That is the context in which I understand the word - a small place, significant only to those who live there. Surrounding towns have all been overcrowded by many people coming from the suburbs of NYC due to the ripple effect. Parabolic, suborbital and ballistic trajectories all follow elliptic paths. Context is key though. Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Random House, Inc. 2023. any small and insignificant or inaccessible town or village: After a year in the big city, I was ready to move back to Podunk. Example: The little kids who go to the local day care center are totally cool to be around. But vulgar points more to a lack of refinement or good taste while obscene suggests a preoccupation with the pornographic: [examples omitted]. Oshkosh, Kankakee, Ho-Ho-Kus, Rancho Cucamonga, and Kalamazoo all came in handy, but Podunk still had an inside advantage. But that kid from Podunk, now unloading freight at the big-box store, is a universe away from Oxford and a Capuchin friar buddy. Here are some commonly used terms that actually have racist origins Podunk is not necessarily derogatory; there is an implication of insignificance but then 99.9% of all the inhabited communities in the U. S. of A. fill that bill. This is clearly a shade of meaning to be recognised. When 1930s radio broadcaster Lowell Thomas told his listeners that there was "no such place as Podunk," he was immediately corrected by a resident of Podunk, New York, outside of Ithaca, who told him that this was like saying "there is no Santa Claus!". Tending to detract or diminish. Podunk Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com Apparently the term derived from a real locale somewhere in New York State. boondocks. Today, if someone "sells you down the river," he or she betrays or cheats you. Our Podunk may be no more than a junction in the road, with a population of 30 at tops, but it is definitely a real place. The earliest citation in the Dictionary of American Regional English is from Samuel Griswold Goodrich's 1840 book The Politician of Podunk: Solomon Waxtend was a shoemaker of Podunk, a small village of New York some forty years ago. Even though Poughkeepsie may not even count as a podunk town anymore, it should always be credited for inspiring the popular phrase. Author Rudyard Kipling is pictured, circa 1910. Update the question so it can be answered with facts and citations by editing this post. My answer focuses on the particular question, "What are the differences between them [the words vulgar, offensive, and derogatory]?". In 1981, someone took The New York Times to task for publishing a Podunk-bashing cartoon. He says the standard source for these definitions is a man named William Bright, a linguist who in 2004 wrote a book called Native American Placenames of the United States. Or we never knew them in the first place. ", "I found his table manners to be really offensive." However, in modern politics there has been recognition that term is racially offensive. Podunk: what is it? What does it mean? - definder-gw.qc.to As you might expect from their name, none of America's various Podunks are exactly booming. The answer is yesbut maybe not for long. [1] These terms are often used in the upper case as a placeholder name, to indicate "insignificance" and "lack of importance". So, it's really a good question? Though steeped in controversy, some think the first part of this phrase relates to anti-Semitic demonstrations that started in Germany in the 19th century. A small isolated town, region, or place that is regarded as unimportant. It's awesome to see how things that would seem gross or weird to guys in the dorm seem perfectly okay to them. Slang Define: What is Podunk? - meaning and definition Such cars would normally have the railroad name on the center of the letterboard in large letters, and "Pullman" in smaller letters at one end of letterboard, often over the door. When I started off by saying that the three words may in some contexts have the same meaning or be indistinguishable is because someone may say: "He spent the whole time at the party drinking and making vulgar Elmira, where Twain had lived earlier, is within 30 miles (48km) of Podunk, New York, so it is not clear to which village Twain was referring. [7] The term gained currency as standing for a fictional place. Why do we use the words "vulgar", "offensive" and "derogatory"? Brunch Query: What Does It Really Mean To 'Go Dutch'? As this answer is long enough, I'll just try to illustrate an obvious difference with an example. "Podunk After Pratt: Place and Placelessness in East Hartford, CT." In, Read, Allen 1939. With reasonable men, I will reason; Going forward, we want the focus to be on the work we do in the community and our team's excellence on the field as the CFL's most successful franchise." Is this the correct usage of a vulgar and offensive phrase? It is quite striking that Hayakawa and Merriam-Webster agree on four of the five members of the vulgar group that each identifies, but on none of the closest relatives to offensive. "The itis". : a small, unimportant, and isolated town. The proverbial podunk town is perfectly named, so perfectly that if Podunk didn't exist, we would be forced to invent it. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. A team of builders are working on a site, and every fifth word that comes out of their mouths is the 'F' word. From what I understand, after you jack your dick, the come runs down the side of your dick and onto your hand. Derogatory is increasingly seen today in credit reports, although it should not be taken as a credit card company making unkind comments on the character of the cardholder. This is a late 1800's term used by British colonial soldiers to refer to the members of an East African tribe. So I think the main distinction is that "offensive" is something that offends, and being derogatory and vulgar are things that could offend. Is there a generic term for these trajectories? Where is Podunk Oklahoma? I have been guilty, in several posts on this forum, of using the fictional Podunk and Northern as a synonym for a minor short line of total insignificance. The food is suss. Anthony Swofford on Americas Best War Writer, Karl Marlantes, The Witchcraft Delusion In Colonial Connecticut (1647-1697). That writer may have introduced America to the concept of Podunk as an insignificant Anywhere, U.S.A., town, but the place isn't just imaginary; towns with that name have actually existed in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Iowa (and probably elsewhere) over the years. There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. dunk (pdngk) n. Slang A small isolated town, region, or place that is regarded as unimportant. Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for Podunk. What were the most popular text editors for MS-DOS in the 1980s? And folks who live in the various Podunks are pretty well-practiced at pushing back against its common usage. Learn a new word every day. Our most popular newsletter for destination inspiration, travel tips, trip itineraries, and everything else you need to be an expert traveler in this beautiful world, Women Who Travel Podcast: The Weird and Wonderful World of Road Tripping, Where to Eat, Stay, and Play in Newport, Rhode Island, The Most Beautiful Places in Portugal, From Douro Valley Vineyards to the Islets of the Azores, These Small Towns in France Are Straight Out of a Storybook. The fascinating story behind many people's favori Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz! Ghetto in a sense that it's utterly shitty in every way. Is it the fact that it's vulgar and how do they become actual swear words? Also, Slovakian is a nationality whereas Slovak is an ethnicity and language. Short story about swapping bodies as a job; the person who hires the main character misuses his body. Let's start using the proper terms, like Inuit. nor waste arguments where they will certainly be lost. Does methalox fuel have a coking problem at all? They can deteriorate and they can sometimes become much stronger than they were in the first place.". Therefore "derogatory" may be badmouthing or depreciating a person or group, but "offensive" may be a breach against societal or human sensibilities. For When 'Lowdown Crook' Isn't Specific Enough. Plus, the broadcasting authority Ofcom has been exploring 'latest attitudes' to offensive language? Submitted by melissa from Gulf Breeze, FL, USA on Mar 14 2000 . The Atlantic reports that during Segregation racist southerners used "uppity" to describe Black people "who didn't know their place," socioeconomically speaking. So if you're looking at Bright, as I just did, he cites Huden, and then he cites like three or four people after Huden who are just copying Huden, of course, and are equally uninformed. Here are 12 popular phrases that you may want to rethink using in everyday conversation. Cows graze in a field in the Podunk section of East Brookfield, Mass. In American discourse, the term podunk came into general colloquial use through the wide national readership of the "Letters from Podunk" of 1846, in the Daily National Pilot of Buffalo, New York. On what basis are pardoning decisions made by presidents or governors when exercising their pardoning power? 2. noun A fictional rural place that is completely insignificant, out-of-the-way, and unsophisticated or uninteresting. Explore the world's oddities every week with Ken Jennings, and check out his book Maphead for more geography trivia. But when a Black person hears that word, it evokes a past of slavery.". "Somebody had seen this place name out the window of their bus or someplace where they spent their summers or something and it just became a funny word to them. If Podunk happened to be a junction with a branch line, the railroad might set out a sleeper at Podunk during the day. Capitalized in this use. Modern vernacular dropped the racial slur, leaving a faux-scientific diagnosis for the tired feeling you get after eating way too much food. One moose, two moose. I don't think "Podunk sleeper" is an actual railroadterm. When the origin of an expression doesn't seem so tightly connected to its use anymore and the expression has taken on a new meaning, using this expression might seem innocuous, according to Kristen Syrett, an associate professor in linguistics at Rutgers University. The meanings of "derogatory" imply "to belittle", "to disparage", or to "derogate" (to take away, detract, discredit. The terms include "peanut gallery," "plantation shutters" and "open the kimono.". Say 'Mmhmm'. The 1940s and 1950s-era children's program "Howdy Doody" used the term to refer to the groups of kids who participated in its audience. Business, Economics, and Finance. Glenn Beck even defended him, citing the first lady's love of arugula. This phrase started appearing in London newspapers around 1898. But the Podunk called their homeplace Nowashe, 'between' rivers. 1. See more. The film was about a drug smuggling operation that had french connections in mid-state New York. Denver Harbor, Houston - Wikipedia Podunk - Wikipedia It is located six miles west of Arnett, OK, at the intersection of U.S. 60 and U.S. 283. 78 Synonyms & Antonyms of DEROGATORY - Merriam Webster ", Guy 2: "Well Poughquag isn't that small, but it sure does have a lot of cows, so I guess we can call it podunk. "We need to dig deeper and understand where the phrases and words we use come from because if we don't we are being complicit in perpetuating the racist systems that are embedded in our language.". ", "South Windsor Creates 2.5-Mile Trail System Through Wapping Park", "Podonque Cemetery Town of Rushford, Allegany County, NY", "Podunk Pond Fishing near Dixfield, Maine", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Podunk&oldid=1137232740, Podunk, Connecticut, an area of the town of, Three places, over 100 miles (160km) apart, in, Podunk, Michigan, a community on Podunk Lake in, Podunk, Michigan, an alternative name for. Both derogatory, yet not vulgar or "offensive". usually used in a blank part of a conversation, or where one cannot think of a come-back. Podunks - definition of Podunks by The Free Dictionary Last edited on Jun 16 2016. Generally located in rural country towns; {Po-dunks} Hicks; {Po-dunktion Junction } A town that reflects the qualities of being Po-dunk. There are exceptions for instance, we know that "Connecticut" means "long river." "This simply seems to have attached a particular name and again, unless someone from a place named Podunk is particularly offended by it, it doesn't sound like it was done with any malicious intent towards any particular people. "What's striking about 'open the kimono' is how clearly rude it is," Alan Conor, author of "The Crossword Century" and "The Joy of Quiz," told ABC News. 2. noun A fictional rural place that is completely insignificant, out-of-the-way, and unsophisticated or uninteresting. Living in a literal Podunk town can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. In 2011, Rush Limbaugh pontificated that a NASCAR audience booed Michelle Obama because she exhibited "uppity-ism." Sietze Blankers on Twitter When you call someone a "bugger," you're accusing them of being a sodomite at least according to the original meaning. But the phrase has a much darker and more literal meaning. When letters make sounds that aren't associated w One goose, two geese. *.. 1. [2], The word podunk is of Algonquian origin. Can I use my Coinbase address to receive bitcoin? "This shows how in our language the simplified notions of other cultures get wrapped up in expressions we use," John Kelly, senior research editor at Dictionary.com, explained. Other etymological research suggests it could mean "snowshoe-netter" too. Podunk, Kektucy is a city located in Satan Rock County, USA . Too many people work in the city and live just outside of it, so they move a little bit farther out to escape the high density living. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. ", 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. To do any of these things should be considered at least slightly different from "to offend". Derogatory may be used of one's own actions or activity that tends to detract from his reputation or to lower him in the estimation of others [examples omitted] More often the term is applied to expressions or modes of expression (as choice of words or tone of voice) and then implies an intent to detract or belittle by suggesting something that is discreditable [examples omitted], offensive, loathsome, repulsive, repugnant, revolting are comparable when they mean utterly distasteful or repellent. Countless times in the movie, they used slang phrases such as "podunk" or "pough town" to describe the area. Podunk is a derogatory slang term for a very rural and unimportant community. In it, he said: They even know it in Podunk, wherever that may be. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information, words and phrases and their origins are being reexamined, the Washington Redskins have decided to change their name. Podunk - usa_slang.en-academic.com To me the essence of podunk, however, is the notion of "country bumpkin'. Lacy, John. Sorry if this is perceived wrong. Difference between "vulgar", "offensive" and "derogatory" [closed], Improving the copy in the close modal and post notices - 2023 edition, New blog post from our CEO Prashanth: Community is the future of AI, That which is vulgar, obscene, or profane (title reflects contents). Kimonos were also worn by geishas -- highly trained hostesses who throughout history have been inaccurately depicted as concubines in various films and books. a phrase for a small or rural town that was popularized by the movie "The French Connection" in 1971, starring Gene Hackman.The film was about a drug smuggling operation that had french connections in mid-state New York. Slang term for "Country music". To save this word, you'll need to log in. is podunk derogatory what was life like during the communist russia. But, there are distinctions among the words in many/most cases, I hope I've shown some. William Lloyd Garrison. Alternatively, others believe that the term didn't originate as a racist phrase, but instead evolved to have racist usage. I hear you ask, 'Where in the world is Podunk?' Within a few years, no less than Mark Twain was name-checking Podunk in his work. Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Synonyms (1984) puts the three words in three separate clusters of related terms, suggesting that the three are not especially similar in meaning. Which one to choose? Primary Season Is Here And 'Hispandering' Is Back, Ready For A Linguistic Controversy? "I found his table It denoted both the Podunk people and marshy locations, particularly the people's winter village site on the border of present-day East Hartford and South Windsor, Connecticut. His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project. I believe a listener or reader of these would take the "derogatory" sentence to mean it's offensive to Chinese people", whereas the "offensive" sentence may be taken to mean it's both offensive to Chinese people, but in addition to that, may be seen as offensive on a more general scale; that is, offensive to people at large because racial intolerance is offensive to everyone. In this context it refers to something (such as a late payment, foreclosure, or bankruptcy) that will have a negative effect on a persons credit score.
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