Question for Americans? What doe's the term 'trailer trash' mean?

Question

I have heard the above refered to on numerous occassions. I am Black/British and would like to know the answer to my question. Is it a deogatary term, or doe's it mean something that is good.
Look forward to your replies.
Thank you.

Answer 1

Well sorry this is not an answer ,but having now discovered the meaning ,i think i will forget about buying that caravan in skegness.

Answer 2

Trailer Trash usually consists of a poor white family living in a run down trailer in run down trailer park.Trailer trash,white trash,ghetto,It's all pretty much the same.I think oft as derogatory and be pretty p*ssed if I was called that,but some lame kids these days are proud to be trailer/white trash.I guess it could be compared with the word ''*****'' amongst the Afro Americans.It starts out as a derogatory term,but the people it;s aimed at make it their own.Which is actually pretty clever,but don't ever call me trailer trash.I don't live in a trailer;)

Answer 3

I'm Canadian but know the term and its meaning well,

In Britain, you have people who live in Council Flats - right? They are perceived as poor, shiftless, unemployed, abusive to their wives and/or children. Drink cheap beer and smpke cigarettes all day, anre not fussy about personal hygeine? Well, this is the same as trailer trash here. It is definitely an insult, as it implies uneducated, stupid and, sometimes, inbred people.

Trailers are the least expenisve form of housing; the homes are literally on wheels, meant to be towed behind a lorry but parked forever in "trailer parks" where people sit and lament their fates. Alcoholism, unemployment and wife abuse are rife in these parks; I know, I lived in one here in Canada fir 13 months with my fiancee before we saved enough to buy a real house.

See if you can get a hold of "trailer Park Boys," a TV series from the US. Trailer Trash refersto the worst of society in America--- the dregs of society as it were..

Also known as "White Trash" or "Rednecks," and almost always very prejuidiced against Blacks, Jews, Hispanics... anyone different from themselves. Incest also prevelant.

Hope that helps... don't call anyone Trailer Trash unless U are ready for a fght.

Cheers,

Samlet

Answer 4

Trailer trash (or trailer park trash) is a derogatory U.S. English term for people who live in trailers or mobile homes, especially in trailer parks. The term is also applied to lower-class whites in general (hence the occasional "white trailer park trash", or "white trash"), regardless of where they actually live.

Because trailers provide housing at a lower cost than conventional foundation-built houses, and in past decades trailers had few amenities, there is a popular cultural conception that those who live in trailer parks are usually only those who are too poor to afford anything else. Although trailer parks have a high density compared to other rural or suburban housing, they are usually created on large tracts of undeveloped land in rural or suburban areas. These factors combine to make "trailer trash" poor, landless and white. Most "trailer trash" live in rented (or owned) unkept, old model eight and ten wide trailers or rundown travel trailers. On another note, not just whites can be trailer trash: other races that live the stereotype are classified by this term. It is known that only a small percentage of people living in mobile homes own up to the stereotypes.

Really it is just another example of classism

Answer 5

It is a negative term for people who live in a trailer because they cannot afford a house without wheels. It is used by people who look down their noses at other people.

For example James Carvel (assistant to Clinton) referring to Paula Jones (who successfully sued the President for sexual harassment) said, "If you drag a fifty dollar bill through a trailer park, you never know what you might find" implying that she was trailer trash.

Answer 6

"Trailer trash", It's a very old American slang term for people of any color/colour that lived in trailers. Since the introduction of "Mobile Homes", that term has fallen into time and not used (I think) anymore. Now, I could be worng, the term could be still used. I hope this helps, good question... Good Luck

Answer 7

Hello,
trailer trash is a derogatory term generally used to refer to low income people, who often live in low rent mobile homes (trailers)

Answer 8

It depends on who says it, Caucasian may say it jokingly to each other, but other races use it to insult them. Trailer trash is a family in a trailer home that's filty and trashy and so are the people. they have no class and jokingly always have a car on cinder blocks in the front yard. please note: what i am saying isn't my belief but what is my understanding of the stereotyping statement. but this is not a term anyone should use loosely. Every one is to be treated equal despite there status.

Answer 9

It is a derogatory term for poor white people. It's similar to white trash or redneck but with an added insinuation of the women being more promiscuous and tasteless.

Answer 10

There is a large group of people who live in trailers who are not the highest quality people. Rednecks are a pretty close comparison. This is not to imply that anyone living in a trailer is bad but it pretty much is talking about barefoot dirty druggy people who live in trailers.

Answer 11

There are Black avatars available, as I've seen them.

In response to your question, I think it is pretty much a derogatory slang term to refer to people who live in house trailers.