DCHP-1 Online

white ((adv.)) Slang

• 1 adv. Slang fairly; decently.

  • 1899  Over at Nelson the people used the editors white, and gave them a take so that everyone regretted the coming of "30."
  • 1909  Just a dollar to help me out, I know you'll treat me white; / I'll do as much for you some day. . . .

• 2 adv. Derog. in speak or talk white, like an English-speaking Canadian.

  See also: speak white  talk white  white ((adj.)) (def. 2b)  

  • 1912  "Sounds like Injun languages," says he, "can't you talk white?"
  • 1963  I refuse to look forward to a future time when one of my children will come home hurt because he has been ordered to "speak white."
  • 1964  Every English Canadian who ... says "speak white" to a French compatriot, is equally totalitarian and Fascist.
  • 1966  As we toasted the action later that day in the prize bottle of Scotch, Yves had to agree that "speak white in Toronto," if it had been true, was certainly not true now.