rest in power
English
[edit]Etymology
[edit]Modelled on rest in peace. According to Barry Popik, the term likely originated in the graffiti community of Oakland, California.[1]
Phrase
[edit]- Said to mourn, remember, or celebrate a deceased person, particularly activists and victims of oppression.
- Antonym: rest in piss
- 1992, Rubén Martínez, “Going Up in L.A.”, in The Other Side: Fault Lines, Guerrilla Saints, and the True Heart of Rock 'n' Roll[2], page 104:
- A wall displays the local gang's roster—hundreds of names spraypainted in furious, spidery lettering. Someone points to the "R.I.P." section: more than a dozen names. "Rest in Power," mumbles one of the boys.
- 2020 June 10, Vivian Ho, “'He'll change the world': George Floyd's family pays emotional tribute as crowds flock to funeral”, in The Guardian[3]:
- About a mile from the cemetery entrance, hundreds lined the streets, holding up umbrellas and makeshift tents to protect themselves from the unrelenting sun. They doodled chalk messages of “rest in power” and “be the change” along the sidewalk, and periodically broke out in chants: “Say his name! George Floyd!”
Translations
[edit]blessing or expression of hope