Redneck

[terambulan]

What is it exactly?

[Ethel]

Stereotype of uneducated farmworkers with bigoted views - they have a red neck from working out in the sun all day

[Gromit]

"Redneck refers to a stereotype of usually rural, Caucasian (i.e. white) people of lower socio-economic status in the United States and Canada. Originally limited to the Appalachians, and later the South, the Ozarks, the Great Plains and the Rocky Mountains, this stereotype is now widespread throughout North America. Southern comedian Jeff Foxworthy defines "redneck" as "a glorious lack of sophistication," stating "that we are all guilty of [it] at one time or another."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redneck

[terambulan]

Thanx for answers.....a v.strong speech from Sarah Palin in support for Sntr McCain. She did say something about 'rednecks' but I couldn't find it in the trans-script.

[vehelpfulguy]

I think the term has been used in relation to her daughters boyfriend.

Her daugher is 17 and pregnant (but not married).

The boyfriend has been called a redneck by some in the media, in fact I think he called himself that in his own Facebook page.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/09/03/earl yshow/main4409506.shtml?source=mostpop_story

While not exactly the same, I guess "chav" may have similar connotations in this country: lower class, uneducated, few prospects in life, broken home, maybe racist etc

In the US redneck may include "married to his cousin" as well.

[vehelpfulguy]

Here is a redneck at a rally (note the spelling)

http://www.funnystuffblog.com/images/redneck-s ign.jpg

Here is a redneck mansion

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/images/redneck-mans ion.jpg

Redneck wedding photo

http://www.nevorask.com/Stuff/redneck_wedding. JPG

[Quizmonster]

'Redneck', originally an American term of religious abuse, particularly in the southern states, has been a derogatory term used by one group about another for quite a long time. For example, in the Southern States of the USA, it was used by Catholics to refer to Protestants. The earliest recorded written use of the word is in a book by A. Royall called Southern Tour published in 1830. It says: "Red Necks, a name bestowed upon the Presbyterians of Fayetteville". (There are towns of that name in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee.)

In parts of England, that situation was reversed. According to a quote from an edition of the Westminster Gazette published in 1900, "Redneck used to be applied to Catholics in Lancashire as a term of opprobrium." So, it was used as religious abuse in this country, too, but in the opposite direction.

Likewise, by the end of the 19th century, Afrikaaners in South Africa applied the name 'rooinek' (redneck) to the English settlers, so the abuse there was racial rather than religious.

More generally, though, it is applied in the USA by the upper classes to the lower, labouring classes - a redneck now being a hillbilly, hick or uncouth countrydweller - presumably because the latter had to toil in the fields and got sunburnt as a result...as suggested above. Politicians who wish to establish their credentials as honest, hard-working sons of the soil even nowadays use it as a good thing to be!

[spudqueen]

There was a very popular show on American TV called Blue Collar, which was 4 blokes telling stories and jokes, mainly about rednecks. One of these blokes (Jeff Foxworthy) tells a whole series of redneck jokes they all start 'If you' and end 'you might just be a redneck'. A couple of my favourites are 'If you've ever been accused of lying through your tooth you might just be a redneck', 'if you've got a screen door with no screen you might just be a redneck' and 'if you keep a fly swat in the front of the car to reach the kids in the back. you..........'.

Here are some more redneck jokes
http://www.fortogden.com/foredneck.html

[littleoldme]

Daily Mail readers with banjos.

[vehelpfulguy]

>Daily Mail readers with banjos

Hardly.

I am not sure if most true rednecks can read.