Play the white man

To play the white man is an idiom used in parts of Britain meaning to be decent and trustworthy in one's actions.[1] The phrase is commonly used by natives of the Yorkshire and the Humber region.[2]

A similar expression, originating in the southern United States in the 20th century, is that's mighty white of you and variations, with the meaning of "thank you for being fair." Because of its racist connotations, since the mid-to-late 20th century it has mostly been used ironically when used at all.[3][4][5]

In film lore, the phrase that's mighty white of you was used in the movie After the Thin Man (1936) by the character Nick Charles as said to character Dancer, the night club host, who stated he would pay for all the drinks at Nick's table. It's also used in other classic-era films like Whistling in Brooklyn (1943) by the character Wally Benton. It’s also used by Clint Eastwood as Inspector Harry Callaghan in the 1976 film The Enforcer.It is used by Sean Penn's character, Mr. Wasey, in the 1986 movie, Shanghai Surprise.

See also

References
  1. "Complaint made over Mayor of Erewash's 'racist comment' at council meeting". Nottingham Post. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  2. Smitherman, G (2006). Words and Expressions, Proverbs and Familiar Sayings. Word from the mother (pp. 45). Routledge: New York.
  3. "White". Merriam-Webster online. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
  4. Partridge, Eric (1992). Dictionary of Catch Phrases. Scarborough House. p. 60. ISBN 978-0812885361.
  5. Oxford English Dictionary, cited at Dave Wilton (18 February 2007). "that's white of you". Wordorigins. Retrieved June 12, 2019.
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