"swamp yankee"

Barnhart barnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM
Wed Jul 19 16:25:43 UTC 2006


The earliest quotes I found to date aside from H. Kurath (OEDs 1941) (and
I'm not finished looking):

1955 Sept 9  _Tri-City Herald_ [Pasco, Wash.] (NewspaperArchive.com) 4
The population here [Berkshire County, Mass.] consists principally of what
are known as swamp Yankees folks who came into these hills from Hartford
to fight Indians.  They stayed.

1959 April 16 _The Berkshire Eagle_ [Pittsfield, Mass.]
(NewspaperArchive.com) 22  It's amusing to see that the big-brother
relationship between chambers of commerce and their junior counterparts
does not preclude an outspoken Jaycee president from blasting "webfooted,
swamp-Yankee thinking among his seniors ...

American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on Tuesday, July 18,
2006 at 6:34 PM -0500 wrote:
>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>-----------------------
>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Poster:       Barnhart <barnhart at HIGHLANDS.COM>
>Subject:      Re: "swamp yankee"
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>In OEDs has a quote from H. Kurath (1941) and from American Speech (1963).
>
>1963 Amer. Speech XXXVIII. 121 The term _swamp Yankee may be defined as 'a
>rural New England dweller who abides today as a steadfast rustic and who
>is of Yankee stock that has endured in the New England area since colonial
>days.'
>
>Kurath quote mentions hayseed or hayseeder, rustic, and hayback.
>
>Regards,
>David
>
>barnhart at highlands.com
>
>Paul Johnston <paul.johnston at wmich.edu> on Tuesday, July 18, 2006 at 5:00
>PM -0500 wrote:
>>---------------------- Information from the mail header
>>-----------------------
>>Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Poster:       Paul Johnston <paul.johnston at WMICH.EDU>
>>Subject:      Re: "swamp yankee"
>>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>>I've heard the expression to refer to anyone from SE New England,
>>particularly around Providence, Fall River or New Bedford.  I've also
>>heard
>>of the SE New England dialect called "Swamp Yankee" by Bostonians, though
>>the people of the area concerned regard the term as derogatory.
>>
>>Paul Johnston
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "sagehen" <sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM>
>>To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Sent: Tuesday, July 18, 2006 10:58 AM
>>Subject: "swamp yankee"
>>
>>
>>> ---------------------- Information from the mail
>>header -----------------------
>>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>> Poster:       sagehen <sagehen at WESTELCOM.COM>
>>> Subject:      "swamp yankee"
>>>
>>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>-----
>>>
>>> A question from another list:
>>> "-I am reading a book by David Handler, set in Connecticut,
>>> that refers to several of the characters as swamp yankees.  My husband
>>was
>>> born in Connecticut, not far from where the story is set, but this is
>>not
>>> a phrase he is familiar with."
>>>
>>> Reading the same book as this poster, I simply assumed a reference to
>>the
>>> poor, landless, powerless class.  Does the phrase have some more
>>particular
>>> meaning?
>>>
>>> A. Murie
>>>
>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>>
>>
>>------------------------------------------------------------
>>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>------------------------------------------------------------
>The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org



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