanejeeves

(70,641 posts)

3. Children learned the term not from "Birth of a Nation" but from Saturday morning cartoons on TV.

Wed May 13, 2026, 06:13 AM

Wednesday

There's a discussion of the etymology at Reddit. Bugs Bunny is involved.

https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/rapry3/the_phrase_now_wait_just_a_cotton_picking_minute/

On his website, etymologist Barry Popik hints that the widepsread popularity of the term "cotton-picking" as an intensifier might be the work of that wascally cartoon wabbit Bugs Bunny. More specifically, the Looney Tunes star is likely who coined the phrase "cotton-picking minute". It is first heard in the cartoon short Bully For Bugs, originally distributed to theaters beginning on August 3, 1953. In the cartoon, Bugs says:

"Well, here I am. Hey, just a cotton-picking minute. This don’t look like the Coachella Valley to me."

Popik notes that Bugs Bunny would use the phrase again in the 1957 short Romeo Rabbit. But that first instance appeared to have had the effect of popularizing that specific phrase, because the phrase began appearing in newspapers by the end of 1953. "Wait a cotton-picking minute" appears in the November 17, 1953, edition of the Greenville (SC) News, as well as in the January 31, 1954, edition of The State Journal in Lansing, Michigan.

This is a small excerpt. The entire commentary is worth reading.

For Yosemite Sam's wordsmithing, you might wish to take a look at this, ya weaselly-eyed varmint:

https://yosemitesamquotes.com/yosemite-sam-sayings/

And good morning.

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Highlight:

Republican Jen Kiggans faces calls to resign for agreeing with racist 'cotton-picking' remark [View all] BumRushDaShow Wednesday OP

Regardless of the language, which is offensive rpannier Wednesday #1

I remember when that term used to be on used on cartoons Polybius Wednesday #2

Children learned the term not from "Birth of a Nation" but from Saturday morning cartoons on TV. mahatmakanejeeves Wednesday #3

But it was from the same animation studio BumRushDaShow Wednesday #6

Yeah, they had a history. I had to leave out the majority of the discussion to which I linked. mahatmakanejeeves Wednesday #7

It was just a part of "Americana" BumRushDaShow Wednesday #9

It was a popular saying in the past when cultural norms dismissed the denigrating connotations BumRushDaShow Wednesday #5

They also used Blackface. RandiFan1290 Wednesday #8

And yet... BurnDoubt Wednesday #4

This is absolutely ruining her re-election campaign. GreenWave Wednesday #10