OK, So you are not racist. I am not either but having experienced negroes
firsthand I can honestly say that in my observation "nigger rigging" is just
plain not factual. What I mean is that white people can do that activity
just just as shamelessly and nobody calls it "white-rigging".
In any case I found Senyor Alcock's etymology to be most satisfying so once
again THE LIST comes through.

-----------Gnarlodious

Entity Andrew Payton spoke thus:

> Funny that was mentioned.  I was about to respond b/c I'd asked myself the
> same question except for a bit of a different reason.  I live in KY & I'd
> always heard the term "nigger-rig" up until a few years ago.  Even people that
> were racist said it - I said it.  I looked up jury-rig when I first stumbled
> upon it to see if there was any relation.  Anyway, I found basically the same
> thing Terry Kay did with this ask jeeves answer, so I'd recommend that
> explanation.
>
> -Andrew
>
> John Rodgers <jhrodgers@CHARTER.NET> wrote:
>> At the risk of creating an uproar and being politically incorrect, I
>> will tell you there is a term that has been used related to "rigging",
>> and that is "nigger-rigging". It implys an improper way to make things
>> work, with the outcome being less than desired. The expression was/is
>> used even today, particularly in the Deep South.  To me personally it is
>> vile, offensive, and disparaging of a people who have carried a great
>> burden in this country. But none-the-less, it is still in use.
>> Fortunately, it's common use is dying out.