living in the "sticks"?

Question

a friend of mine said his dude lives in the sticks. what does that mean?

my first thought was referring sticks to trees as well

Answer 1

Generally it means living in a remote area, or living in the country. Same as living in the boonies.

It is usually meant in a derogatory way, but not always.

Answer 2

"In the sticks" is a euphemism for living in the country or in a rural area, as opposed to living in the city. I suppose the "sticks" referred to are trees, bushes, etc.