Time To Cancel This Cringeworthy Weather Term In Massachusetts?

September slides into October this weekend and here in Massachusetts we're expecting temperatures to reach the upper 70s on Sunday and into next week. .

I was talking to a friend on Wednesday and he said to me, "You know it's gonna be kind of an Indian Summer this weekend". My first reaction was to sort of recoil and question the choice of his phrasing describing the upcoming weather.

Wokeism certainly has its place in today's society, I mean who isn't for being alert to injustice? Being annoyingly woke, however, can be a total buzzkill. Let's get into it.

What Is "Indian Summer" and Is It Racist?

The term Indian Summer basically means a lil stretch of warmer than normal autumn temperatures come October and into early November.

An Indian summer is typically caused by a sharp shift in the jet stream from the south to the north. The warm weather may last anywhere from a few days to over a week and may happen multiple times before winter arrives for good. -farmersalmanac.com

I suppose since the cancellation of the politically incorrect saying (sitting) "Indian Style", now "Criss-Cross Applesauce', anything with the word "Indian" in it, is triggering. "Indian Giver" is certainly not cool to say anymore, either.

What if "Indian Summer" is not disparaging? Shall us here in Massachusetts and the rest of the country cancel it just because? The removing of once popular vernacular phrases or sayings often take time to make trickle down to the mainstream.

Is It That Bad To Say Indian Summer, Shall It Be Cancelled?

I suppose you should ask a native American.

The phrase Indian Summer probably has racist origins. Sometimes the phrase Indian Summer was used to describe times of depletion, inconsistency, and infertility. This is a familiar derogatory trope also reflected in the phrase Indian Giver. -a-z-animals.com

We really don't know for sure.

One theory suggests that early American settlers mistook the sight of sun rays through the hazy autumn air for Native American campfires, resulting in the name “Indian summer.” Others speculate that Native Americans recognized this weather pattern and used the opportunity to gather additional food for the winter. 

Indian Summer is sometimes rereferred to as Second Summer. I hope you guys enjoy the warmer temperatures.