Antedating of "White Trash"

[Charles Doyle]

Yes, "poor white trash" was definitely the full and favored version of the phrase--among white folks too.  However, the better sort of poor white trash might, at some point, have insisted on dropping the "poor."

Over the last several years, I believe--as archetectural style in economical lodging evolved--the phrase "trailer trash" has made inroads into "poor white trash" space.

--Charlie
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---- Original message ----
>Date: Tue, 7 Nov 2006 14:26:42 -0500
>From: Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>Subject: Re: Antedating of "White Trash"
>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU

>
>FWIW, the "correct" form of this term as I heard it used among East-Texas blacks is as it appears in Fred's citation, to wit, _*poor* white trash_, and not simply as "white trash." The term was not used in Saint Louis, to any particular extent, there not being any po' whites, in the Southern sense, around, that blacks found it necessary
>to interact with.
>
>-Wilson

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