White knight

Mythology

The idea of a positive and negative color symbol being diametrically opposed is very common in ancient mythology, of which the white and black knights are one example, with others including the white horse and black horse from Indo-Aryan mythology. The white color symbolized innocence, illumination, openheartedness, and gladness.

Modern use

The term "white knight" is used in modern-day parlance to mean any kind of savior, although it is also specifically used in a business context to describe a person or corporation that saves another company from a hostile takeover and acquires its assets.

In various online communities and interactions, "white knight" is also used in slang to refer to men who are trying to curry the favor of women by protecting them, alongside other, similar terms, such as "simp" or "whipped". The usage of the term implies that these men, when doing nice things for women, are motivated by the prospect of a sexual or romantic relationship with that woman rather than a genuine belief in doing what is right.

Historical usage

Although the term 'white knight' has taken on a colloquial meaning in modern English, the White Knight was a historical noble title in the peerage of Ireland, first bestowed upon the Fitzgibbon family by King Edward III in 1333 AD. The other two Irish hereditary knighthoods are the Knight of Glin (also called the Black Knight), and the Knight of Kerry (also called the Green Knight).

References

References

1. Cirlot, Juan Eduardo. (2014). "A dictionary of symbols". Welcome Rain Publishers.
2. Melillo, Joseph. (2004). "American slang : cultural language guide to living in the USA". Classic Day Pub.
3. Dickson, Paul. (2010). "Slang! : the topic-by-topic dictionary of contemporary American lingoes". Pocket Books.
4. (2020-07-07). "A Short History of 'Simp'". The New York Times.
5. Lindsay, Jessica. (2020-01-04). "What is simping, and what is a simp?".
6. (1852). "The pocket peerage of Great Britain and Ireland".