Kevin, 
That may be the case. I have never seen any historical documents that 
mentioned a picnic as anything but a picnic. This was just something 
I heard from some family members many years ago. 

Anita 





-- Kevin Joel Berland <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
On Sat, 23 Jun 2007 12:18:42 -0700  Anita wrote:
 
> I heard many years ago that pic nic, was a derogatory term for 
African 
> Americans. I did not research this term, but understood that it 
referred to 
> finding and killing a black person, and then having a Pic nic. 
Maybe someone 
> else knows exactly what the historical significance is of this word.
> 
> Anita

Dear Anita, 
This sounds like an urban legend to me, perhaps based on the aural 
similarity
between the word "picnic" and "piccaninny."  The word "picnic" 
actually
originates long ago in the usual context, and I haven't ever heard of 
the usage
you mention.  I've included below the two Oxford English Dictionary 
definitions
(with historical examples).  If you've ever come across a reference 
to this in
print, I'm sure the lexicographers would like to know.   Of course 
it's
possible that at some point people developed or invented this usage.  
And, I
think, some lynching parties did include a picnic.  James Baldwin 
mentions this
in his disturbing short story "Going to Meet the Man."

Cheers -- Kevin

PICNIC
A. n.

    1. a. Originally: a fashionable social event at which each guest 
contributed
a share of the food (obs.). Now: an informal meal eaten out of doors, 
esp. as
part of an excursion to the countryside, coast, etc.

1748 LD. CHESTERFIELD Let. 29 Oct. (1932) (modernized text) IV. 1255, 
I like the
description of your pic-nic [in Germany; 1774 Pic-nic], where I take 
it for
granted that your cards are only to break the formality of a circle. 
c1800 E.
C. KNIGHT Autobiogr. I. 45 We stayed here [i.e. at Toulon] till the 
17th [Feb.
1777] and on the previous day went to a ‘pique-nique’ at a little 
country
house not far from the town. 1807 J. BERESFORD Miseries Human Life 
II. xv. 38
She's so full of Fête, and Pic-nic and Opera. 1826 B. DISRAELI 
Vivian Grey
III. iv, Nature had intended the spot for pic-nics. 1859 E. C. 
GASKELL Fear for
Future in Fraser's Mag. Feb., We were very happy, with our summer 
picnics and
our winter card-playing. 1890 Otago Witness (Dunedin) 23 Jan. 41 The 
annual
school picnic at Dunrobin took place on the 3rd inst. 1909 Daily 
Chron. 10 Mar.
9/1 After all, what is a picnic? An amusement which mainly consists 
in an
inadequate supply of crockery and making one's own tea. 1958 F. 
COPELAND Land
between: Middle East ix. 99 No picnic is complete without a special 
salad
called tabbouleh. 2004 Advertiser (Adelaide) (Nexis) 17 Sept. 40 
There is a
wealth of..trails which are perfect for a pleasant family ride where 
you can
stop for a picnic along the way.

    b. Something which has multiple contributors or sources; a 
miscellany, a
collection, an anthology. by picnic (rare): by means of a 
contribution from
each member. Obs.

1803 Pic Nic 8 Jan. 1/1 The title of Pic Nic, given to this Paper, is 
used in
the sense applied to it by a neighbouring Nation, signifying a Repast 
supplied
by Contribution; and to this Miscellany all persons of genius and 
talent are
invited to contribute. 1818 KEATS Let. Dec. (1958) II. 13 Perhaps as 
you were
fond of giving me sketches of character you may like a little pic nic 
of
scandal. 1832 Examiner 324/2 A sort of pasticcio, made up apparently 
by picnic
from the portmanteaus of the performers. 1836 (title) Pic Nics from 
the Dublin
Penny Journal, being a selection from the legends, tales, and stories 
of
Ireland, which have appeared in the published volumes.

    2. A member of the Pic-Nic Society; the society itself. Now hist.
1802 J. GILLRAY Caricature 2 Apr. in T. Wright Wks. J. Gillray (plate 
facing p.
288), Blowing up the Pic Nic's:{em}or{em}Harlequin Quixotte attacking 
the
Puppets. 1830 H. ANGELO Reminisc. II. 5 General A...was the most 
prominent
pic-nic of our dramatis personae. 1878 W. H. HUSK in G. Grove Dict. 
Music I. 82
A fashionable association termed the Pic-nics, who had burlettas, 
vaudevilles
and ballets on a small scale performed there. 1944 F. D. KLINGENDER 
Hogarth &
Eng. Caricature 44 The Pic-Nics were a fashionable amateur society 
producing
musical and dramatic entertainments. 1978 S. ROSENFELD Temples of 
Thespis i. 12
The first amateur dramatic society..was the famous Pic Nic..which gave
performances..in 1802 and 1803.

    3. colloq. (orig. U.S.).

    a. A pleasant or enjoyable occasion, experience, etc.; something 
easy or
straightforward (esp. in comparison with something else), a pushover.
1870 J. J. MCCLOSKEY Across Continent in America's Lost Plays (1940) 
81 Oh,
wouldn't that fellow be a picnic for me! 1886 Lantern (New Orleans) 
27 Oct. 6/1
Hanley sparred with a smile on his face much as to say, ‘What a 
picnic I've
got with this kid.’ 1891 R. KIPLING Head of District in Life's 
Handicap 125 A
knot of furious brother officers demanding the court-martial of Tommy 
Dodd for
‘spoiling the picnic’. 1909 ‘O. HENRY’ Roads of Destiny xxii. 
365 It
was a picnic for the census takers. They just counted the marshal's 
posse that
it took to subdue us, and there was your population. 1910 G. B. 
MCCUTCHEON
Truxton King ii. 29 The school-room, he confessed, was a ‘picnic’ 
compared
to the ‘Room of Wrangles’. 1974 J. STUBBS Painted Face xxiii. 286 
What do
you know of prison? This here's a picnic compared to what it will be. 
2004
Jerusalem Post (Nexis) 28 May 17 The first intifada, which Oslo 
ended, was a
picnic compared to the second, which Oslo engendered.

    b. In negative contexts (esp. in no picnic, not a picnic).
1884 Daily News (Frederick, Maryland) (Electronic text) 2 Aug., It is 
not a
picnic by any means to write up columns of ‘copy’ day after day 
and week
after week. 1886 Morning Oregonian 14 Dec. 2 He reports plenty of 
snow in the
Simcoe mountains and herding no picnic at this time of year. 1888 R. 
KIPLING
Wee Willie Winkie 84 'Taint no bloomin' picnic in those parts I can 
tell you.
1926 J. GALSWORTHY Escape II. iv. 50 If you want to get thin. It's a 
top-hole
cure for adipose. An escape's no picnic. 1961 B. FERGUSSON Watery 
Maze xvi. 394
It was going to be no picnic co-ordinating land, sea and air forces 
from so
many different points of departure at so many different speeds. 2004 
Daily Tel.
(Nexis) 26 July 3 The second-innings demon, Harmison, will make sure 
batting is
not a picnic for the West Indies today.

    c. Austral. and N.Z. (ironic). A hard time; a source of trouble. 
Now rare.
1896 in E. E. Morris Austral Eng. (1898) 351/1 If a man's horse is 
awkward and
gives him trouble, he will say, ‘I had a picnic with that horse,’ 
and so of
any misadventure or disagreeable experience in travelling. a1904 S. 
E. WHITE
Blazed Trail Stories i. 15 Even old Jim Shearer would have a picnic 
to make out
just where the key-logs are. 1939 N. MARSH Overture to Death xiii. 
125 I'm
sorry to have neglected you like this; but we're in for a picnic, and 
no
mistake, with this case up at Moorton Park. 1955 D. NILAND Shiralee 
38 All I
know is I'm going to have one helluva picnic if she doesn't find it. 
1959 N.
CATO Time, Swiftly Flow 122 She's going to be a picnic this trip. 
1988 D.
MCGILL Dict. Kiwi Slang 83 Picnic problem; ironic, reversal of what 
is usually
a pleasant occasion; eg ‘If you take the boat out in that weather, 
mate, it's
your picnic.’

    4. N. Amer. = picnic ham n. at Compounds 2.
1910 L. D. HALL Market Classes Meat 281 Picnics or calas (formerly 
termed
California hams) are cut 2- ribs wide... They..are sold almost 
entirely as
sweet-pickled, smoked and boiled meats. 1949 New Harmony (Indiana) 
Times 5 Aug.
6/2 (advt.) Smoked Picnics, 3 to 5 lb. average lb. 45c. 1988 D. 
MACCARTHY
Prodfact 88 27 The fore (or shoulder) is divided into the collar and 
hock (may
also be known as butt and picnic) and these are normally sold as 
bacon joints.
2003 Herald-Sun (Durham, N. Carolina) (Nexis) 8 Oct. E1 Look for 
whole smoked
picnics for just 69 cents per pound.

    B. adj. (attrib.)    Of, relating to, or characteristic of a 
picnic; (now
esp.) befitting a picnic, relaxed, convivial.
  In early use: spec. {dag}made up of components contributed by 
several
individuals (obs.).
1802 Britannic Mag. 9 251/2 ‘What fortune does Old Scrape give his
daughter?’ ‘What? Why, a pic-nic one.’ 1807 Director I. 267 A 
pic-nic
conversation, where each contributes in his turn from his stores of 
reading and
observation. 1818 J. BENTHAM Church-of-Englandism 81 [The history] of 
the
pic-nic formation of this Creed by its putative fathers the Apostles, 
may be
found in their proper places. 1871 V. LUSH Jrnl. 14 June (1975) 111 
It seems
that the ‘upper ten thousand’ have commenced a series of ‘Pic-
nic
Balls’. 1905 Gleaner (Kingston, Jamaica) 13 Oct. 9/1 The [Kingston]
Athenæum's tendency is to be too popular and pretty{em}a sort of 
literary
institution with a picnic atmosphere. 1930 A. POUND & R. E. DAY 
Johnson of
Mohawks xxix. 310 These hardy voyagers, accustomed to forlorn hopes 
and
desperate enterprises, set forth in a picnic mood on the long, risky 
journey.
1994 Outdoor Canada Summer 57/2, I wanted a place that would offer 
easy fishing
for the kids and a picnic atmosphere.

    C. adv.    In the manner of a picnic; spec. impromptu, 
informally. Obs.
rare.
1803 J. DAVIS Trav. U.S.A. 176 A sum that may enable him to ask a 
friend to dine
with him pic nic. 1815 F. BURNEY Let. 6 Mar. (1980) 119, I beg your 
kind aunt
Charlotte to lodge and board you pick nick chez Elle.
-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-
+-+-+-+-+-+

piccaninny [Forms: 16 pickaninnie, 16 pickoning (transmission error), 
17
piganinny, 17- piccaninny, 17- pickaninny, 17- pickaniny, 18 
picanine, 18
picaninni, 18 piccanini, 18 piccaninni, 18 piccaniny, 18 piccinini, 18
pickanene, 18 pickeeninnee, 18 pickeninny, 18 pickeniny, 18 
pickerninny, 18
pickininny, 18 pickinnine, 18- picaninny, 18- picanniny, 19- 
picanini, 19-
picaniny, 19- picannini, 19- picinniny, 19- pikinini, 19- pikkanienie.
{beta}.
Chiefly Caribbean 17 pickinny, 18 piccanny, 18 pickini, 18 pickne, 18 
pick'ny,
18- picknie, 18- pickny, 19- piccney, 19- pickney, 19- picnie, 19- 
picnii, 19-
picny, 19- pikni, 19- pikny; U.S. regional (south.) 18 pickney, 19- 
picanny; S.
Afr. 18 picanny.{gamma}. 18 pickin (Caribbean), 19- piccin (chiefly 
W. Afr.),
19- picken (chiefly W. Afr.).{delta}. 19- picanin (Austral. and S. 
Afr.), 19-
picannin (Austral. and S. Afr.), 19- piccanin (Austral. and S. Afr.), 
19-
piccannin (Austral. and S. Afr.), 19- pickanin (Austral. and S. 
Afr.), 19-
piekanien (Austral. and S. Afr.), 19- pikanin (Austral. and S. Afr.). 

1. A black child. (Now considered offensive when used by a white 
person of a
black child.)

    a. Caribbean and U.S. A black child of African origin or descent. 
Also: an
American Indian child.
  In African-American usage, freq. with uninflected pl.
{alpha} 1653 in N. & Q. (1905) 4th Ser. 10 129/1 Some women [in 
Barbados], whose
pickaninnies are three yeares old, will, as they worke at 
weeding..suffer the
hee Pickaninnie, to sit astride upon their backs. 1657 R. LIGON True 
Hist.
Barbados 48 When the child is borne, (which she calls her 
Pickaninnie) she [sc.
a neighbour] helps to make a little fire nere her feet... In a 
fortnight, this
woman is at worke with her Pickaninny at her back. 1681 Will of J. 
Vaughan of
Antigua in Misc. Gen. & Her. 2nd Ser. IV. 255 To my sister Mrs. 
Hannah Bell,
four negroes and one Pickoniny [printed Pickoning] boy. 1707 H. 
SLOANE Voy.
Islands I. p. lii, Their children call'd Piganinnies or rather 
Pequenos Ninnos,
go naked till they are fit to be put to clean paths, bring firewood 
[etc.].
1828 Life Planter Jamaica 93 The pickeniny gang consisted of the 
children who
were taken to the field. 1847 Knickerbocker 30 216 It might be very 
pleasant to
be surrounded by half-a-dozen negro waiting-women, with their 
picaninnies. 1867
L. M. CHILD Romance of Republic ii. 16 The negroes at their work, and 
their
black picaninnies rolling about on the ground. 1971 R. FITZGERALD 
Spring Shade
80 Wide-eyed pickaninnies Curl their toes in the sweet air. 1994 A. 
AUBERT
Coll. Poems 78, I just saw a alligator goin' down the creek with a lil
pickaninny in his mouth.
{beta} 1790 J. B. MORETON Manners & Customs West India Islands 152 The
women..are obliged to..take their pickinnies (i.e. children) on their 
backs, to
which they are tied with handkerchiefs. 1868 T. RUSSELL Etymol. 
Jamaica Gram. 6
Pickini, a child. 1907 W. JEKYLL Jamaican Song & Story 40 Now Toad 
have twenty
picny. 1958 J. CAREW Wild Coast viii. 117 All you is, is a maugre,
skin-and-bone pickny. 1969 S. M. SADEEK Windswept & Other Stories 37 
‘I was
working for the estate, until..’ ‘Until alyou get busy making 
picknie.’
1977 Westindian World 3-9 June 4/1 It has been made very plain that 
quite a
number of teachers in schools up and down de country are in many 
cases more
dunce than de pickney dem teach themselves. 1990 R. FOSTER Remember 
Wen? 121
Dey use tuh call him Ba Joe. Dey Shudda call him Beau Joe. He had 
plenty
pickney.

    b. Austral. and N.Z. An Aboriginal or Maori child.
{alpha} 1817 Sydney Gaz. 4 Jan. 2/3 Governor,{em}that will make good
Settler{em}that's my Pickaninny! 1817 J. L. NICHOLAS Narr. Voy. N.Z. 
II. 171
This fellow [sc. a native servant]..met me..telling me that Mrs. King 
had got a
pickeeninnee, (a child,) he began to describe her 
groans..while..under the
pains of labour. 1847 F. W. L. LEICHHARDT Jrnl. Overland Exped. 
Austral. xv.
520 Bilge introduced several old warriors..adding always the number of
piccaninies, that each of them had. 1889 R. C. PRAED Romance of 
Station 16
Three or four half-naked gins, with their picaninnies slung on their 
tattooed
backs. 1925 J. MANDER Allen Adair (1971) 85 He loved to carry her 
about in a
shawl on his back as the Maoris did their picaninnies. 1963 Sydney 
Morning
Herald 19 Nov. 6/4 The use of such words as ‘boy’, ‘lubra’
and..‘piccaninny’ to describe aborigines has been banned to 
Northern
Territory welfare officers. 1964 R. H. MORRIESON Came a Hot Friday 
(1981) 170
Pakeha visitors..were few and far between and news of the occupancy 
of the
guest chamber soon circulated among the piccaninnies. 1983 K. W. 
MANNING In
their own Hands 188 As a lad..he was referred to by the Islanders as 
‘white
fella piccaninny b'long Boss’.
{delta} 1938 X. HERBERT Capricornia 48 ‘These his piccanins?’ She 
nodded to
Nawnim and muttered, ‘Dat one belong Mark.’ 1946 I. L. IDRIESS In 
Crocodile
Land xxvi. 180 With the little black kewpie of a piccanin aboard her 
tiny
canoe, Wagis paddled downstream towards the river mouth.

    c. chiefly S. Afr. and W. Afr. A small black African child; a 
young black
African boy.
{alpha} 1855 in J. W. Colenso Ten Weeks in Natal Add. 3 What will the 
poor
little piccaninnies do, Boy? 1893 Voice (N.Y.) 14 Dec., Even the 
pickaninnies
and pygmies of the Congo valley are..entitled to protection from 
drink. 1986 F.
KARODIA Daughters of Twilight 76 ‘How many pickaninnies you got?’ 
the
Afrikaner fired at the man. ‘Five, Baas.’
{beta} 1851 J. F. CHURCHILL Diary 29 June (Killie Campbell Africana 
Library
MS37), We were soon surrounded inside by men women and picannies 
laughing and
chattering all the time.
{gamma} 1925 Brit. Weekly 31 Dec. 340/2 A mother..crooned gently to 
her
‘piccin’ not more than a few weeks old. 1961 G. GREENE Burnt-out 
Case IV.
i. 100 The piccin that stole sugar from the white man's cupboard.
{delta} 1900 S. CHAMBERS Rhodesians 50 Attended by a sable piccanin. 
1911 P.
GIBBON Margaret Harding 66 Picanin all right; plenty scoff, plenty 
mahli,
plenty everything. 1939 Outspan (Bloemfontein) 20 Oct. 70 (advt.) Jim 
is a
pickanin learning to be a houseboy. 1966 C. SWEENEY Scurrying Bush 
xiv. 199 He
guided me about half a mile up the road, the rest of the piccannins 
scampering
behind. 2002 C. SLAUGHTER Before the Knife xi. 176 We..watched the 
piccanins
jumping up and down outside our windows, asking for pennies.

    2. More generally: any small child. Cf. PINKANINNY n. Also fig.
1774 Story Aeneas & Dido Burlesqued 45 I'd freely give a golden 
guinea If I
could have a pickaninny, By any means, before we part, Like thee in 
face, but
not in heart. 1817 SCOTT Let. 29 Apr. (1932) IV. 438 The little 
pickaninny has
my kindest wishes. 1859 THACKERAY Virginians lxviii, A little box at 
Richmond
or Kew, and a half-score of little picaninnies. 1899 Westm. Gaz. 15 
Dec. 12/1
She's Britannia's Picaninny, If she isn't very big! She's a Daughter 
of the
Empire,..Natal! 1917 S. T. PLAATJE Native Life 273 The naughty white
piccaninnies who always insult inoffensive black passers-by. 1954 J. 
A.
WEINGARTEN Amer. Dict. Slang, Pickaninny, used humorously for any 
child. 1970
Forum (Johannesburg) 6 48 You yourself were my little pikinini.

    3. Austral. and N.Z. In extended use: the offspring of an animal.
1824 Methodist Missionary Soc. Rec. 14 Sept., Young{em}shot her down: 
and he
thought she had something in her belly, so he took his knife and cut 
her open,
and a little pickerninny tumbled out. 1850 Bell's Life in Sydney 22 
June 3/2
About twenty kangaroos of all sizes, from the old man down to the 
piccaninny.
1853 G. B. EARP N.Z. 145 [The natives] are very fond of horses... 
They will buy
nothing but mares, having a great desire to have ‘pickaninny’ 
horses of
their own. 1965 R. OTTLEY By Sandhills 132, I show you kangaroo. Big 
fella one,
an' mary gottim piccanin. Piccanin along belly.

    B. adj.    Little; tiny; very young. Now rare.
1707 H. SLOANE Voy. Islands I. p. lii, They have..Christmas Holidays, 
Easter
call'd little or Piganinny, Christmas, and some other great Feasts. 
1791
Festival of Wit II. 39 Dey be only a piccaninny cork-screw, and a 
piccaninny
knife; one cost sixpence, and tudda a shilling. 1840 R. H. DANA Two 
Years
before Mast (1965) xix. 116 Me pickaninny{em}small{em}so high{em}no 
more! 1876
J. R. GREEN Let. 9 Oct. (1901) 439 A series which begins in the 
thirteenth
century is a very young and pickaninny series. a1912 ‘T. COLLINS’ 
Buln-Buln
& Brolga (1948) 107 Blackfellers mostly goes in for a piccaninny fire
{em}jist
three sticks, with the ends kep' together. 1951 E. HILL Territory 322 
Somewhere
there he had heard of a native well or soak{em}picaninny water, he 
showed them
with his hand. 1961 T. V. BULPIN White Whirlwind 233 ‘How old are 
you?’
‘Nineteen.’ ‘Oh, you are a piccanin white man.’ 1971 J. A. 
WRIGHT Coll.
Poems 211 Aren't they cute little pickaninny fawns?


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