I just got up from conversation with a couple of older black men, that I said “well I got to go back to work and start cracking the whip.” And it occurred to me then that it was probably a really insensitive stupid thing to say.
Sadly, it hadn’t occurred to me until it’s already said.
More complex than the yanks think it is, however. Use it incorrectly in Australia and you can still get a fist to the face, or just not get invited to the next party and kicked from the group chats. It is a mistake to think that context isn’t relevant for this one.