Clear explanations of natural written and spoken english. The name cracker was synonymous with thier food, architecture, way of making a living as well as the people themselves. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. The meaning of the word has changed a lot over the last four. Check out these 50 rednecksouthern slang words and colloquial phrases. Miz crackers original drag name was brianna cracker, a homophone of brie on a cracker. Crackers definition of crackers by the free dictionary. Today the word is used to descibe any southern white person, mostly used in derogitory terms, as meaning rural poor country folk by those who could not be considered crackers. Where does the term cracker come from, and how disparaging is it. Jul 01, 20 with a single phrase, rachel jeantel, that friend of trayvon martins, may have lit a fuse in the trial of his accused killer. Its also anything that cracks, like a firecracker or a computer code cracker, or of course, that thin, savory snack that cracks when you break it. Cracker means something entirely different in florida. Although rednecks and southerners are not necessarily the same, redneck slang words are often considered southern slang words. Cracker definition and meaning collins english dictionary.
Cracker slang definition of cracker slang by the free. Its also anything that cracks, like a firecracker or a computer code cracker, or of. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the slangit team. All the way back to the age of shakespeare, at least. How did the slang term cracker come about to mean white people. Barnones dictionary of drinking home, info cracker. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. But when the nickname is used by outsiders, it is usually with disparaging intent and. In his speech the ballot or the bullet, malcolm x used the term cracker in reference to white people in a pejorative context. This page explains what the slang term cracker means.
Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples log in dictionary. All of our slang term and phrase definitions are made possible by our wonderful visitors. It can be used to designate any group of military personnel performing a similar function, like the signal corps or the medical corps. Redneck slang words dictionary definitions you can. Glossary of civil war terms american battlefield trust. The first is that a cracker was a slang term used by 19th century georgian slaves to refer to the slavemasters.
Comes from grinding or cracking corn to use for cornmeal rather than buying cornmeal or flour at a store. Mar 07, 2018 things are a little different down south. Because slang is casual language, some of these might not be appropriate for younger learners. Cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a usually disparaging term for poor whites, mainly used in the southern united states, but in recent decades in usage throughout north america.
He is a real cracker jack when it comes to getting people to bid. What is the origin of the slang word cracker answers. Cracker definition in the cambridge english dictionary. It implies a person who lives in the utmost worst conditions and a person who no one really cares about. Cracker definition of cracker by the free dictionary. Thats because a florida cracker is often self sufficient. We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. These examples are from the cambridge english corpus and from sources on the web. As an organizational element in the military, a corps is a unit made up of at least two divisions. At the merciful close of key prosecution witness rachel jeantels testimony in the trial of george zimmerman for the murder of trayvon martin, defense attorney don west asked ms.
Code switch where does the slur cracker come from, anyway. Cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a racial slur used against white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. Civil war vocabulary and commonly used civil war terms. Sometimes a person who was born in the state of florida might say, with pride, they are a florida cracker and sometimes they might just say they are a cracker. Cracker conveys history of bigotry that still resonates cnn.
The amount of misinformation contained in some of these answers is amazing. Urban dictionary home, info tech 3 matching dictionaries. One theory holds that the term comes from the common diet of poor whites. The southern slang dictionary will help you avoid confusion if you are planning to visit the south. It is sometimes used in a neutral context in reference to a native of florida, georgia or texas see florida cracker, georgia cracker or texas cracker. But it never really took, so she shortened it to just miz cracker. A florida cracker usually has a rural upbringing, either on a farm or in a small town with plenty of woods and water for hunting and fishing and land for planting. Today, cracker is often used as a derogatory term for a white person for obvious reasons. Another theory is that the term refers to whips that crackers used to drive slaves or cattle. That is, cracker has never been uttered from a place of power and privilege matching that of white americans. The term is also used in louisiana 1927 from the same album, where the line aint it a shame what the river has done to this poor cracker s land is attributed to president coolidge.
But it turns out cracker s roots go back even further than the 17th century. The epithet cracker has been applied in a derogatory way, like redneck, to rural, nonelite white southerners, more specifically to those of south georgia and north florida. A term in southeastern united states english to describe poor white trash, derived from the scottish meaning of the verb to crack, which, in this sense. The term its a cracker came about during the 70s from a tv program called the comedians one them whos. Acronym finder home, info slang 2 matching dictionaries cracker. Various theories exists regarding this terms application to poor white southerners. The term cracker is a perjorative term used for whites, especially those from georgia. Yours is the second letter ive gotten recently on the subject of racial insults. Back in the 1700s, cracker was a derogatory term used by american whites to describe poor southerners of their own race. That is the popular etymology among white rural georgians, according to my late father who was born in the small town.
Usually denotes latin women that are dressed exquisitely gangster with hoop earrings, heavy. Clarence major, in his dictionary of afroamerican slang, lists two rather interesting ideas about the origin of the term. For the record, cracker is not considered derogatory among the crackers living in the south today. Definition of cracker noun in oxford advanced learners dictionary. One theory is that it refers to the cracked corn that was a major part of the diet of poor southern whites. A term often used to describe the united states of america before the outbreak of the civil war. One theory holds that it originated with disadvantaged corn and wheat farmers. Being from australia i often hear the term cracker used by black american comedians, in reference to white people. Harvey rowed back to arrange with the cook and disko, who owned the stores, and on his return the cocoatins and cracker bags were counted out by the frenchmans wheel. In the 1950s slang dictionary below, i have tried to indicate which group used a term or at least its derivation, if warranted. In fact, the wikipedia entry for cracker pejorative even notes the.
Coal cracker is from 1853 of persons, 1857 of machinery that breaks up mined coal. But when the nickname is used by outsiders, it is usually with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting by georgians and floridians. Cracker is always disparaging and offensive when used to refer to a poor white person in the south. Crackers meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Apr 08, 2020 sense of computer cracker, crack, cracking, were promoted in the 1980s as an alternative to hacker, by programmers concerned about negative public associations of hack, hacking creative computer coding. While the word cracker is still rarely used to mean scotchirish, it now usually means a native of florida or georgia. View in context youll find a bowl o crackers an milk on your bureau, an i dont want to hear a sound from you till breakfast time. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the cambridge dictionary editors or of cambridge university press or its licensors. The opposite is true, it is an often used term of ethnic selfdescription and is a source of pride. Do white people actually find the term cracker offensive. I know it goes back to before 1600 which would put its or. Definition of crackerhead the online slang dictionary.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience. Lets examine miz crackers drag name and whether its a. Since then, its meaning has become more generalized and it is often used by blacks to describe whites, especially racist whites. The southern united states has its own distinctive traditions, food, and accents, making it one of the most fascinating regions in the country. Oct 27, 2014 so, the likely etymology of cracker is from the ulster and scots gaelic word creachadoir. Cracker has also been used as a proud or jocular selfdescription. Cracker barrel 1861 barrel full of sodacrackers for sale was such a common feature of old country stores that the phrase came to be used by 1905 as an adjective, emblematic of downhome ways and. Some crackers break into a network system deliberately to point out the flaws. Definition of cracker jack the online slang dictionary. Of course, to go along with all of the other quirks and differences in the south, theres a whole world of southern dialect and. Meaning instrument for crushing or cracking is from 1630s.
Cracker term cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a term for white people, used especially for poor rural whites in the southern united states. If you know of another definition of cracker that should be included here, please let us know. A cracker might be performing cracking for malicious activities, profit, for certain nonprofit intentions or causes, or just for a challenge. The word was used especially of georgians by 1808, though often extended to residents of northern florida. But dare compares corn cracker kentuckian, also poor, lowclass white farmer of georgia and north carolina 1835, u. With a single phrase, rachel jeantel, that friend of trayvon martins, may have lit a fuse in the trial of his accused killer. Folk etymology claims the term originated either from their cracking, or pounding, of corn rather than taking it to mill, or from their use of whips to drive cattle. These are some of the most common and not so common southern slang terms heard in arkansas and throughout the south. Cracker slang article about cracker slang by the free.
Cracker slang synonyms, cracker slang pronunciation, cracker slang translation, english dictionary definition of cracker slang. When used by black people, cracker can refer to a southern white racist, not necessarily poor or rural. It has been taken as an offensive and derogatory term to people of caucasian or european descent and is largely considered a slur in modern usage. This is the oft imitated lingo of tvs most famous carpark from 77 sunset strip. According to the 1911 edition of the encyclopaedia britannica, it is a term of co. When modern civilization collapses, the florida cracker will be hunting, fishing, trapping and growing his own food. A cracker is a thin, crisp biscuit which is often eaten with cheese. English slang and colloquialisms used in the united kingdom home, info c. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial epithet for white people, used especially for poor rural whites in the southern united states. If this were in fact, true, then the term would come directly from the cracking of the slavemasters whip. A variety of spelling that uses numbers and symbols that approximate the shape of certain letters, using for example 1 and 5 for i and s, used primarily. Dec 09, 2019 crackerjack not comparable us, slang referring to clothing items pants, jersey, collar that constitute the traditional blue uniform of the enlisted men of the us navy, following the sailor uniform worn by sailor jack on boxes of cracker jack snacks. If you would like to suggest a term or an update to an existing one. Cracker comes from the gaelic word craic which means a good conversation and is still in use in ireland today.
A cracker is an individual who performs cracking, or the process of breaking into a computer or a network system. What does the racial term cracker mean and how did the. Cracking definition is very impressive or effective. Can you tell me what is the meaning and where did the term originate. Derogatory term for lower income caucasians in the south. And so, dear reader, here be but a microcosm of americas nineteenthcentury colloquialisms and slang, some from the upper class, some from the lower, and much from the strata in between. Cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a usually pejorative term for a white person, mainly used in the southern united states, but in recent decades it has entered common usage throughout north america. After youre done, brush up on some southern manners and learn how to pronounce these commonly mispronounced arkansas names. Where does the term cracker come from, and how disparaging. Alternate form of peckerhead, usually used affectionately.
1589 764 539 837 1281 1001 718 1249 546 770 735 1189 985 1514 1067 717 1211 489 157 44 790 912 1199 798 957 1325 1364 957 1436 388 856 1586 12 481 548 730 1497 1122 610 1286 815