OK dumb Redneck needs understandable advice from you great Technoids!

buswarrior · October 22, 2007, 03:25:52 PM

Hello

The techno junkie bus driver who had one of the first set ups I saw a few years ago was using one of those hand-held personal organizers with the antennae attached.

Less conspicuous if you route the cables neatly, and you could switch it to playing music if the federales pull you over?

Maps have served me well so far on this leg of the journey...

happy coaching!
buswarrior

Hartley · October 22, 2007, 07:43:22 PM

OT...

How many of you know where the term "REDNECK" came from?

Hint: It was a nickname given to a group of people....

compedgemarine · October 22, 2007, 07:45:37 PM

heard it was from a group of miners who went to battle the mine owners, they wore red neckerchiefs to identify themselves. not sure if thats right but sounds good.

JohnEd · October 22, 2007, 11:17:52 PM

When you plow behind a mule you keep the reins around your neck. Between the sun and those reins chafing....REDNECK. Honest

It literally translates "hard working, hard scrabble, simple southern farmboy". And that is not an insult in my book. Lately it has taken a turn to mean "closed minded and highly prejudiced and under educated southerner". And that is an insult. If you ever hear a black man/woman refer to a "neck", that is the way they say it and it is no complement for sure.

A friend from Tn. filled me full of this lore, if thats the way you spell it.

John

DrivingMissLazy · October 23, 2007, 05:36:28 AM

Quote from: JohnEd on October 22, 2007, 11:17:52 PM
When you plow behind a mule you keep the reins around your neck. Between the sun and those reins chafing....REDNECK. Honest It literally translates "hard working, hard scrabble, simple southern farmboy". And that is not an insult in my book. Lately it has taken a turn to mean "closed minded and highly prejudiced and under educated southerner". And that is an insult. If you ever hear a black man/woman refer to a "neck", that is the way they say it and it is no complement for sure.

A friend from Tn. filled me full of this lore, if thats the way you spell it.

John

Sounds right to me, but I never heard that before.

Also, the reins typically go around your neck and then under one arm on the other side. That way you can control the team with a slight turn of your body either way. Don't ask me how I know this. LOL
Richard

Dallas · October 23, 2007, 05:41:08 AM

Richard,

Had Mules even been invented when you were young?

DrivingMissLazy · October 23, 2007, 05:42:05 AM

Quote from: Dallas on October 23, 2007, 05:41:08 AM
Richard,

Had Mules even been invented when you were young?

Nope, all we had were Jackasses. LOL
Richard

Hartley · October 23, 2007, 05:43:32 AM

It was a term used to describe a group of Coal Miners in West Virginia in battle
with union and non union mine owners. ( History Channel )

It was the red bandanna that started the phrase.

However, Many old stories may exist like the plow harness one.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were more than 50 explanations about where
the term came from. I guess it depends on who you ask.

Dallas · October 23, 2007, 05:44:30 AM

Quote from: DrivingMissLazy on October 23, 2007, 05:42:05 AM
Quote from: Dallas on October 23, 2007, 05:41:08 AM
Richard,

Had Mules even been invented when you were young?

Nope, all we had were Jackasses. LOL
Richard

He-he-he-he-he!

Glad I wasn't around then!

Sean · October 23, 2007, 09:26:30 AM

Quote from: DrDave-Reloaded on October 23, 2007, 05:43:32 AM
It was a term used to describe a group of Coal Miners in West Virginia in battle
with union and non union mine owners. ( History Channel )
...

I do not believe this. Well, actually, I do not doubt that the term was used in that context, but I don't believe that it is the sole "origin" of the term.

First off, if I had a nickel for everything that I heard on the History Channel that was just plain wrong, I could fill my fuel tank. Things that are vastly oversimplified, or described without suitable context, are even more prevalent.

While the story cited, no doubt, had some contribution to the widespread usage of the term, most reputable etymologies trace the usage of the word back at least as far as the 1830's, which predates unionization of coal mining by a fair bit. (I believe the West Virginia unionization conflicts occurred in the 1890's.)

I'm afraid this is one of those expressions whose true origins are lost to history. Many people have great theories about it which they often relate as absolute fact, and those sometimes get repeated by very reputable sources (such as the History Channel). But that does not make it so.

Our language is full of such expressions. One of my favorite examples is "the whole nine yards." Depending upon whom you ask, this expression describes the laden capacity of a cement mixer, or of a dump truck, or the amount of fabric required to make a man's three-piece suit, or possibly it even has something to do with football. Many people will articulate their own version of the etymology as fact, but etymologists are simply unsure of the precise origin.

FWIW.

-Sean
http://ourodyssey.blogspot.com

maria-n-skip · October 23, 2007, 09:44:33 AM

Sean,

I love how groups claim origins of words. Sometimes true sometimes a real stretch.

of Scottish word coinage
Redneck and hillbilly http://www.scotshistoryonline.co.uk/rednecks/rednecks.html

Enjoy
Skip

JohnEd · October 23, 2007, 10:26:40 AM

Richard,

If the reins only go around half your neck...does that make one a "half" red neck? And is also akin to the term "half as*ed"?

Sean,

So there we were sitting around shooting the bull and you showed up and broke out "academic".

Maybe next time we should sit around and shoot the "etymoligists".

Thought they were "bug people" ?

Great info,

John

maria-n-skip · October 23, 2007, 10:54:37 AM

John,

Last clinic I went on drafting (sorry not NASCar) they were teaching to keep the reins in front.
to bad I'm rein challenged.
Old days:
If you had a good puller the reins would go on the shoulder not the neck otherwise That just hurts.
I have seen some of the old boys have one side under the arm and the other over the shoulder.

FWIW
Skip

DrivingMissLazy · October 23, 2007, 11:11:19 AM

Quote from: maria-n-skip on October 23, 2007, 10:54:37 AM
John,

Last clinic I went on drafting (sorry not NASCar) they were teaching to keep the reins in front.
to bad I'm rein challenged.
Old days:
If you had a good puller the reins would go on the shoulder not the neck otherwise That just hurts.
I have seen some of the old boys have one side under the arm and the other over the shoulder.

FWIW
Skip

I believe that when you got to the end of a row and turned to go back the other way, you reversed the reins also. Been too long to really remember. Kinda needed to keep one side of the loop above the shoulder so they did not slip down. Could not keep them very tight or the team would stop.
Richard

maria-n-skip · October 23, 2007, 11:20:34 AM

Richard,

Yep and the shoulder with out the reins would the be considered the "cold shoulder"?

Oh that was fun.

Skip