Miss Ann is an expression used inside the African-American community to refer to a white woman (or sometimes a black woman) who is arrogant and condescending in her attitude.
The characteristics associated with someone called a "Miss Ann" include being considered "uppity", or in the case of a black woman, "acting white".
Like the male counterpart term Mister Charlie, the term Miss Ann was once common among many African Americans. It was a pejorative way of commenting on imperious actions and attitudes from white women, particularly when such behavior came with racist undertones. It is seldom used by young African Americans today; instead, the similar term Karen has become popular among Americans of all races.
Miss Anne: âÂÂA White WomanâÂÂ<br> âÂÂZora Neale Hurston, Glossary of Harlem Slang
Ann; Miss Ann: Coded term for any white female. [i.e.] âÂÂHis mama washes clothes on Wednesday for Miss Ann.âÂÂ<br> âÂÂClarence Major, From Juba to Jive: A Dictionary of African-American Slang
Ann: (1) A derisive term for a white woman ... Also âÂÂMiss Ann.âÂÂ<br> âÂÂGeneva Smitherman, Black Talk
Miss Ann and Mister Eddie: Emancipated bluebloods.<br> âÂÂEmmanuel Taylor Gordon, Born to Be
"IâÂÂd remind them please, look at those knees, you got at Miss AnnâÂÂs scrubbing."<br> âÂÂMaya Angelou, Sepia Fashion Show
"Oh, oh, oh, Miss Ann, you're doing something no one canâ¦"<br> âÂÂ"Miss Ann" song by Little Richard. Here the singer may be referring to the white woman, Ann Johnson, who mothered him as a young teenager, twisting the standard connotation in ambiguous ways.
"Miss Ann", a jazz composition written by Eric Dolphy and recorded several times by him; originally released on his LP record Far Cry (1962). The composition is semantically unrelated to the subject of this article, rather it is "a sketch of a girl he [Dolphy] knows." However, this is not obvious to someone who hears the music and its title without that context.