Compare latin crepare to rattle, crack, creak, with a secondary figurative sense of boast of, prattle, make ado about. The cracker term was soon associated with the descendants of these early settlers, especially the cowboys and farmers of georgia and florida. It also includes collection accounts, chargeoffs, repossessions and foreclosures. As it turns out, redneck is a term that has been in use in english speaking nations outside of the. It turned out, in fact, to be a cracker of a show to cheer up the punters on a showery and cold earlymarch night. I asked him what that meant, he said it was the n word for white people. It has been accepted for inclusion in history faculty publications by an authorized administrator of topscholar. 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. Information on a persons credit report that can be legally used to turn down a loan application. But it turns out crackers roots go back even further than the 17th century. Mar 23, 2020 home history racial and ethnic slurs from around the world gunner monday, march 23, 2020 one of the immutable rules of political correctness is that white american people in general, and white american males in particular, are apparently the only people on the planet who practice discrimination and racism.
Recommended citation anthony harkins, hillbillies, rednecks, crackers, and white trash, the new encyclopedia of southern culture, v. Cracker, the old standby of anglo insults was first noted in the mid 18th century, making it older than the united states itself. Cracker means something entirely different in florida. Jul 01, 20 but it turns out cracker s roots go back even further than the 17th century. Derogatory items represent credit risk to lenders, and therefore, are likely to have a substantial effect on your ability to obtain new credit. Picnic derived from the french word piquenique, a term from the late 17th century.
In fact, the wikipedia entry for cracker pejorative even notes the. Nigger the word, a brief history african american registry. The early scotsirish settlers were mostly presbyterian, baptist and methodist. Jul 11, 2019 if we turn to the formal definition in the internet users glossary under rfc 92, a hacker is a person who delights in having an intimate understanding of the internal workings of a system, computers and computer networks in particular. A derogatory account is one that is seriously past due. Cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a slur used against white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states.
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 views. Since then, its meaning has become more generalized and it is often used by blacks to describe whites, especially racist whites. There is, however, no evidence that picnic has ever been used in a racist way, despite the fact that many people believe it to have racist origins or racist overtones. Trayvon martins use of the term cracker doesnt make him a racist. Redneck is a derogatory term chiefly but not exclusively applied to white americans perceived to be crass and unsophisticated, closely associated with rural whites of the southern united states. Another version of the origin of cracker comes from the spanish term cuaquero, which means quaker. Some versions state that the reason for this was that the white men were too afraid. It may also refer to other information that indicates credit risk, such as bankruptcy and public records. So lets take a look at the history of the cracker slur to examine its history and potentially problematic use. List of ethnic slurs by ethnicity the fearless report. I was called a cracker by an african american woman, while i was working with my african american friend. Home history racial and ethnic slurs from around the world gunner monday, march 23, 2020 one of the immutable rules of political correctness is that white american people in general, and white american males in particular, are apparently the only people on the planet who practice discrimination and racism. Mildly derogatory term used by african americans, mainly in the 1960s and 1970s, to refer to a white person from james baldwins play, blues for mister charlie. Here in the midwest i know the term as derogatory to white people from african americans.
Definition of the slang term cracker with an example. Today, cracker is often used as a derogatory term for a white person for obvious reasons. The latter derivation is essentially the same as your grandmothers, except that the staple food of poor farmers was cracked corn, not crackers. One theory holds that the term comes from the common diet of poor whites. Information and translations of derogatory in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. One theory holds that it originated with disadvantaged corn and wheat farmers. Cracker as a slur doesnt have either the weight of history or the weight of politics that the nword has, and racism against white specifically.
The term hillbilly derived from the scottsirish supporters of king william. With a single phrase, rachel jeantel, that friend of trayvon martins, may have lit a fuse in the trial of his accused killer. It was used to refer to poor whites, particularly those. How did the slang term cracker come about to mean white people. It was the english who had originally bestowed the word cracker as a derogatory term, so the name stuck to the celtic settlers in those earlier, english controlled colonial societies. Cracker as a slur doesnt have either the weight of history or the weight of politics that the nword has, and racism against white specifically european americans is invariably a localized issue when it appears, rather than a systemic problem. Good ol boy rural people, especially white, powerful people and their networks. It comes from piquer, which has many shades of meaning. Where does the term cracker come from, and how disparaging. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial epithet for white people, used especially for poor rural whites in the southern united states. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the slangit team.
I dont know how it started but i think it started in georgia during the civil war probably had something to do with hard tack, a cracker eaten by civil war white soldiers. He also explained that although the term is derogatory in much of the country, in florida, its a source of pride. Cracker is always disparaging and offensive when used to refer to a poor white person in the south. When used by black people, cracker can refer to a southern white racist, not necessarily poor or rural. Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, or visit the. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. Derogatory definition, tending to lessen the merit or reputation of a person or thing. Its a cracker of a book and you should read it if you havent already. Porch monkey a black person, powder burn a black person. A dry, thin, crispy baked bread usually salty or savoury, but sometimes sweet, as in the case of graham crackers and animal crackers. 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. Cracker is not a derogatory term for white people and you cant equate it to nigger.
However, the word still retains the flavor of southern poverty. What does the racial term cracker mean and how did the. Derogatory term for whites, particularly from the american south. The meaning of the word has changed a lot over the last four.
Derogatory definition of derogatory by merriamwebster. Derogatory definition is expressive of a low opinion. 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. 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. All the way back to the age of shakespeare, at least. According to the 1911 edition of the encyclopaedia britannica, it is a term of co. Cracker conveys history of bigotry that still resonates cnn. The true origin of the word spic, the racist insult. What is the origin of the slang word cracker answers. 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. Public record items, such as bankruptcies and judgments also are considered derogatory. Oh, i have a cracker of a photo of the two of us after a massive goodbye cry, when i left australia 10 years ago. Well, possibly neither one, if you look at history. The term is, indeed, a somewhat derogatory term for white people.
Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. The term cracker is a perjorative term used for whites, especially those from georgia. Nondisparagement clause a contractual clause where a party agrees not to make disparaging remarks or negative statements. Definition of derogatory adjective in oxford advanced learners dictionary. A derogatory item is considered negative, and typically indicates a serious delinquency or late payments. The term cracker was in use during elizabethan times to describe braggarts. It implies a person who lives in the utmost worst conditions and a person who no one really cares about. However, the term white cracker is not always used selfreferentially and remains a racist term to many in the region.
Scurrilous the making or spreading of defamatory statements about another person, typically of a scandalous, vulgar and. Cracker derogatory term for whites, particularly from the american south. 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. The epithet cracker has been applied in a derogatory way, like redneck, to rural, nonelite white southerners, more specifically to those of south. In mtvs explainer web series decoded above, franchesca ramsey explains that cracker is a classist insult invented by a richer white upper class to describe lower class white people. Wikipedia also offers a proposed etymology of the term coming from the sound of the whips used by southern whites on their livestock. William, prince of orange, was known as king billy, and he deposed the unpopular james stuart from ruling in 1690.
Where does the term cracker come from, and how disparaging is it. 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. The true origin of the word spic, the racist insult aimed. A piquenique was kind of like a potluck, but more upscale. In early modern french, niger became negre and, later, negress black woman was unmistakably a part of language history. Coal cracker is from 1853 of persons, 1857 of machinery that breaks up mined coal. What derogatory means on your credit report experian. And nique means something like nothing much or a trifle. I should explain to your lordship what is meant by crackers.
Though it has since turned into a racial insult, ramsey says that upper class whites in the 1600s and 1700s used cracker to refer to dumb, lazy lower. Cracker definition this page explains what the slang term cracker means. 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. However, in florida, the word cracker is anything but. It was a social gathering in which each guest brought along a little something to eat. Its usage is similar in meaning to cracker especially regarding texas, georgia, and florida, hillbilly especially regarding appalachia and the. The history of the word nigger is often traced to the latin word niger, meaning black. Derogatory definition of derogatory by the free dictionary. Dubious sources, such as wikipedia, tell us it is a usually derogatory term for white people. The online etymology dictionary traces the slur cracker poor, white trash either to crack to boast or to corncracker poor white farmer. Most commonly, the term derogatory refers to accounts that are 60 or 90 days past due or more. May 27, 2016 the term cracker is a perjorative term used for whites, especially those from georgia. Its usage is similar in meaning to cracker especially regarding texas, georgia, and florida, hillbilly especially regarding appalachia and the ozarks, and white trash but without the last terms. This word became the noun, negro black person in english, and simply the color black in spanish and portuguese.
Derogatory definition in the cambridge english dictionary. Back in the 1700s, cracker was a derogatory term used by american whites to describe poor southerners of their own race. The term is often misused in a pejorative context, where cracker would be the correct term. Where the cracker slur comes from a week before the season 10 premier, drag performer vicky vox issued a tweet offering her understanding of the cracker slur. List of ethnic slurs by ethnicity the fearless report podcast.
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