Yokel
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Yokel is one of several derogatory terms referring to the
stereotype In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalization, generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can ...
of unsophisticated country people. The term is of uncertain etymology and is only attested from the early 19th century on. Yokels are depicted as straightforward, simple, naïve, and easily deceived, failing to see through false pretenses. They are also depicted as talking about bucolic topics such as cows, sheep, goats, wheat, alfalfa, fields, crops, and tractors to the exclusion of all else. Broadly, they are portrayed as unaware of or uninterested in the rest of the modern world as it remains outside their own surroundings. In the UK, yokels are traditionally depicted as wearing the old West Country/
farmhand A farmworker, farmhand or agricultural worker is someone employed for labor in agriculture. In labor law, the term "farmworker" is sometimes used more narrowly, applying only to a hired worker involved in agricultural production, including har ...
's dress of straw hat and white smock, chewing or sucking a piece of
straw Straw is an agricultural byproduct consisting of the dry wikt:stalk, stalks of cereal plants after the grain and chaff have been removed. It makes up about half of the crop yield, yield by weight of cereal crops such as barley, oats, rice, ry ...
and carrying a pitchfork or rake, listening to " Scrumpy and Western" music. Yokels are portrayed as living in rural areas of Britain such as the West Country, East Anglia and the
Yorkshire Dales The Yorkshire Dales are a series of valleys, or Dale (landform), dales, in the Pennines, an Highland, upland range in England. They are mostly located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, but extend into C ...
. They speak with country dialects from various parts of Britain. In the United States, the term is used to describe someone living in rural areas. Synonyms for yokel include ''bubba'', ''country bumpkin'', ''hayseed'', ''chawbacon'', '' rube'', '' redneck'', ''
hillbilly ''Hillbilly'' is a term historically used for White people who dwell in rural area, rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in the Appalachian region and Ozarks. As people migrated out of the region during the Great Depression, ...
'' and ''hick''.


Fictional examples

* The Clampetts, in '' The Beverly Hillbillies'' TV series * Cousin Eddie Johnson of the ''National Lampoon's Vacation'' movies * The Hazzard County residents, of '' The Dukes of Hazzard'' TV series and the related film '' Moonrunners'' (1975) * The
hillbilly ''Hillbilly'' is a term historically used for White people who dwell in rural area, rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in the Appalachian region and Ozarks. As people migrated out of the region during the Great Depression, ...
residents of
Dogpatch Dogpatch was the fictional setting of cartoonist Al Capp's classic comic strip ''Li'l Abner'' (1934–1977). ''Li'l Abner'' comic strip The inhabitants of Dogpatch were mostly lazy hillbillies, who usually wanted nothing to do with progress. ...
, in the '' Li'l Abner'' comic strip * Larry, Darryl, and Darryl, owners of the Minuteman Café from Newhart * The Hooterville residents, in the sister TV series '' Green Acres'' and '' Petticoat Junction'' * Rose Nylund, portrayed by Betty White, one of the four lead characters from ''
The Golden Girls ''The Golden Girls'' is an American sitcom created by Susan Harris that aired on NBC from September 14, 1985, to May 9, 1992, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning seven seasons. The show's ensemble cast stars Beatrice Arthur, Betty ...
'' TV series, who was from the midwestern town of St. Olaf, Minnesota and often told stories from her time living in St. Olaf *''
The Simpsons ''The Simpsons'' is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening and developed by Groening, James L. Brooks and Sam Simon for the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is a Satire (film and television), satirical depiction of American life ...
'' animated television series character Cletus Spuckler, referred to in a song in one episode as "Cletus, the Slack-Jawed Yokel" * Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett, who portray yokels in BBC1 sketch show ''
The Two Ronnies ''The Two Ronnies'' is a British television comedy sketch show starring Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett. It was created by Bill Cotton and aired on BBC1 from 10 April 1971 to 25 December 1987. The usual format included sketches, solo se ...
'' * The nurse Nellie Forbush in musical '' South Pacific'', who describes herself as a "hick" from Little Rock, Arkansas * Willie Stark in the 1946 novel '' All the King's Men'', who often uses the word hick in his speeches to describe the poor voters and himself, for being fooled by the elite. He calls upon citizens to vote for him, promising he will be the voice of the hicks. * Niko Bellic, the main character in ''
Grand Theft Auto IV ''Grand Theft Auto IV'' is a 2008 action-adventure game developed by Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the sixth main entry in the Grand Theft Auto, ''Grand Theft Auto'' series, following 2004's ''Grand Theft Auto: San And ...
'' is called a 'yokel' on more than one occasion by one of his employers, Vlad Glebov. This is meant to be a derogatory reference to the fact that Niko is a immigrant from the
Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
. * Ike and Addley, characters from the 1980 horror film '' Mother's Day''. * Cass Parker, a main character on the Australian television series ''
Prisoner A prisoner, also known as an inmate or detainee, is a person who is deprived of liberty against their will. This can be by confinement or captivity in a prison or physical restraint. The term usually applies to one serving a Sentence (law), se ...
'' (''Prisoner: Cell Block H''). *
Larry the Cable Guy Daniel Lawrence Whitney (born February 17, 1963), known professionally as Larry the Cable Guy, is an American stand-up comedy, stand-up comedian, actor, and former radio personality. He was one of the members of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a ...
, a character played by comedian Daniel Lawrence Whitney. Larry the Cable Guy is often confused for being Lawrence's real-life persona, though the confusion is enforced by the fact that Lawrence rarely speaks to the public in his real voice, has used the character in various movies, and is usually credited for his roles under this name. * In '' Red Dead Redemption 2'' the term is used numerous times. * Ernest P. Worrell was a fictional yokel who originated in commercials and eventually spun off into film and television. * '' This Country'' is a TV
mockumentary A mockumentary (a portmanteau of ''mock'' and ''documentary'') is a type of film or television show depicting fictional events, but presented as a Documentary film, documentary. Mockumentaries are often used to analyze or comment on current event ...
about two cousins in
Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...
, England, who aspire to a glamorous urban lifestyle despite only ever knowing their isolated poor rural village * Maud Jenkins and her relatives in the poem ''Mrs. Judge Jenkins'' by Bret Harte. The poem is a parody of Maud Muller. * In the manga Vagabond, the main character refers to himself as a "bumpkin"


Similar terms


Teuchter

In
Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
, those from the Highlands and Islands,
Moray Moray ( ; or ) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. It lies in the north-east of the country, with a coastline on the Moray Firth, and borders the council areas of Aberdeenshire and Highland. Its council is based in Elgin, the area' ...
, Aberdeenshire, and other rural areas are often referred to by urban or lowland Scots as teuchters. People from the rural south of Scotland are sometimes known as "Doonhamers" ("Doon hame" meaning "down home").


Culchie

In Ireland, this term is generally used by urban dwellers as a slur for rural dwellers. In Dublin and Belfast, it's often used for people from outside said cities, even people from other large urban areas. Synonyms for culchie include country bumpkin, bogger, muck-savage and redneck.


Hick

According to the ''
Oxford English Dictionary The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the principal historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP), a University of Oxford publishing house. The dictionary, which published its first editio ...
'' the term is a "by-form" of the personal name Richard (like Dick) and Hob (like Bob) for Robert. Although the English word "hick" is of recent vintage, distinctions between urban and rural dwellers are ancient. According to a popular etymology, hick derives from the nickname "Old Hickory" for
Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before Presidency of Andrew Jackson, his presidency, he rose to fame as a general in the U.S. Army and served in both houses ...
, one of the first presidents of the United States to come from rural hard-scrabble roots. This nickname suggested that Jackson was tough and enduring like an old
hickory Hickory is a common name for trees composing the genus ''Carya'', which includes 19 species accepted by ''Plants of the World Online''. Seven species are native to southeast Asia in China, Indochina, and northeastern India (Assam), and twelve ...
tree. Jackson was particularly admired by the residents of remote and mountainous areas of the United States, people who would come to be known as "hicks." Another explanation of the term hick describes a time when hickory nut flour was used and sold. Tough times, such as the depression, led to the use of hickory nuts as an alternative to traditional grains. People who harvested, processed, or sold hickory products, such as hickory flour, were referred to as "hicks". The term was generalized over time to include people who lived in rural areas and were not considered as sophisticated as their urban counterparts. Though not a term explicitly denoting lower class, some argue that the term degrades impoverished rural people and that "hicks" continue as one of the few groups that can be ridiculed and stereotyped with impunity. In " The Redneck Manifesto," Jim Goad argues that this stereotype has largely served to blind the general population to the economic exploitation of rural areas, specifically in
Appalachia Appalachia ( ) is a geographic region located in the Appalachian Mountains#Regions, central and southern sections of the Appalachian Mountains in the east of North America. In the north, its boundaries stretch from the western Catskill Mountai ...
, the South, and parts of the
Midwest The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
.


Bogan

In Australia and New Zealand, the term " bogan" is used to refer to someone who is considered unrefined or unsophisticated.


See also

* Boondocks * Chukchi jokes *
Hillbilly ''Hillbilly'' is a term historically used for White people who dwell in rural area, rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in the Appalachian region and Ozarks. As people migrated out of the region during the Great Depression, ...
* Moonrakers *
Moonshine Moonshine is alcohol proof, high-proof liquor, traditionally made or distributed alcohol law, illegally. The name was derived from a tradition of distilling the alcohol (drug), alcohol at night to avoid detection. In the first decades of the ...
r * Mountain man * NASCAR dad * Okie * Redneck * " Sticks Nix Hick Pix" * Teuchter


References


Further reading

* Goad, Jim. (1997). ''The Redneck Manifesto: How Hillbillies, Hicks, and White Trash Became America's Scapegoats.'' Simon & Schuster.


External links

{{wiktionary
The Man from Ironbark
an Australian poem

website has an illustration of the traditional
Wiltshire Wiltshire (; abbreviated to Wilts) is a ceremonial county in South West England. It borders Gloucestershire to the north, Oxfordshire to the north-east, Berkshire to the east, Hampshire to the south-east, Dorset to the south, and Somerset to ...
/
Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
smock and floppy hat
Yokel
definition at askoxford.com Pejorative terms for people Stock characters Rural culture Stereotypes of rural people