The term originally characterized farmers that had a red neck, caused by sunburn from long hours working in the fields. A citation from 1893 provides a definition as “poorer inhabitants of the rural districts … men who work in the field, as a matter of course, generally have their skin stained red and burnt by the sun, and especially is this true of the back of their necks”.[12] Hats were usually worn and they protected that wearer’s head from the sun, but also provided psychological protection by shading the face from close scrutiny.[13] The back of the neck however was more exposed to the sun and allowed closer scrutiny about the person’s background in the same way callused working hands could not be easily covered.

By 1900, “rednecks” was in common use to designate the political factions inside the Democratic Party comprising poor white farmers in the South.[14] The same group was also often called the “wool hat boys” (for they opposed the rich men, who wore expensive silk hats). A newspaper notice in Mississippi in August 1891 called on rednecks to rally at the polls at the upcoming primary election:[15]

  • Optional@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    89
    ·
    5 months ago

    Kids out here learning the basics of life on social media.

    Kids, remember the vast majority of mortgage payments are in interest alone. Also “mortgage” means “death contract”.
    And beer before liquor, never been sicker.

    • Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      33
      ·
      5 months ago

      “Kids out here learning the basics of life on social media.”

      Well, they gotta learn SOMEWHERE! We certainly have dismantled public education to be less of a school and more of a free daycare.

      • umbrella@lemmy.ml
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        edit-2
        5 months ago

        i think the bigger thing here is how broke teens and young adults don’t have many places else to hang out and do this in person.

        • Spiralvortexisalie@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          5 months ago

          Yeah, I feel most people my age remember things like $1 or less beers and cheap bar food like 25 cent chicken wings? And just generally being able to hang out with couch change, like look we pooled $10 we can go out. The youth now have $12 cocktails and $7 french fries at the sketchy af “dive bar”, $20 drinks and $20 entrees if they dare step into a real place or heaven forbid an applebees.

    • StitchIsABitch@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      12
      ·
      5 months ago

      Well, it’s also interesting for non native speakers who never thought about it, or just didn’t make the connection. I always assumed that was the reason for the term, but it’s nice to have confirmation.

    • umbrella@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      edit-2
      5 months ago

      honestly its less about mixing and more about the quantity you drink. at the end alcohol is alcohol, its just that the prior consumption of it makes you more likely to get overconfident and take things too far.

      anyway, its one those you have to live to learn what your limits are, so the point is moot anyway. finding the sweet spot and managing to stay there takes a bit of experience.