Despite the historic examples of people having ice cream sundaes after committing such atrocities, the word “picnic” comes from a separate source. That said, there is an uncanny similarity between the lynching theory and the etymology of the word. Etymonline claims that the word picnic comes from the French word “piquenique,” which in turn might be a smashing together of “piquer” and “nique” or “to pick up a worthless thing.” The idea is that you pick at small nibbles at a picnic.
As separate as the origin of the word actually is from America’s racist past, Elizabeth Wellington argued in The Philadelphia Inquirer that it is worth keeping in mind the association between the two. We don’t necessarily have to stop saying picnic, but the history of the association shouldn’t be passed over either. Letting just anyone show you how to cook can be a recipe for a mediocre meal. With the rising popularity of YouTube cooking channels, it pays to be choosy—so allow us.
