AboutTed Nesbitt Expertise I am willing to assist anyone in the interpretation of the literature of any genre, but my expertise is in American literature. My masters thesis is an analysis of the heroic novels of William Faulkner. I am also adept in English literature, particularly Shakespeare and the romantic poets.
I will not edit or revise lengthy papers. Nor will I do homework.
Experience I taught advanced placement English in a preparatory school and am now a reference librarian at a medium-sized public college. I have been a volunteer at the grammar and writing, poetry, etymology and politics sections of allexperts for more than four years.
Matt wrote at 2006-06-27 15:39:25
Consider the novel Poil de Carrotte (AKA The Red Head; Gingerhead) by Jules Renard.
Lynn wrote at 2006-10-21 00:29:30
I have always assumed the term "red headed stepchild" had its origin in colonial times and was a veiled reference to the offspring of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemmings (and other female slaves) and their status in family and society.
I don't know where or when I got this idea. I can't recall where or when I may have heard or read this saying. It's interesting that everybody seems to be familiar with this term but nobody knows where it came from or what exactly it refers to. I think it's a great bit of trivia and a wonderful topic of converstation (think spouses' office Christmas party).
I would like to know its origin to satisfy my own curiosity and am looking forward to more thoughts on "red headed stepchild".
Alice wrote at 2006-12-05 03:57:16
The expression "Red-headed stepchild" actually originated as "Red-headed ni&&er". It referred to the embarrassing, often red-headed mulatto slave children on plantations (the result of the master's dalliance with the slave women).
