He could not tell what I meant by secrets of state, where an enemy or some rival nation were not in the case. From the very first of the war their work was to help exterminate the guerrilla bands which infested the State. New Word List Word List. Save This Word! Georgia used as a nickname.
We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms. Origin of Cracker State An Americanism dating back to — I've also heard it refers to a cattle rancher who likes to crack their whip How broadly is this potentially pejorative expression used? Does anyone know where it really came form, or how disparaging it is?
Wikipedia notes both of those theories, plus two more related to whip-cracking cowboys and slave drivers. Except for the cracker cowboy theory, all of them have reasonable 18c.
Much like N-word privileges , cracker can be a proud self-description, a dire insult, or anything in between — so it's best to avoid the word unless you're certain that you're in the privileged group, with an audience that sees things the same way, and even then you can expect some criticism from outsiders. The word seems most acceptable in Georgia and Florida, especially in the phrases Georgia cracker and Florida cracker. Very interesting and funny question to me because growing up I had lots of African American friends who commonly used the opposite term n-word to refer to each other, and even me a white guy , and me and many of my other white "Caucasian", to be politically correct friends would call each other "crackers".
I don't know that I ever thought very much about what it meant, but I think I assumed that it meant you were white or pale like a saltine cracker. We just used it jokingly, usually in good fun, and never in any pejorative sense. But I know many people, esp people with a prejudice against Caucasians, use it in an intentionally pejorative manner. I think I have personally always just found the term to be quite hilarious. I'll even call my wife "Cracker" now and again just to get a smile out of her.
Like many words, the definition depends upon the intent and inflexion of the user. 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.
That is the popular etymology among White rural Georgians, according to my late father who was born in the small town of Adrian, Georgia. He also pointed out that Atlanta's long-time minor league team was called the "Atlanta Crackers. The New Georgia Encyclopedia says that the derivation is more complicated.
It says that linguists trace the word to the Gaelic word craic which is still used in Ireland to describe entertaining conversation. In Elizabethian English, the word cracker meant braggert. Shakespeare's King John includes the statement: "What cracker is this. The Earl of Dartmouth received this report of the new settlers: "I should explain to your Lordship what is meant by Crackers; a name they have got from being great boasters; they are a lawless set of rascalls on the frontiers of Virginia, Maryland, the Carolinas, and Georgia, who often change their places of abode.
African-Americans, however, shifted the meaning from positive to one of derision. The epithet cracker has been applied in a derogatory way, like redneck, to rural, non-elite white southerners, more specifically to those of south Georgia and…. The epithet cracker has been applied in a derogatory way to rural, non-elite white southerners. Linguists now believe the original root to be the Gaelic craic, still used in Ireland anglicized in spelling to crack for "entertaining conversation.
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Author John A. Burrison , Georgia State University. Originally published Jul 24, Last edited Aug 6, Article Feedback Why are you reaching out to us?
Share this Article. Crackers The epithet cracker has been applied in a derogatory way, like redneck, to rural, non-elite white southerners, more specifically to those of south Georgia and….
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