is podunk derogatory

Today, the phrases have caught on with many individuals and spread throughout many states and towns all across America. See desolate, empty, town, redneck, hillbilly, podonk. See, the mega-popular entertainer George M. Cohan had spent his childhood summers in Podunk, Massachusetts (part of what is today North Brookfield) and used the name in his act. This is the big city, not Podunk. The community, bounded by Wallisville Road, the Union Pacific Railroad, and the Port Terminal Railroad Association, was first settled in the 1890s and platted in 1911 and 1913. In 1981, someone took The New York Times to task for publishing a Podunk-bashing cartoon. People are offended much more often without intent by the offender than they are offended without intent by the derogator. n. Slang A small isolated town, region, or place that is regarded as unimportant. "@peterbayley @ThatsLife_19 @EadesLore @lizlibra1009 There's a difference between voicing an opinion and calling someone derogatory names. In the same vein, after decades of debate and court cases over its name and logo, the Washington Redskins have decided to change their name, which was an offensive term in reference to Native Americans. ", the term didn't originate as a racist phrase. But when a Black person hears that word, it evokes a past of slavery.". Last edited on Oct 07 2016. Podunk is an Algonquian word. The little burg in Eastern Idaho from where I hail could technically be called a Podunk town -- and frequently is by its residents -- but to those who live there it is the greatest place on earth to live and anything but insignificant. ", Wolvengrey seemed to have a similar take. Today, if someone "sells you down the river," he or she betrays or cheats you. Is there a generic term for these trajectories? It is listed in the oldest Webster's Dictionary as such, (plus, I'm from there!!) Cows graze in a field in the Podunk section of East Brookfield, Mass. ", Goddard said that story can be told of many Native American place names in southern New England, New Jersey, all the way down into Virginia. [7] The term gained currency as standing for a fictional place. And folks who live in the various Podunks are pretty well-practiced at pushing back against its common usage. "Podunk" might be nothing more than an imaginary place before long. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? For example, the popular phrase "peanut gallery," typically used to reference hecklers, originated as a term to refer to those usually Black people who sat in the "cheapest" section of the Vaudeville theaters. CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES? NPR reports that during slavery in the US, masters in the North often sold their misbehaving slaves, sending them down the Mississippi River to plantations in Mississippi, where conditions were much harsher. Podunk came into existence about 1800. Accessed 1 May. "This shows how in our language the simplified notions of other cultures get wrapped up in expressions we use," John Kelly, senior research editor at Dictionary.com, explained. Rudyard Kipling mentions it as a "counting-out song" (basically a way for kids to eliminate candidates for being "It" in hide-and-seek) in "Land And Sea Tales For Scouts And Guides.". What's the difference between "informal", "colloquial", "slang", and "vulgar"? My hunch is that a Podunk sleeper is not a sleeper at all but an accomodation car of marginal comfort, so the word "sleeper" was sarcasm due to the lack of good sleep one was likely to get in it. Cond Nast Traveler may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet. Akin to "flyover states," "nowheresville" and "hicksville," people use "Podunk" as a stand-in for anywhere they think doesn't have much going on. Rather than saying he didn't know what certain place names meant, Goddard says, Bright cited a man named John C. Huden, who in 1962 published a book called Indian Place Names of New England. There are a bunch of words in English that have Algonquian roots: skunk, moose, caribou. There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. derogatory." Some of these outdated terms should be left in the past, or revised at the very least. For When 'Lowdown Crook' Isn't Specific Enough. Primary Season Is Here And 'Hispandering' Is Back, Ready For A Linguistic Controversy? Crypto An area of northwestern Rhode Island 3 miles (4.8km) WNW of Pascoag, An alternative spelling; "Podonque" is found as a name on a road leading into a settlement area (intersection of County roads 23 and 243) which is still sparsely populated, believed to having been established in the 1800s as: Podonque, Town of. The last I heard he had moved to some podunk little town in the middle of nowhere. At the time, he was living in Buffalo, moving to Hartford, Connecticut in 1871, in a home within 4 miles (6.4km) of the Podunk River. Dictionary Entries Near Podunk found his behaviour toward his mother to be really derogatory. It's 90 miles to the nearest motel. A little Podunk goes a long way for a rocker like me. ", "I found his table manners to be really offensive." In American discourse, the term podunk came into general colloquial use through the wide national readership of the "Letters from Podunk" of 1846, in the Daily National Pilot of Buffalo, New York. Derogatory quickly took on the additional meaning disdainful, disparaging, as may be seen in the words frequent use in derogatory comment. I could say that right in front of my family, friends and colleagues. It's very hard for me to explain. Is it possible to control it remotely? American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.. Podunks - definition of Podunks by The Free Dictionary . Kimonos were also worn by geishas -- highly trained hostesses who throughout history have been inaccurately depicted as concubines in various films and books. Where is the honey hole? He hadn't known that Podunk was an Algonquian word before we got in touch, but he said he didn't think there was anything particularly sinister about its use. What are the differences between them? See more. The phrase "criss-cross apple sauce" is used in place of the phrase. This is clearly a shade of meaning to be recognised. Also, the birthplace of Connie Mack! Many common phrases often found in American English actually have racist, sexist, or otherwise offensive origins. Other sources, like Clarence Rook's book, "The Hooligan Nights," claim that Patrick Houlihan actually existed and that he was a bouncer and a thief in Ireland. It's that simple. "We have no idea what the word means," says Ives Goddard, senior linguist emeritus at the Smithsonian Institution and a leading expert on Algonquian languages. *.. 1. Countless times in the movie, they used slang phrases such as "podunk" or "pough town" to describe the area. Actually I would think in 1940 pretty much any sleeping car would be a Pullman. Please assume good faith. This suggests that vulgar has a fairly narrow meaning related to a sort of ignorant crudeness, while offensive is an extremely broad concept that may apply to practically anything toward which one feels any resentment or repugnance. I hear you ask, 'Where in the world is Podunk?' Hayakawa, Choose the Right Word: A Modern Guide to Synonyms (1968) doesn't discuss derogatory, but it too parks vulgar and offensive in separate word groups: obnoxious, hateful, odious, offensive The words in this list are applied to a person or thing which arouses dislike, distaste, hostility, or opposition. ", Wolvengrey says there are obviously words that "reflect a racist attitude towards indigenous people" but Podunk doesn't seem to be one of them. Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, Take for example: "I found his behaviour toward his mother to be really offensive." Or we never knew them in the first place. Still others, such as "peanut gallery" and "fuzzy wuzzy," remain in wide use despite their racially questionable origins. Hence, also boondockers "shoes suited for rough terrain," originally (1944) U.S. services slang word for field boots. Mumbo jumbo was first used in the 1700s in West Africa by travel writer Francis Moore in his book "Travels In The Interior Districts of Africa," who described Mumbo Jumbo as a masked dancer who was involved in certain religious ceremonies. but to tyrants I will give no quarter, a new stereotype which is pretty much what every other stereotype doesnt cover, its for people too poor to be scene and too happy to be emo, Lindsee: hey there should be a stereotype for people like us, See scene, emo, gangster, thrift store, punk. William Lloyd Garrison. These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'derogatory.' Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Capitalized in this use. Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox! Although not a comprehensive list, here is a list of some commonly used phrases and their origins as identified by experts who spoke to ABC News. Until, one day, things change: The scenery turns gray; the people lose their charm. So while all three terms may apply to things that cause offense, the types of offense involved are relatively specific in the cases of vulgar and derogatory but very general in the case of offensive. Thank you. Sometimes the term implies injured feelings as a result of an affront or insult [examples omitted] and frequently it suggests the evocation of such aversion that endurance involves mental strain or moral distaste [example omitted] or it may imply a vileness (as of appearance or odor) that excites nausea or extreme disgust [example omitted]. Synonyms for DEROGATORY: insulting, slighting, pejorative, demeaning, malicious, disparaging, uncomplimentary, degrading; Antonyms of DEROGATORY: laudatory . But beyond its Algonquian roots, much of the linguistic history of Podunk is kind of murky. Send us feedback about these examples. Business, Economics, and Finance. When the origin of an expression doesn't seem so tightly connected to its use anymore and the expression has taken on a new meaning, using this expression might seem innocuous, according to Kristen Syrett, an associate professor in linguistics at Rutgers University. I recall reading a multi-page thesis on why feces, turd, poop, doodie, deuce, shit and related words were perceived so differently, despite essentially meaning the same thing. Etymologists have traced the name back to an Algonquian word for a "marshy meadow," and colonial towns named Podunk popped up in Connecticut, New York, and Vermont. Anthony Swofford on Americas Best War Writer, Karl Marlantes, The Witchcraft Delusion In Colonial Connecticut (1647-1697). Common areas/landmarks in Podunk: Podunk Cemetary, High Rocks, Lake Lashaway, Devil's Kitchen, Hayden Lodge, Union Chapel. As this answer is long enough, I'll just try to illustrate an obvious difference with an example. Last edited on Jun 16 2016. But that kid from Podunk, now unloading freight at the big-box store, is a universe away from Oxford and a Capuchin friar buddy. The origin of America's favorite name for hicksville. said Janice Agrios, chairwoman of the board of directors. It is very confusing why the language in their statistics they've chosen is very selective. This was a term that Europeans used for a huge group of indigenous people living in the Arctic regions. Something offensive subjects one to painful or highly disagreeable sensations. : a small, unimportant, and isolated town. To do any of these things should be considered at least slightly different from "to offend". The term stemmed from the Bogomils, who led a religious sect during the Middle Ages called "Bulgarus." A website for the property says, "Oak Alley as a sugar plantation was built by and relied on enslaved men, women and children.". Originally, the term started within the Black community, but the racists adopted it pretty quickly. The people there are probably a little creepy. Both amplify a stereotypical view of Japanese culture. Podunk is a derogatory slang term for a very rural and unimportant community. rev2023.4.21.43403. First of all, if you look up "derogatory" in dictionaries you'll get something like the following: adj. Railroad slanghas many such examples. Christopher Fitzgerald/AP Hi Forum Members!I bought MRR DVD: in the October 1940 Issue, on page #562 (Train Makeup & Switching), the author mentionned a "Podunk Sleeper"; what is that? Podunk was the "Lake Wobegon" of the 1840s. Podunk \POH-dunk\ noun. Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964). Thank you so much and very much. This was all based on actual happenings and the small, rural town known as Poughkeepsie was the actual setting in both real life and in the movie. For example, what about 'batty boy' (homosexual term) compared to 'idiot'? To say these phrases and words are "just expressions" or to say the intent of using the word is "not meant to be racist" is not good enough, Barg explained. manners to be really derogatory." Great question. In college writing, "little kids" are "children;" "totally cool . By 1934, Webster's defined it as "an imaginary small towntypical of placid dullness.". The word podunk is of Algonquian origin.It denoted both the Podunk people and marshy locations, particularly the people's winter village site on the border of present-day East Hartford and South Windsor, Connecticut. From what I understand, after you jack your dick, the come runs down the side of your dick and onto your hand. Any information published by Cond Nast Traveler is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. It's not perfect, the English language but it helps with expression and conveying a message IMHO. July 2, 2022 . Apparently, Wiktionary added 'sockpuppet' to the derogatory category. Capitalized in this use. link) . Checks and balances in a 3 branch market economy. Podunk got its name from the way the rushing waters of Bolter Creek descended on a . Whatever the case, somewhere along the line, an Irish family landed a bad rap. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. (n.) "remote and wild place," 1910s, from Tagalog bundok "mountain." A word adopted by occupying American soldiers in the Philippines for "remote and wild place." It was reinforced or re-adopted during World War II. The Oak Alley plantation in Vacherie, La., was built in the 1830s. (Sometimes "Pullman" could be on both ends.). Even with the steady cycle of tourists they gaze at each newcomer as though he were the latest comer to Podunk. is podunk derogatory. Is this the correct usage of a vulgar and offensive phrase? Cows graze in a field in the Podunk section of East Brookfield, Mass. Shortly after, Clinton's campaign political director Amanda Renteria took to Twitter to walk back Clinton's statement, tweeting, "Divisive language has no place in our politics.". Podunk, Vermont is fewer than fifty people, their farm animals, and a boarded-up schoolhouse. Why is it shorter than a normal address? "If this is Podunk, it is truly nowhere", Read, Allen 1939 "The Rationale of Podunk. When I started off by saying that the three words may in some contexts have the same meaning or be indistinguishable is because someone may say: "He spent the whole time at the party drinking and making vulgar ", Many considered the Bogomils heretical and thus, said they approached sex in an "inverse way.". podunk 1. adjective Completely insignificant, out-of-the-way, and unsophisticated or uninteresting. Generally located in rural country towns; {Po-dunks} Hicks; {Po-dunktion Junction } A town that reflects the qualities of being Po-dunk. This nameless comic left behind only his or her initials"R.P. Disparaging; belittling: a derogatory comment. Short story about swapping bodies as a job; the person who hires the main character misuses his body. It's a depressing place: bleak, empty, isolated. But, there are distinctions among the words in many/most cases, I hope I've shown some. The meanings of "derogatory" imply "to belittle", "to disparage", or to "derogate" (to take away, detract, discredit. That writer may have introduced America to the concept of Podunk as an insignificant Anywhere, U.S.A., town, but the place isn't just imaginary; towns with that name have actually existed in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Iowa (and probably elsewhere) over the years. Narragansett, Mohegan, and Podunk tribes and ended with their virtual destruction, opening southern New England to unimpeded colonial . This phrase started appearing in London newspapers around 1898. Podunk, Michigan is just an abandoned dance hall, while Podunk, New York is just eight or nine houses. Too many people work in the city and live just outside of it, so they move a little bit farther out to escape the high density living. "There is racism embedded throughout our language system just like every other system," said Jeffrey Barg, a Philadelphia Inquirer columnist known as The Angry Grammarian, told ABC News. And you wouldn't know (from the sentence itself) whether he spent his whole time making rude jokes inappropriately (vulgar), making hateful comments against Mexicans (being derogatory), or was just talking in a way that the others found offensive (being offensive). If it's not directly racist, it's classist and rude at the very least. "He was a good linguist, a smart guy," Goddard says of his colleague, who died in 2006. vulgar, coarse, crude, gross, obscene These words are comparable in that they are all used when one wishes to describe the character, speech, or actions of people who have in some way offended one's sensibilities or moral standards. One moose, two moose. "The itis". Those languages. These represented "Podunk" as a real place but one insignificant and out of the way. Author Rudyard Kipling is pictured, circa 1910. Germans cheered "hep hep," a German herding call, as they forced Jews from their homes across Europe, according to Cracked. Copyright 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Delivered to your inbox! This was all based on actual happenings and the small, rural town known as Poughkeepsie was the actual setting in both real life and in the movie. Perhaps context is key with it then? Can you give links? Within a few years, no less than Mark Twain was name-checking Podunk in his work. Many common terms and phrases are actually rooted in racist, sexist, or generally distasteful language. But the Podunk called their homeplace Nowashe, 'between' rivers. People could take a local train coming down the branch to Podunk and board the sleeper, which would be picked up by an overnight trainand taken to a larger town down the line. So, "vulgar" and its derivatives all kind of mean the same, right? Dictionary.com Unabridged Ghetto in a sense that it's utterly shitty in every way. 2. noun A fictional rural place that is completely insignificant, out-of-the-way, and unsophisticated or uninteresting. Podunk was a place name long before it became a punchline. "The phrase has very offensive roots as the Native American's who were found 'off the reservation' were killed," Kelly explained. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. "Those comments he made on the radio about Chinese It wasn't until the Pullman Co. was split up after WW2 that railroads bought their own sleeping carsand many of them still contracted with Pullman for porters to man the cars. Podunk. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Podunk. Derogatory may be used of one's own actions or activity that tends to detract from his reputation or to lower him in the estimation of others [examples omitted] More often the term is applied to expressions or modes of expression (as . in fact, in the 1940's text, the term is used as a slang word to describe a very common sleeper - maybe ruined - , not a Pullmann!thank you again, it increases my english knowledge! Either way, when we refer to an entire group of people by their perceived behaviors, we trivialize their existence and culture. It is located six miles west of Arnett, OK, at the intersection of U.S. 60 and U.S. 283. This phrase comes from a longer children's rhyme: Eenie, meenie, miney, moe / Catch a tiger by the toe / If he hollers let him go / Eenie, meenie miney, moe, This modern, inoffensive version comes from a similar, older one, where n---er replaces tiger, according to Vox. It was first used in the early 1900s in the U.S. and means sitting cross-legged, but is rarely used in schools anymore, experts said. No, 'Snowflake' as a Slang Term Did Not Derogatory. Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/derogatory. 2. I don't think "Podunk sleeper" is an actual railroadterm. For example, former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton netted backlash in 2016 for using the phrase in an interview with CNN when she said, "I have a lot of experience dealing with men who sometimes get off the reservation in the way they behave and how they speak." Example: The little kids who go to the local day care center are totally cool to be around. The answer is yesbut maybe not for long. +++++ But another expression I would add to the list is "a bumpkin town". <3 let's 'retard' the answers now, shall we? The Connecticut Podunk is well-known (OK, not that well-known) for an annual bluegrass festival. Such cars would normally have the railroad name on the center of the letterboard in large letters, and "Pullman" in smaller letters at one end of letterboard, often over the door. What is scrcpy OTG mode and how does it work? [1] Slang term for "Country music". It was on part of the Milwaukee RR, but the trains never stopped there. now offensive, ethnic slur, vulgar, see usage notes) A dark-> skinned person, especially a person of, or primarily of, I have an engagement to trim a deacon in Podunk this evening. The film was about a drug smuggling operation that had french connections in mid-state New York. Isuspectitwould be a sleeping car going to (or from) "Podunk", i.e., a small relatively insignificant rural townas opposed to a sleepertravelling between sayNew York and Chicago. Anyway, I'm surprised how even university researchers in philosophy and sociology have been struggling, trying to figure this out. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms (1984) puts the three words in three separate clusters of related terms, suggesting that the three are not especially similar in meaning. As the nation enters a new age, new phrases should follow suit. A racially segregated audience sits for a concert at the Naval Training Station in Great Lakes, Ill., July 16, 1943. But Huden, Goddard adds, didn't exactly have indisputable definitions himself. 1982. As you might expect from their name, none of America's various Podunks are exactly booming. Podunk (place) synonyms, Podunk (place) pronunciation, Podunk (place) translation, English dictionary definition of Podunk (place). ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Is it derogatory or offensive to call a detective a dick? Glenn Beck even defended him, citing the first lady's love of arugula. But the phrase has a much darker and more literal meaning. podunk n. [Algonquin podunk, a marshy meadow, used esp. Accessed 1 May. It sounds like there's hope for Podunk. Podunk, Michigan, the south eastern portion of the Village of Manchester, Michigan centered on the current village offices, formal before consolidation with the western portion "Manchester" changed in attempts to improve community image, the concurrent USPS designation of the Village of Manchester, Michigan zip code 48158. Here are 12 popular phrases that you may want to rethink using in everyday conversation. Now to vulgar. But as Cohan's childhood attests, there was nothing imaginary about Podunk.

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