Georgia cracker definition origin

Cracker conveys history of bigotry that still resonates. Whatever the origin, many georgians hated the nickname. According to the 1911 edition of the encyclopaedia britannica, it is a term of co. 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. Aug 20, 2002 the reverend sylvester graham, a presbyterian minister who became a social reformer and a ferocious advocate of healthful living, is the man who put the graham into the treat we now know and. But dare compares corncracker kentuckian, also poor, lowclass white farmer of georgia and north carolina 1835, u. Cracker state definition, georgia used as a nickname. According to lore, louis lassen invented the hamburger sandwich in new haven, connecticut, in 1900, and you can still order an oldschool burger cooked on the original grill when you visit louis lunch marshmallow fluff. One eighteenthcentury definition of what a cracker provides a good description. Another theory is that the term refers to whips that crackers used to drive slaves or cattle. Atlanta crackers 18841965 18841886, 1889, 18921898, 19021965 atlanta, georgia. As it turns out, in the area in which rachel jeantel was raised, the word cracker isnt a racial slur at all, but rather, a proud nod to the regions history, and ones own ancestry.

The term cracker barrel was first used in 1916, and it emerged from the country stores of the era. Florida crackers feel comfortable shucking oysters, telling stories around a campfire, riding. Like many words, the definition depends upon the intent and inflexion of the user. Hard breadbiscuit sense first attested 1739, though hard wafer sense attested 1440. When used in this sense, a cracker is somebody who cant afford any other food. Common knowledge says the term refers to a person whose neck has burned from working in the sun. Cracker was once a derogatory term for a poor white southerner, but it was also used to denote someone quick and efficient at any task. Georgia used as a nickname meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples. Britannica notes that this usage of the term dates back to the american revolution, and is derived from the cracked corn which formed their staple food. Atlanta played its first southern association game against the nashville baseball club on saturday, april 26, 1902 memorial day in piedmont park before a crowd of around 3,500. Archibald query invented fluff in his somerville, massachusetts, kitchen in 1917. Another version of the origin of cracker comes from the spanish term cuaquero, which means quaker. The word was used especially of georgians by 1808, though often extended to residents of northern florida. Tracing its origin to the 16 th century, the name pecan is derived from the native american algonquin word pacane pacane that described nuts requiring a stone to.

The phrase crackerbarrel was inspired by the barrels full of soda crackers that were for sale in the countrys country stores. One theory is that the team was named after local farmers who cracked whips over oxen and horses. In order to get the cattles attention they became very adept at cracking a bullwhip. Jul 01, 20 but it turns out cracker s roots go back even further than the 17th century.

An americanism dating back to 187075 usage note for cracker state this nickname is used by inhabitants of georgia as a positive term of selfreference. There are many stories as to why the peoples in the geographic region from the georgia piedmont down through the florida panhandle and peninsula are called cracker, most of them based on what is known as a folk etymology. There are several theories as to the origin of the word cracker. Where does the term cracker come from, and how disparaging. 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 suggestions of immorality. And, by the 1800s, the name cracker wasnt used to describe only impoverished settlers. But this theory doesnt answer the question of how the word got applied almost exclusively to folks in rural areas of south georgia and florida. The term cracker was and is used most frequently in the southern u.

True florida crackers have at least one lineal descendant who was also born in the sunshine state. 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 origin of the florida cracker orlando sentinel. With a single phrase, rachel jeantel, that friend of trayvon martins, may have lit a fuse in the trial of his accused killer. One theory is that it refers to the cracked corn that was a major part of the diet of poor southern whites. A southern anglocelt, usually of scotsirish origin, who lives in the backcountry. The term cracker is a perjorative term used for whites, especially those from georgia. The term appears intact and in use by the mid1700s in colonial america. The florida cracker is a gaited breed known for its agility and speed. The cracker term was soon associated with the descendants of these early settlers, especially the cowboys and farmers of georgia and florida. 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. Crackerass dictionary definition crackerass defined. 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. For 60 years until 1961, the crackers were part of the class aa southern association, a period during which they won more games than any other association team, earning the nickname the.

The latter explanation makes sense, because in pineywoods georgia and florida pastoral yeomen did use bullwhips with cracker tips to herd cattle. The word then came to be associated with the cowboys of georgia and florida, many of them descendants of those early frontiersmen. Paul davis of orlando has traced the word in the oxford english dictionary. A pair of georgia crackers as depicted by illustrator james wells champney in the memoir the great south by edward king, 1873 cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a slur used against white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. An original colonizer of the state of the american state of georgia, or one of their descendants. The early scotsirish settlers were mostly presbyterian, baptist and methodist. How did the slang term cracker come about to mean white people. May 27, 2016 the term cracker is a perjorative term used for whites, especially those from georgia. 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.

That depends on which cracker you are asking about. Crack definition is to make a very sharp explosive sound. Dec 31, 2006 the term cracker was and is used most frequently in the southern u. Shakespeare used this sense of the word in king john. Cracker state definition and meaning collins english. Georgia has also been known as the buzzard state from laws georgia introduced to protect buzzards. It is a language spoken from the heart that anyone can understand. The pecan is the only tree nut native to north america. But when outsiders use the term, it is usually with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting by people living in georgia. 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. The new georgia encyclopedia says that the derivation is more complicated. In the late 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, georgia ranchers came to be known as georgia crackers by floridians when they drove their cattle down into the grassy flatlands of central florida to graze in the winter, stopping where the citrus groves began.

I first heard the term cracker used to mean white people was. Cracker, the old standby of anglo insults was first noted in the mid 18th century, making it older than the united states itself. Georgia cracker a native to the state of georgia whose family has lived out in more rural parts of the state for many generations and continues to do so. Cracker conveys history of bigotry that still resonates cnn. The term crackerbarrel was first used in 1916, and it emerged from the country stores of the era. The term cracker was in use during the elizabethan era to describe braggarts. Jun 14, 2016 that depends on which cracker you are asking about.

Georgia cracker refers to the original american pioneer settlers of the province of georgia, and their descendants. Where does the term cracker come from, and how disparaging is it. It is genetically and physically similar to many other spanishstyle horses, especially those from the spanish colonial horse group. In elizabethian english, the word cracker meant braggert. What is the origin of the term cracker as it refers to. A dry, thin, crispy baked bread usually salty or savoury, but sometimes sweet, as in the case of graham crackers and animal crackers. Wikipedia cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a usually racist disparaging term for white people, especially poor rural whites in the southern united states. A native to the state of georgia whose family has lived out in more rural parts of the state for many generations and continues to do so.

Cracker style in its simplest form, a cracker house is a wooden shelter built by the early florida and georgia settlers. But it turns out crackers roots go back even further than the 17th century. The original root of this is the middle english word crack, meaning entertaining conversation as one may be said to crack a joke. The meaning of the word has changed a lot over the last four. How did the slang term cracker come about to mean white. But dare compares corn cracker kentuckian, also poor, lowclass white farmer of georgia and north carolina 1835, u. Many georgians were proud to call themselves georgia crackers who took the name from their ancestors who drove their cattle cracking whips south to florida grasslands. The same phrase was also used at about the same time by another elizabethan playwright, thomas dekker, but its origins are much older. Another theory is that the name originated from the citys previous team, the. It says that linguists trace the word to the gaelic word craic which is still used in ireland to describe entertaining conversation. The florida cracker horse is a breed of horse from the state of florida in the united states. All the way back to the age of shakespeare, at least. 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.

Contributor names aliff, joe interviewee hufford, mary, 1952 interviewer created published october 27, 1995 subject headings. Usage of the term cracker generally differs from hick and hillbilly because crackers reject or resist assimilation into the dominant culture, while hicks and. Georgia cracker refers to the original american pioneer settlers of the province of georgia later, the state of georgia, and their descendants in the late 19th century and the early part of the 20th century, georgia ranchers came to be known as georgia crackers by floridians when they drove their cattle down into the grassy flatlands of central florida to graze in the winter, stopping. Cracker comes from a celtic word meaning braggart or loudmouth. However, it can also extend to any outdoor type labor. Since the 1870s, a nickname for georgia is the cracker state. The pejorative cracker, a racist term for southern whites, is the most obvious association. The spanish first brought horses to florida with their expeditions in the early 16th. The phrase cracker barrel was inspired by the barrels full of soda crackers that were for sale in the countrys country stores. 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. One theory holds that the term comes from the common diet of poor whites. Its buttery flavor and unmatched nutritional content have resulted in its growing worldwide popularity.

Cracker state definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Information and translations of florida cracker in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. The term cracker has dozens of different meanings, some as old as florida. Oct 19, 2006 the origin of the nickname crackers is unknown. But the theory doesnt explain why the word in this sense would be applied to the usually taciturn folk of the florida backwoods. It was used to refer to poor whites, particularly those. Florida crackers are native born floridians who speak a unique language. The 1911 edition of the encyclopedia britannica, notes that cracker is a term of contempt for the poor or mean whites, particularly of georgia and florida. Cracker means something entirely different in florida.