The south gauteng high court awarded a human resource manager r50 000 in damages, plus legal costs, after she was called a liar and an unintelligent white girl. Under crimen injuria, the epithet kaffir has been actionable in the justice system of south africa since 1976. 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. Derogatory term for whites, particularly from the american south. Lets examine miz crackers drag name and whether its a. What is the origin of the slang word cracker answers.
It can also hinder your ability to rent an apartment or obtain a cell phone or other utilities in your name. 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. Derogatory items represent credit risk to lenders, and therefore, are likely to have a substantial effect on your ability to obtain new credit. The word was used especially of georgians by 1808, though often extended to residents of northern florida. This entry was posted in an ghaeilge, drossary and tagged cracker, craic, daniel cassidy, dwelly, how the irish invented slang, mcwhiney, michael krasny, origin of word cracker, scots, scottish gaelic, shakespeare on december, 2017 by debunkerofcassidy. Good ol boy southerners, especially white, powerful people and their networks. 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. That is, cracker has never been uttered from a place of power and privilege matching that of white americans. List of ethnic slurs by ethnicity the fearless vigilante. Somehow, black people, nor every other race on the face of the fucking earth, have ever treated people badly. It is a word for bigot, and is very derogatory in that sense.
To stave off any more comments to the contrary, this article answers a question about the origin of the word picnic. Cracker meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Jun 01, 2015 the escapist portal the escapist forums off. Information and translations of derogatory in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. But it never really took, so she shortened it to just miz cracker.
Not considered to be derogatory in most circumstances. Definition of derogatory from the collins english dictionary. What does the racial term cracker mean and how did the term come to be. Why white people saying the nword isnt the same as black. With the nword versus cracker debate, we have to discuss the history and power relations at play. Its a racial slur nowadays because word meanings and usages change and evolve over time.
The latter explanation makes sense, because in piney. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the slangit team. Public record items, such as bankruptcies and judgments also are considered derogatory. What does the racial term cracker mean and how did the. In the latest episode of the online program, ramsey dives into the history of the terms cracker, redneck and white trash to show that these words were actually invented by. Mostly it was used in the 1950s through the 1980s, but there are probably some people who still use it today. Consider this quote from wikipedia the damned yankee usage dates from 1812. Various theories exists regarding this terms application to poor white southerners. Derogatory definition of derogatory by the free dictionary. Can be used towards racist whites who dont think theyre racist.
Dictionary grammar blog school scrabble thesaurus translator quiz more resources more from collins. The amount of misinformation contained in some of these answers is amazing. Corn cracker definition, a contemptuous term used to refer to a member of a class of poor white people in the southern u. People can usually get away with using it in our reverseracist world. 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. Yours is the second letter ive gotten recently on the subject of racial insults. 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. Do white people actually find the term cracker offensive. From cambridge english corpus however, 91 of the 297 inspected women were called kvinnspersoner a derogatory term for a woman at the time. With a single phrase, rachel jeantel, that friend of trayvon martins, may have lit a fuse in the trial of his accused killer. For the record, cracker is not considered derogatory among the crackers living in the south today.
It is a derogatory term used to refer to white people, sort of like the white version of the n word. Cracker comes from the gaelic word craic which means a good conversation and is still in use in ireland today. Derogatory definition and meaning collins english dictionary. In south africa, the word was loosely used to refer to black south africans. Originally, this was simply an informal term for aborigine, and was in fact used by aboriginal people. By johan botes, director employment law, cliffe dekker hofmeyr. The new york drag performer said that as a resident of harlem, a predominantly black neighborhood, she gets called cracker all the time. These are some of the most common and not so common southern slang terms heard in arkansas and throughout the south. A term used by mexicans and other non whites in texas to describe whites in a derogatory fashion. Derogatory comments take many forms, and have an impact on selfconcept and the wellbeing of the recipient.
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. Miz crackers original drag name was brianna cracker, a homophone of brie on a cracker. We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. Cracker derogatory term for whites, particularly from the american south. If you have a derogatory item in your credit history, it can have a substantially negative impact on your credit scores and your ability to qualify for new credit. What derogatory means on your credit report experian. Derogatory definition in the cambridge english dictionary. In harriet beecher stowes abolitionist 1852 novel, uncle toms cabin, uncle tom is a martyr, not a sellout. 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.
Us, archaic, mildly derogatory a lowerclass white person in the southern us. The following is a list of ethnic slurs ethnophaulisms that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnicity, or to refer to them in a derogatory that is, critical or disrespectful, pejorative disapproving or contemptuous, or otherwise insulting manner. So well need to travel back in time to begin to understand why white people saying the nword and black people saying cracker are not the same. There is absolutely nothing to the story that picnic has racist, and murderous, origins. Derogatory definition is expressive of a low opinion. If you make a derogatory remark or comment about someone or something, you express your.
Now it is used as a derogatory term for white people much like. But dare compares corncracker kentuckian, also poor, lowclass white farmer of georgia and north carolina 1835, u. This page explains what the slang term cracker means. The definition of a redneck is slang and a derogatory term for a poor white person, often who lives in the rural southern united states and who often has conservative or bigoted attitudes. It is an internet myth that has become an urban myth. Its definitions do not make it inherently derogatory, but it really depends on the speaker and the context in the american south it is often used in a derogatory fashion. Derogatory term for lower income caucasians in the south. It all depends on who is doing the calling and who is doing the hearing. Cracker means something entirely different in florida. Derogatory definition of derogatory by merriamwebster. Cracker, sometimes white cracker, is a slur used against white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. Gilmore, chapter 12, in among the pines, or, south in secession time. The moist land surrounding the kissimmee river prevented travel to the north, while the sizable lake okeechobee and the everglades swamps prevented travel to the south. Code switch where does the slur cracker come from, anyway.
This list of ethnic slurs compiles words that are, or have been, used ethnic slurs sorted by ethnicity. For the purposes of this list, ethnicity can be defined by either race, nationality or ethnicity. The opposite is true, it is an often used term of ethnic selfdescription and is a source of pride. A derogatory item is considered negative, and typically indicates a serious delinquency or late payments. 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. The tragic shooting death of trayvon martin continues to be one of americas richest sources of tangentiallyrelated arguments. In the 1990s, some officials in highlands county, fla. Trayvon martins use of the term cracker doesnt make him a racist. Today nobody wants to be called an uncle tom, but 150 years ago, it was a compliment.
During and after the american civil war 18611865 confederates popularized it as a derogatory term for their northern enemies. 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. Crackers definition of crackers by the free dictionary. The opening episode of season 10 of rupauls drag race introduced us to a drag queen who called herself miz cracker, just like the snack and the racial slur, she said. The name hitler used to refer to his blondehaired, blueeyed master race. Derogatory definition, tending to lessen the merit or reputation of a person or thing. By 1850, the 120mile cracker trail had been blazed following an eastwest route across florida from fort pierce to bradenton. Where does the term cracker come from, and how disparaging. He also explained that although the term is derogatory in much of the country, in florida, its a source of pride. Continued processing with a granulator andor cracker mill, possibly with the aid of cryogenics or. It was adopted as a derogatory term after 1948 when the apartheid system was established. 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.
Our summons was answered by its owner, a welltodo, substantial, middleaged planter, wearing the ordinary homespun of the district, but evidently of a station in life much above the common. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Usually denotes latin women that are dressed exquisitely gangster with hoop earrings, heavyhanded lipliner. Where does the term cracker come from, and how disparaging is it. The southern slang dictionary will help you avoid confusion if you are planning to visit the south. At the merciful close of key prosecution witness rachel jeantels testimony in the trial of george zimmerman for the murder of trayvon martin. They might have carried cracker with them as a shorthand for whites back in the jim crow south. Your guide to labour law in south africa labour guide. Back in the 1700s, cracker was a derogatory term used by american whites to describe poor southerners of their own race. Cracker conveys history of bigotry that still resonates cnn. Whether or not you can find or imagine racist overtones in a word, its origins do not. Its super offensive, as a white person, to call yourself and other white people this. The epithet cracker has been applied in a derogatory way, like redneck, to rural, nonelite white southerners, more specifically to those of south. The following is a list of ethnic slurs ethnophaulisms that are, or have been, used as insinuations or allegations about members of a given ethnicity or to refer to them in a derogatory critical or disrespectful, pejorative disapproving or contemptuous, or insulting manner in the englishspeaking world.
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. If you make a derogatory remark or comment about someone or something. I know it goes back to before 1600 which would put its or. The opposite is true, it is an often used term of ethnic selfdescription and one of pride. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. But dare compares corn cracker kentuckian, also poor, lowclass white farmer of georgia and north carolina 1835, u. Comes from grinding or cracking corn to use for cornmeal rather than buying cornmeal or flour at a store. In harriet beecher stowes abolitionist 1852 novel, uncle tom s cabin, uncle tom is a martyr, not a sellout. Cracker definition of cracker by the free dictionary.
Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial epithet for white people, used especially for poor rural whites in the southern united states. I believe it is derived from plantation owners who cracked the whip to keep slaves in line. Christmas crackers can range in price from pennies to pounds. In fact, the wikipedia entry for cracker pejorative even notes the. For example, if a black man calls a white man cracker, it is not usually considered a compliment. Cracker is a contemptuous term for a poor rural white person, especially in georgia or florida. Definition of derogatory adjective in oxford advanced learners dictionary. The term is, indeed, a somewhat derogatory term for white people. After youre done, brush up on some southern manners and learn how to pronounce these commonly mispronounced arkansas names.