Crackers definition of crackers by the free dictionary. It is a farmers who raised only cracked products, such as wheat and corn. Dago, pronounced daygo known as a pejorative term referring to italians in the uk and the us. Dictionaries and labeling of words offensive to groups, with particular attention to the second edition of the oed. Cracker definition in the cambridge english dictionary. The online etymology dictionary traces the slur cracker poor, white trash either to crack to boast or to corncracker poor white farmer. Who coined the term dago, what does it mean, and has it.
The latter explanation makes sense, because in piney. It was originally coined in the 17th century by british sailors to indicate spanish or portuguese people. Crackers article about crackers by the free dictionary. The regular north vietnamese army was referred to as mr. Slang is very informal usage in vocabulary and idiom that is characteristically more metaphorical, playful, elliptical, vivid and ephemeral than ordinary language random house unabridged dictionary learn 600 slang expressions an idiom is. These dagos, as they are pleasantly called by our people, were. B are you more familiar than i with the history of the term cracker. Its also anything that cracks, like a firecracker or a computer code cracker, or of course, that thin. Moonshining, the illegal distilling of corn liquor, became rampant. The latter derivation is essentially the same as your grandmothers, except that the staple food of poor farmers was cracked corn, not crackers. Cracker definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Americanaustralian slang dictionary robert p oshea. 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. The word dago is a derivative of the spanish name diego, which means james.
A term used by american troops during the vietnam war as a shorthand for communist guerrillas. All the way back to the age of shakespeare, at least. Another version of the origin of cracker comes from the spanish term cuaquero, which means quaker. Nor are cracker, dago, guinea, honky, kike, kraut, limey, mick, spic, or any of the other scornful words people use to belittle other groups. The cracker term was soon associated with the descendants of these early settlers, especially the cowboys and farmers of georgia and florida.
The same term is known in australia, where in the 1950s folklore has it a chain of shops called sundown used it with the slogan shop here before the day goes sundowner is also an australian term meaning down and out. He also explained that although the term is derogatory in much of the country, in florida, its a source of pride. Jul 01, 20 but it turns out cracker s roots go back even further than the 17th century. 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 denotes ostentation. Despite the hispanic origin of the word, in the 19th century the word dago became more commonly used in the usa as a derogatory term for italians, due to the large immigration from that country. The term cracker was in use during elizabethan times to describe braggarts. 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.
In american slang,what does a cracker mean,and is it. A cream cracker is a savoury dry biscuit, often eaten with cheese. If so, please share what you are really thinking about this comment. Sometime in the past thirty years or so the phrase has become rhyming slang in britain for knackered. Synonyms for cracker at with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions. In remoter areas, aboriginal people still often refer to themselves quite neutrally as blackfellas and whites as whitefellas. The meaning of the 30 most popular slang words these days. Cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a contemptuous term used for white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. Clothing with beer logos is an acceptable alternative to above waikato is. The word has different meaning based on where its said, but it all references italians.
For the purposes of this list, an ethnic slur is a term designed to insult others on the basis of race, ethnicity, or nationality. Compare latin crepare to rattle, crack, creak, with a secondary figurative sense of boast of, prattle, make ado about. Dictionaries and labeling of words offensive to groups, with. Where does the term cracker come from, and how disparaging. I am of the opinion that given the predominance of even american movies at the very least the term cracker is now well known beyond north america. Since the corn kernel had to be cracked in order for fermentation to occur, the term cracker was used to describe those who made corn liquor in georgia.
I know it goes back to before 1600 which would put its or. The true origin of the word spic, the racist insult. A cracker is a thin, crisp biscuit which is often eaten with cheese. Such words overpower us with emotions, blocking out rational thought about the people to whom they refer allport 1954.
Another theory is that the term refers to whips that crackers used to drive slaves or cattle. Wines 1833 two years in the navy, referring to the natives of minorca. The true origin of the word spic, the racist insult aimed at hispanics as hate incidents are on the rise and antiimmigrant rhetoric intensifies, the word spic has come into focus. Do white people actually find the term cracker offensive. As in the statement above, ugly can work in a similar way. I should explain to your lordship what is meant by crackers. The amount of misinformation contained in some of these answers is amazing.
Jul 07, 2010 the term cracker was in use during elizabethan times to describe braggarts. Cracker comes from the gaelic word craic which means a good conversation and is still in use in ireland today. It is sometimes used in a neutral context in reference to a native of florida or georgia. Cracker means something entirely different in florida. The original root of this is the middle english word crack1 meaning entertaining conversation one may be said to crack a joke. An ethnic slur for one from italy, spain, or portugal. May 11, 2020 a dry, thin, crispy baked bread usually salty or savoury, but sometimes sweet, as in the case of graham crackers and animal crackers. When used by black people, cracker can refer to a southern white racist, not necessarily poor or rural.
Pronunciation key show spelled pronunciationdeygoh pronunciation key show ipa pronunciation. Cracker was a derogatory term applied to these poor farmers from before the american revolution. The meaning of the word has changed a lot over the last four. A cracker is a xmas festive thing resembling a toilet roll covered with tissue and decorations the cracker has a small explosive which goes off when you pull it the cracker usually holds a paper hat,a token and a joke the joke is usually terrible hence the term a cracker of a joke. Cracker conveys history of bigotry that still resonates. A cracker is not a slave owner or overseer cracking a whip. Said to have been originally american english slang for one born of spanish parents, especially in new orleans. In fact, the wikipedia entry for cracker pejorative even notes the. In some areas its used to describe someone unusually skinny, pedophilia, and ive even heard homosexual.
The term cracker was also given to the farm hands that would work on the plantations as slave drivers. Dago comes from the spanish given name diego, and over time has extended in meaning to include portuguese and eventually italians. A thin crisp wafer or biscuit, usually made of unsweetened dough. Cracker definition of cracker by the free dictionary.
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. Mar 05, 2020 dago plural dagoes or dagos britain, slang, offensive, ethnic slur a person of italian, spanish, portuguese, or other mediterranean descent. One theory is that it refers to the cracked corn that was a major part of the diet of poor southern whites. Crackers, depending on the variety, may also contain added chemical looseners, milk. When oglethorpe founded the colony of georgia, alcohol was prohibited. With a single phrase, rachel jeantel, that friend of trayvon martins, may have lit a fuse in the trial of his accused killer. Thats a slightly older slang term there are examples going back into the 1950s which means exhausted or worn out. The term its a cracker came about during the 70s from a tv program called the comedians one them whos. Dago, an ethnic slur referring to italians and people of italian origin or ethnicity and sometimes spaniards and the portuguese a slang term.
But it turns out crackers roots go back even further than the 17th century. Definition of the slang term cracker with an example. Us another word for poor white cracker a cookie prepared from wheat flour, shortening, and yeast. They would put a short length of twisted twine or string attached to the end of a whip to produce a cracking sound. Jan 24, 2011 when oglethorpe founded the colony of georgia, alcohol was prohibited. This derogatory term did not originally refer to italians, which is its chief sense nowadays. A dry, thin, crispy baked bread usually salty or savoury, but sometimes sweet, as in the case of graham crackers and animal crackers.
The early scotsirish settlers were mostly presbyterian, baptist and methodist. By 1900 it had broadened to include nonsailors and shifted to mean chiefly italian. Austrlian slang term for a useless person living in the state of queensland. Cracker is always disparaging and offensive when used to refer to a poor white person in the south. Cracker state definition, georgia used as a nickname. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial slur used for white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. However, it is still used to indicate spanish or portuguese people as well, but rarely the french. Vietnam war military slang slang term used by american troops as a shorthand term for vietnamese guerrillas, derived from the verbal shorthand for victor charlie, the nato phonetic alphabet for vc, the abbreviation for viet cong. The related jesus christ on a cracker can be found in 1993s save me, joe louis by madison smartt bell.
1167 655 896 650 558 793 889 295 1174 1508 90 1113 372 1134 1067 1153 651 79 1636 275 613 906 1622 448 1581 232 1245 612 640 978 250 1226 384 255 384 1086 105 622 1242 254