Who is a redneck?

[IronLionZion]

I use to jokingly say I was a redneck because I grew up in rural Somerset, PA. But now I don't know.

Do you agree with this definition? It fits a huge part of the Republican voter base.

red·neck

n. Offensive Slang

1. Used as a disparaging term for a member of the white rural laboring class, especially in the southern United States.
2. A white person regarded as having a provincial, conservative, often bigoted attitude
-dictionary.com

[camero]

1. #2 fits better

Not all people in rural areas are rednecks.

[Burma Jones]

2. My Ancestors

Right up to my PhD Dad, then we went all educated and shit.

[Taeger]

3. Whatever Jeff Foxworthy says it is!!!! (nm)

But I would guess it refers to white people who did labor outside without a hat. Thus the red neck.

[morningglory]

8. White forehead, white chest and legs, red neck. n/t

[alwynsw]

4. I prefer PWT

Geez! Doesn't anyone know what a mullet is for? It shades the neck!

[Nikia]

5. That is a good place to start

While trying to be nice and PC, I refer to such people as rural white working class, but there is definitely a narrow minded attitude that separates "rednecks" from people who just happen to live in rural areas, be white, and are working class.
While this might be interesting to discuss, this term is offensive and in some ways is akin to "nigger" to describe certain types of black people by those who don't use it either affectionately nor to describe all black people.

[IronLionZion]

9. true

I think it could be offensive or harmless depending on the context and who is using it. Some black people drop n-bombs every few seconds and others think it is very offensive.

The same might be true of country people. I'm not white but many people I grew up with say redneck all the time. I've used it too and don't mind when someone from the country calls me a redneck, but I hate it when urban and suburban people call me a redneck.

[Pithlet]

6. I've always thought

of #2, at least the rare times I've ever used the term. I generally avoid it though, because it is too often used to refer to #1. Idiot and asshole work just fine.

[guitar man]

7. I disagree with those definitions

I grew up in rural Oklahoma and I am a Redneck and proud of it. Being a Redneck is not the same as being an inbred racist asshole.

Redneck simply means a person with a glorius lack of sophistication.

Like,if your house has ever been involved in a traffic accident,you might be a redneck.

If you have a matching set of salad bowls that all say "Cool Whip" on the side......

If you've ever financed a tattoo....

If you've lived in three houses at the same address....

If your house has more miles than your car......

If you've never bought a car you could drive home......

:evilgrin:

[morningglory]

10. Me too. I came from a nest of rednecks in the south, but very intelligent

people, and Democratic, open-minded. I was the first to graduate from high school, and then went on to college. I feel like Michael Caine, a Cockney who is brilliant and sophistocated (I would like to be as cool as he is, but alas). How would it sound if he said "Oh, no Oim not Coke knee. Oim simply a Brit". He's Cockney and I'm redneck. I don't take it as an insult to hear the word "redneck" from anyone.
My mother had a spit cup on the ironing board. It is part of our diversity. Finding an open-minded redneck is like finding a pretty Easter egg, like finding a smart New Yorker with a sense of humor and a thick bronx accent. Wow!

[guitar man]

11. most of the country folk

Most of the country folk I grew up with were Democrats,still are.And don't let the overalls and John Deere caps fool you,there is a lot of earthy wisdom under there.

[tedoll78]

12. This is one of my bad habits.

I use the term as an epithet to describe people who fit #2.

My partner is from rural Mississippi and is offended by it. He's proud to be a redneck, but non-disparagingly (similar to #1).

[IronLionZion]

13. apparently I am a moderately liberal, educated,

cultured, open-minded, Indian-American redneck. That's basically what I tell people when they call me a redneck in a disparaging way.

Otherwise, you can take me out of Somerset, but you can't take Somerset out of me.