My mother says it is, I think she’s just being a weenie!
As far as I know its just a catch all for any cloth used to hold up/away your hair, like a bandanna.
I’ve never heard it used any way other than what you described.
Racist? Seriously doubt it. Nah. But that’s my WAG.
Hell, you can go into the hair care section of any dollar store servicing folks in the inner city and BUY a 'do rag (i.e., hairdo rag). Some of them are marketed as such.
Scarfs, bandanas and hairnets and such are NEVER referred to as 'do rags where I come from. But I did a quick Google search and everyone I see wearing them who do are white, so maybe it’s a cultural thing.
I put the phrase into a crossword once, but only after checking to see that it appeared in the Random House unabridged dictionary to see that there were no caveats as to “disparaging” or “offensive.”
It’s actually spelled “du rag”, FTR.
Racist or mean-spirited? No and no. It’s just what it’s called. There’s no negative connotation that I’ve ever seen. I mean… it just is. [WAG] I imagine she thinks it’s bad because they’re so predominantly associated with black people. In that case, you could claim that fried chicken was racist/mean-spirited as well. Unlikely. [/WAG]
Like many slang terms, it’s how you use it. For instance many people use red neck pejoratively but many southerners are proud to be called red necks. I think it depends on your tone and the context it is used.
It’s sold under that name in Indianapolis. I thought it was something you used to keep your “du” (from “hairdo”) from getting messed up while working or to at the very least keep the sun off the head if one goes kojack.
Says who? American Heritage Dictionary has “do-rag”, which is also the clear winner of a Google Fight.
I always thought it was “dew” rag, to keep the dew out of your hair. :smack:
It cerainly hasn’t been racist or offensive in the ways I’ve heard it used. I’ve also heard it used directed at stuff people of all races were wearing on their heads.
The only people I know who wear them regularly are men of various races with close-cropped hair(not much of a “do”) who use them to keep sweat out of their eyes. Therefore I always thought it was “dew” too, with “dew” being a euphemism for sweat.