what exactly does redneck mean???? i mean how do you define it??? are they just extremely poor people??? one of my friends e-mailed me some "redneck pics" they were pretty funny, but i have to admit they were pretty creative too!!
2006-06-27 12:01:48 · 34 answers · asked by vanessa w 5 in Society & Culture ➔ Cultures & Groups ➔ Other - Cultures & Groups
Redneck
n. Offensive Slang
1.Used as a disparaging term for a member of the white rural laboring class, especially in the southern United States.
2.A white person regarded as having a provincial, conservative, often bigoted attitude.
A poor, white, often rowdy southerner, usually one from a rural area. The word, which is sometimes derogatory, has its origins in the sunburned necks of farmers and outdoor laborers, and originally meant a poor farmer. 'A redneck is by no means to be confused with 'po' whites,' wrote Jonathan Daniels in 'A Southerner Discusses the South' (1938): 'Poor white men in the South are by no means all po' white even in the hills. Lincoln and Jackson came from a southern folk the back of whose necks were ridged and red from labor in the sun.'" --http://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/5/messages/699.html
another site claims it's scottish: http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/rednecks/rednecks.html
2006-06-27 12:06:39 · answer #1 · answered by Ananke402 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The popular etymology says that the term derives from such individuals having a red neck caused by working outdoors in the sunlight over the course of their lifetime. The effect of decades of direct sunlight on the exposed skin of the back of the neck not only reddens fair skin, but renders it leathery and tough, and typically very wrinkled and spotted by late middle age. Similarly, some historians claim that the term redneck originated in 17th-Century Virginia, because indentured servants were sunburnt while tending plantation crops.
Hence..people associated with areas where there are a lot of ranchers or farmers seemed to get tagged as Rednecks. The negative definition being beer drinking bigots who get a kick out of bar fighting.
2006-06-27 12:11:35 · answer #2 · answered by Dale P 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A redneck is a term that is used to offend most likely...
Technically redneck means:
red·neck ( P ) Pronunciation Key (rdnk)
n. Offensive Slang
Used as a disparaging term for a member of the white rural laboring class, especially in the southern United States.
A white person regarded as having a provincial, conservative, often bigoted attitude.
2006-06-27 12:06:35 · answer #3 · answered by teetee 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
From what I've heard... A redneck is a condoscending term for a working in the fields white person... If you have difficulty tanning and you work in the sun all day bending over, your neck would be exposed to a mass of sun-burnage... Ala cooked lobster... That's what that means.
I think it's been explained that in many cultures people of darker skin or in this case "red - necked ness" are deemed lowly and poor because they have to work "in the fields".
Funny but the world has tanning booths and discrimination!!!!
2006-06-27 12:09:35 · answer #4 · answered by SnoRiidr 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The term Redneck was originally used to describe those who work outside for a living. The sun burns your neck outside. This was not originally used in such a derogatory manner that it is today. Rednecks work hard to make an honest living in order to support their family.
Poor white trash is another matter all together.
2006-06-27 12:08:54 · answer #5 · answered by Subterfuge 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Originally, it was a white man working out in the fields. But now, it is basically anyone with a loss of sofistication. That is how Jeff Foxworthy defines it. In my opinion, just about everyone in this great country of ours would be one. Jeff says if you deny being a redneck then you are one. That is coming from the pro.
By the way, Larry the Cable Guy is a league of his own. I don't think he could or should be classified with anyone else. They broke the mold on him.
2006-06-27 19:51:02 · answer #6 · answered by Deb 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A redneck is a stupid, white person who lives in the country and knows nothing about the world yet has opinions on everything. Or at least that's my understanding of the word.
2006-06-27 12:05:33 · answer #7 · answered by entivore 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The truth is, a Redneck is a person who works in the fields. They work because they are poor, and because of so many long days in the hot sun, their necks become blood red. Their ignorence is due to the lack of education because on the wages they make they must work instead of taking time to become educated.
The work they do far exceeds the wages they recieve for doing it.
2006-06-29 12:51:32 · answer #8 · answered by pickle head 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Redneck is an additude of a man who treats woman as possesion keeps a lot af old fashioned values. Does't accept any new styles or fades. Always buys amercan made products doesn't accept foreign cars. Basiclly an *** hole to most people with an open mind.
2006-06-27 12:14:24 · answer #9 · answered by catsclaw 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Black folks hate "rednecks". A "redneck" is a person who has listened to their parents talk about all people who are darker than them .. And of course they, the (redneck's) have tough their kid's that anything darker than them is the devil. That's a redneck.
2006-06-27 12:36:12 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋