Curious phrases and their meaningdictionary of diningroom. The past 12 years at war in iraq and afghanistan have given rise to an expansive and amazing new military vocabulary. Where does the term cracker come from, and how disparaging is it. Cracker barrel definition, of or suggesting the simple rustic informality and directness thought to be characteristic of life in and around a country store.
Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples log in dictionary. Various theories exists regarding this terms application to poor white southerners. Cracker state definition, georgia used as a nickname. The term cracker was in use during elizabethan times to describe braggarts. How did it come to be or where did it orginate from. With a single phrase, rachel jeantel, that friend of trayvon martins, may have lit a fuse in the trial of his accused killer. Weve put some to the test to ensure your festive dinner goes with a bang up to ps20 c verdict. A term that derives from slavery, when white slave owners would crack the whip on africans. In remoter areas, aboriginal people still often refer to themselves quite neutrally as blackfellas and whites as. Do white people actually find the term cracker offensive.
Sometime in the past thirty years or so the phrase has become rhyming slang in britain for knackered. There are no good crackers, and if you find one, kill him before he changes. Broader ethnic categories aboriginal australian aboabbo aus australian aboriginal person. The term cracker is used as a neutral nickname by inhabitants of georgia and florida.
The supposed jump, of which the veracity was disputed, gave brodie publicity, a thriving saloon and a career as a performer. Mar 26, 2018 its a racial slur nowadays because word meanings and usages change and evolve over time. Fortunately the new international dictionary in its 1950 edition includes a large number of dialect, colloquial and slang words, and is a. Cracker conveys history of bigotry that still resonates cnn. This idiom has its origins in slavery white people were called crackers because of the sound of a slaveowners whip. Crackers definition of crackers by the free 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. This is not a racial slur on white people in australia as it is elsewhere. But when the nickname is used by outsiders, it is usually with. Although originally a classist term, meaning the same as poor white trash, it has evolved through usage to be a derogatory term for someone considered a w. 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 cream cracker is a savoury dry biscuit, often eaten with cheese. What does the racial term cracker mean and how did the. Derivation is steve brodie, who jumped off the brooklyn bridge in 1886. Dec 23, 2007 the joke is usually terrible hence the term a cracker of a joke. Great for parents, teachers, law enforcement, and teenagers. All of our slang term and phrase definitions are made possible by our wonderful visitors. 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 term is derived from the famous saltine brand of crackers, which are square shaped. The definitive glossary of modern us military slang public radio.
What does the racial term cracker mean and how did the term come to be. Does it target all whites or just a subsection of whites. What does the racial term cracker mean and how did the term. It is sometimes used in a neutral context in reference to a native of florida or georgia see florida cracker and georgia cracker. A bad or clumsy chefcook used to stumble a lot and was made fun of by the other cooks and chefs. Coal cracker is from 1853 of persons, 1857 of machinery that breaks up mined coal. Christmas crackers can range in price from pennies to pounds. Here, we highlight the most commonly heard irish idioms and words, their meanings, and examples of how they are used in everyday speech.
The drug slang translator contains a comprehensive list of drug slang words. A puppet named colonel crackie played the stereotypical southern gentleman in the childrens television show kukla, fran and ollie which aired on nbc from the late 1940s to the late 1950s. Two of the most popular theories are that the term cracker comes from as far back as the early 1800s and carried to the united states by scottish settlers in the south and appalachia. The first is that a cracker was a slang term used by 19th century georgian slaves to refer to the slavemasters. Ward and john joe maguire were both just wide, while damian curran hit a cracker that rice saved. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a sometimes pejorative expression for white people, especially 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 denotes ostentation. This term is used with disparaging intent and is perceived as insulting, being similar in connotation to redneck and hillbilly. I heard that it came from back in the day when slaves worked and a specific man would come out and whip them, and from the sound of the whip was a cracking noise. If this were in fact, true, then the term would come directly from the cracking of the slavemasters whip.
A cracker is a thin, crisp biscuit which is often eaten with cheese. Only the true women that have confidence in theirselves dare to approach him. A person of the male gender that is a real dude, usually one of the flyest guys around that the bitches love. We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations.
Information and translations of cracker in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. That dude is a muddafuggin saltine a cracka and a square. 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. His striking good looks instantly puts an overwhelming feeling in the hearts and body of all women. Cracker has been used as a supposed offensive term. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the slangit team. Obviously, there are avengers part 2, new star wars episode ix and many others. Log in or sign up for facebook to connect with friends, family and people you know. The original root of this is the middle english word crack1 meaning entertaining conversation one may be said to crack a joke. 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 irish used it as a line after his jokes and it became part of the english language meaning a good joke.
Its super offensive, as a white person, to call yourself and other white people this. Indeed, since the dawn of time, us irish have managed to invent our very own slang words and phrases to unleash on all unfamiliar with the lingo. Thats a slightly older slang term there are examples going back into the. The name cracker was synonymous with thier food, architecture, way of making a living as well as the people themselves. I know it goes back to before 1600 which would put its or. Looking for online definition of cracker or what cracker stands for. One theory is that it refers to the cracked corn that was a major part of the diet of poor southern whites.
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. A cracker of a game was played with both sides giving their all. Cracker comes from the gaelic word craic which means a good conversation and is still in use in ireland today. I asked jelani cobb, a historian at the university of connecticut and a contributor to the new yorker, if he might know. If both play to their undoubted potential then a cracker of a game is in prospect. Down under this refers to a good joke that made you crack up. Code switch where does the slur cracker come from, anyway. Cracker means something entirely different in florida. Cracker definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Corncracker originally referred to a native of kentucky or georgia, but has come to apply broadly to any poor white person in the south. One theory holds that the term comes from the common diet of poor whites. Top synonyms for cracker other words for cracker are biscuit, cookie and hardtack. Jul, 2010 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.
The process of cracking corn was essential to the process of distilling scottish whiskey and later, whiskey in the appalachians. Mar 30, 2007 clarence major, in his dictionary of afroamerican slang, lists two rather interesting ideas about the origin of the term. Cracker can also be used as an offensive term for a white person, particularly one who. Today im going to take a look at words or phrases that will confuse the hell out of you. If you would like to suggest a term or an update to an existing one. These are movies that every kid wants to see, but sometimes you can miss it. It is where applications come in handy you can watch a. I previously wrote about the unique pronunciation of australians. 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. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial slur used against white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. What is the origin of the slang word cracker answers.
Jul 30, 2007 this slang page is designed to explain what the meaning of brodie is. The amount of misinformation contained in some of these answers is amazing. Much like nword privileges, cracker can be a proud selfdescription, a dire insult, or anything in between so its best to avoid the word unless youre certain that youre in the privileged group, with an audience that sees things the same way, and even then you can expect some criticism from outsiders. Cracker meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Im pretty sure cracker is an anti white racial slur right. Definition of pull a brodie the online slang dictionary. This page explains what the slang term cracker means. The term is, indeed, a somewhat derogatory term for white people. He is an amazing athlete that dominates in all sports.
Originally, this was simply an informal term for aborigine, and was in fact used by aboriginal people themselves until it started to be considered offensive in the 1950s. The term cracker was used in the north, nj and ny for sure in the 50s and 60s. It was used against all white people by those now referred to as blacks, african americans, and so forth. After the boats engine has died and hooper tells brody and quint that he will go into the shark cage, you can see a reflection of. When used in pop culture, the term white cracker or cracker is sometimes intended to be humorous, though the distinction is not always clear. Steve brodie december 25, 1861 january 31, 1901 was an american from manhattan, new york city, who on july 23, 1886, claimed to have jumped off the brooklyn bridge and survived. The term its a cracker came about during the 70s from a tv program called the. 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. Is cracker the common slang word for the irish answers. Synonyms for cracker at with free online thesaurus, antonyms, and definitions.
This slang page is designed to explain what the meaning of brodie is. Cracker definition of cracker by medical dictionary. Overall a brodie is just the man a person of the male gender that is a real dude, usually one of the flyest guys around that the bitches love. It implies a person who lives in the utmost worst conditions and a person who no one really cares about. A list of slang words and phrases, idioms, jargon, acronyms, and abbreviations. A wordlist from south carolina university of south. Nov 05, 2008 slightly on the vulgar side, this is a literal term which you can probably work out for yourselfbut maybe only use it amongst friends. 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. I brodied his jacket after he told me i couldnt have it. Meaning instrument for crushing or cracking is from 1630s.
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