Probably the Least Important Aspect of this Debate, but...

[steepholm]

My eyes rather glazed over before I reached the comments of this New Statesman article on privilege checking. I've ridden this particular carousel more than a few times right here on LJ, and seen more interesting views too.

But it reminded me that I've always had a strange linguistic niggle about the phrase "check your privilege". Does it mean "check" as in "check your pulse", or "check" as in "check your coat"? In other words, is it "Be aware of your privilege", or "Leave your privilege at the door"? I suspect the former, but I can never quite cast off the ghostly presence of the latter sense. How do you read it?

[Poll #1885786]

Comments

[nightspore.livejournal.com]

AFAICT this is where the meme got going, in 2006: http://blog.shrub.com/archives/tekanji/2006-03-08_146

[nightspore.livejournal.com]

Which means I should take back my vote, though I suspect that the overtones of meaning ("check" as temporarily surrender, and as restrain) help lubricate the transfer of the meme from person to person.

[steepholm.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the link - and yes, I suspect you're right about the lubrication. I was quite reassured (and a little disturbed) to see how evenly split the answers have been between the various readings, since it proves that my discomfort isn't purely idiosyncractic, but I can't help feeling that three-word political slogans ought at least to try to be monosemous.