What does the phrase 'redheaded stephchild' mean?

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Ok so on another thread I read about someone saying redheaded stepchild. Of course I have heard the phrase before, but now I am wondering where it came from and why it is considered a bad thing.

I am a redhead so I need to figure out if I should be insulted by the phrase or not.

 

[gate_pourri]

Ok so on another thread I read about someone saying redheaded stepchild. Of course I have heard the phrase before, but now I am wondering where it came from and why it is considered a bad thing.

I am a redhead so I need to figure out if I should be insulted by the phrase or not.

The Urban Dictionary has many (some conflicting) definitions.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=red+headed+stepchild

 

[wardfamily1]

According to wiki answers, it came from a movie called "The Wrath" back in the 80's.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Where_did...ed_stepchild'_come_from_and_what_does_it_mean

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

lol, urban dictionary has 5 definitions, only 1 is good...awesome

 

[drag n' fly]

Would that be our cruise thread you are referring to?

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

As redheads are traditionally disliked and picked on, a redheaded stepchild would get an even worse beating!

"Beating you like a red-headed stepchild" refers to a terrible beating. It is a variation of "beating you like a rented mule."

Wonderful. And I used to think people loved my hair. Turns out all those old women complimenting it were really just secretly thinking that they'd like to get me alone out back so they could beat me

 

[SamRoc]

I'm a Redhead and never heard this saying. Growing up the kids used to say "Redhead Redhead, Fire in the woodshed" I still have no idea what that means either!!

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Would that be our cruise thread you are referring to?

Nah it was on that theme park fatality thread. Guess the phrase gets around though.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

Fire in the woodshed? Hmm, I am having some bad thoughts about that one...see definition number 5 on urban dictionary. Must be the promiscuity part of me coming out.

 

[JessicaR]

I'm a redhead and have heard the saying way before the 80's. I did a quick search and found this.

“Ill beat you like a redheaded stepchild”. This phrase was born out of the American south and implies the status of illegitimate offspring with a white master.

Who knows.

I like my red hair, think I'll keep it.

 

[JessicaR]

And then I found this.

Red-headed stepchild" means an adulterine *******. That is, a married woman has a child by someone other than her husband; if nobody in her or her husband's family has red hair, and she produces a child with red hair, then the presumption is that her lover is redheaded or has red hair in his background.

Under common law, her husband is the LEGAL father of the child and is obligated to support him/her. It is not inconcievable that the man might resent the presence of the child for all sorts of reasons--being obligated to support a child not his own; the child being a continuing daily reminder of the wife's infidelity; etc.--and might take it out on the child to a greater or lesser extent.

 

[OhioStateBuckeye]

wow, thats a lot of things that talk about redheads being the illegitimate offspring. Good thing my dad and uncles had red hair or else my mom would have been in trouble.

 

[Judy from Boise]

I think of it as being low on the totem pole......ie the opposite of "alpha" dominate and "favored status" is recessive beta (which the redhead gene is) and out of favor.

 

[drag n' fly]

Snap Here I just spent 180 bucks on getting my hair coloured red with highlights hahaha what a rebel huh!

 

[SamRoc]

I like my red hair, think I'll keep it.

Me too!!!

 

[donnajon]

I don't think that you should be insulted anymore than I should be insulted when someone talks about the green eyed monster. I have green eyes but that doesn't mean it refers to me just like the red headed step child doesn't mean it refers to you. It is just an old saying.

 

[Cool-Beans]

The red-headed step child is the child that your wife gave birth to that is obviously not yours. His hair is a constant reminder of the infidelity and the fact that you're raising/paying for a child not your own.

In moments of frustration and anger, you take it out on him...because even though you pretend he's a member of the family and try to tolerate his presence, you really hate him.

He spends his life with the knowledge that he isn't loved like the others and always gets the bad end of every deal, but he doesn't know why.

 

[EMom]

The phrase "redheaded stepchild" has been around MUCH longer than the 80s. I was born in the 60s and it was not exactly a new saying even then. Yes, I have been told (in jest) by my parents, "If you don't stop that, I"m going to beat you just like a redheaded stepchild." Even today, if someone is being treated like crap, we say they're being treated like a redheaded stepchild. You hear it a lot in the South. Is it not used in the North?

 

[Cool-Beans]

Is it not used in the North?

I've always heard it. Spent my whole flippin life up here.

 

[Planogirl]

It's an old expression that I've always heard means someone that might be different in some way from the group. In other words on the thread where you probably saw it, it would mean a few Universal fans among a large group of Disney fans.

It doesn't mean anything bad IMO. Personally I think that red hair is beautiful.