Central indianas dialect, or pronunciation, is similar, but slightly less of a drawl, to what one may encounter in southern indiana. Born william bailey on february 6, 1962 in lafayette, indiana, our hoosier hero axl rose turns 42 today. Hoosier definition of hoosier by the free dictionary. But it turns out cracker s roots go back even further than the 17th century. Written uses of the word date back at least as far as 1827. As the athletic nickname of indiana university bloomington, the hoosier is the subject of debate, primarily concerning the terms meaning and origin. The meaning of the word has changed a lot over the last four.
As a last name hoosier was the 18,448 th most popular name in 2010. The definition of a hoosier is a nickname for someone from the state of indiana or a fan of indiana university athletics. Its safe to conclude the hoosher and hoosier nickname adopted by indiana residents and for them by their nearby neighbors was derived from the dialect term probably traceable from england not uncommon among southern immigrants to indiana and the ohio valley several years before john finley arrived and penned his famous poem the hoosiers nest. Ask this question anywhere besides here, and youll be told that a hoosier is simply someone from indiana. This page is a digital version of an early ihb publication of the same title. Dictionary grammar blog school scrabble thesaurus translator quiz more resources more from collins. Hoosier, now spelled ubiquitously hoo s ier, as well as several other phonetical versions, can be traced back to the american south, where it was used as a derogatory term for uneducated, uncouth people. English chinese french german hindi italian portuguese spanish.
Louis, however, the word has a different, more derogatory meaning. Hoosier synonyms, hoosier pronunciation, hoosier translation, english dictionary definition of hoosier. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the slangit team. A cracker is not a slave owner or overseer cracking a whip. Crackers definition of crackers by the free dictionary. In an article published at the turn of the century by the indiana. First, he theorized that the word migrated up from the south as a slang term used for uncouth countrymen this is the theory. Writing from your local perspective on nonlocal pages. The oldest recorded birth by the social security administration for the name hoosier is thursday, february 7th, 1907. Hoosier meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Other indiana businesses use hoosier in the name of their companies. We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations.
Yet hoosier, the folksy and ambiguous moniker, has for decades been snubbed by the federal government as. Origin of the name indiana hoosiers new, 4 comments there is a lot of debate about the origin, meaning, and use of the word hoosier, so i took the opportunity to do some. A native or resident of the american state of indiana. This page explains what the slang term cracker means. Cracker was a derogatory term applied to these poor farmers from before the american revolution. Hoosier definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Generally means redneck, hick, or someone from missouri outside of st. For some locals, hoosier is the epithet of choice for condemning anyone perceived as less cultured, intelligent, and urbane than oneself.
No one has any idea why a person from indiana is called a hoosier. One theory is that it refers to the cracked corn that was a major part of the diet of poor southern whites. So in 1957 bob and joyce began their own business in an old abandoned horse barn in south bend, indiana selling tires to local racers. 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. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate within the state, but hoosier was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by richmond resident john finleys 1833 poem the hoosier s nest. If you would like to suggest a term or an update to an existing one. The label signifies a social class inside the white population and especially a degraded standard of living the term has been adopted for people living on the fringes of the social order, who are seen as dangerous because they may be criminal, unpredictable, and. All of our slang term and phrase definitions are made possible by our wonderful visitors. A stereotypical hoosier is not that bright, loves to drink beer, is way into motor sports, professional wrestling, etc, right. Hoosier definition in the cambridge english dictionary. Pov, including this definitionusage is definitely point of view. Someone associated with indiana university, for example as a student, alum, or sports team member, or as a fan. A native or inhabitant of indiana taken from oxford american dictionary.
There are many theories on why people from indiana are called hoosiers. It was during these early days that bob had a vision to produce his own tires specifically designed for racing. Another theory is that the term refers to whips that crackers used to drive slaves or cattle. White trash is a derogatory american english slur referring to poor white people, especially in the rural southern united states. Hoosier definition, a native or inhabitant of indiana used as a nickname. Visit the indiana history blog or listen to the talking hoosier history podcast to learn more about the origins of the word hoosier. All the way back to the age of shakespeare, at least. Jacob piatt dunn, a thorough scholar of the word, believes in a saxon beginning, and such a meaning survives in various place names in england. He is a native hoosier firmly settled in indys suburbs. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate within the state, but hoosier was in general use by the 1840s, having been popularized by richmond resident john finleys 1833 poem the hoosiers nest. According to jeffrey graf, a librarian at indiana university, the word hoosier most probably originated as a derogatory term in the upland south comprising states such as north carolina, tennessee, virginia, kentucky, and west virginia used for a clumsy, ungraceful person of low economic status, not unlike the terms cracker, redneck. Whether youre a student, an educator, or a lifelong learner, can put you on the path to systematic vocabulary improvement.
One is that a contractor named samuel hoosier preferred to hire laborers from indiana rather than. In order to create the map above, we used a layered, multistep approach. Hoosier wordreference english dictionary, questions, discussion and forums. Information and translations of hoosier in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions.
Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial epithet for white people, used especially for poor rural whites in the southern united states. Add hoosier to one of your lists below, or create a new one. It is a farmers who raised only cracked products, such as wheat and corn. The word itself and its most common definition have its origins in the state of indiana also known as the hoosier state, though the word has taken on regional meanings outside of indiana, most. An alumnus of indiana university an uneducated, tasteless caucasian. The origin of the term remains a matter of debate within the state, but.
Historical society, jacob piatt dunn analyzed all these specula tions and more in what has been. Code switch where does the slur cracker come from, anyway. When was the first name hoosier first recorded in the united states. There is a lot of debate about the origin, meaning, and use of the word hoosier, so i took the opportunity to do some investigating. 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. Information and translations of hoosier state in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.
It was the first time a hoosier swimmer had broken the world record. Indiana definition most common and nationally recognized definition. Hoosier plural hoosiers a native or resident of the u. According to the indiana historical bureau, the term gained popularity in the state after the indianapolis journal published the hoosiers nesta poem by john finley, of virginiain 1833. Indiana permits are honored in neighboring michigan and kentucky, so hoosier travelers can carry weapons. Indiana has three regions that affect the dialect andor accent placed on words.