Get it right next time!

[kvart]

Due to the climate of political correctness now pervading America, those of
us in Alabama, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and
Kentucky will no longer be referred to as "HILLBILLIES."
You must now refer to us as: APPALACHIAN-AMERICANS.

Thank you!

Now if you'll excuse me, I got possums to fry.

[Teresa]

At one time residents of the Ozark uplift were referred to as 'us uns'--distinguishable from 'you uns'.

By the 1930s, and the beginnings of commercial Appalachian-American music, all residents of the midland uplifts were referred to as hillbillies. In contrast to 'flatlanders'-- the latter of which still exist and can't drive in hills worth powder to blast the wings off a horsefly.

In the 1960s, this terminology was upgraded to "Ozarker", with connotations of common sense, self reliance, man's last outpost against coastal craziness and so forth.

By the mid-1990s, with the coming of electric to Springfield, Missouri, (and its subsequent loss of John Ashcroft) the growth of Branson beyond Silver Dollar City, and the arrival of the Lawrence Welk troupe, Andy Williams, and Californians, suddenly the area went upscale, and hill natives began to be known as Ozarkians. A friend of mine (from North Dakota) writes a column entitled The Accidental Ozarkian.

As soon as the last gap in retirement condominiums along US 65 between Springfield and Branson is closed, residents of SW Missouri will become known as Ozarkopolians.

It is unlikely the natives will ever be known as Ozark-Americans, since most do not accept the sovereignity of the US federal government over their affairs (liquid or otherwise.)

[cob]

many many years ago, I worked as a mail room clerk in a rather large law firm. They had a very extensive library which, when I was bored (which was often), I would go to and just peruse, pulling books off the shelves and looking to see what I could find that might peek my interest.

One day the librarian (a great guy, extremely intelligent) directed me to a legal definition for an "Ozark Hilbilly". I tried an internet search today and came up with zip due to the fact that all the law libraries internet services that I checked only go back to the early 90's and this case was from the mid 60's (??)

Hudson v. Hudson (???) a divorce case. Apparently the wife called her soon to be ex an "Ozark Hillbilly". And while his lawyer took exception to the negative conotations of the appaerently derogatory term, he was unable to deny the truthfulness of the statement. Soooo... the 2 lawyers haggled and argued until they came up with a definition acceptable to the husbands lawyer.

While I am unable to recall the exact quote, it was something along the lines of "a man who would give up the excitement and granduer of concrete canyons for the serene peace of a deep and verdant green valley..."

At any rate, there is a recognized legal definition of "Ozark Hillbilly"

You Appalachian Hillbillies have no such standing in a court of law.

tom

[Teresa]

While I am unable to recall the exact quote, it was something along the lines of "a man who would give up the excitement and granduer of concrete canyons for the serene peace of a deep and verdant green valley..."

At any rate, there is a recognized legal definition of "Ozark Hillbilly"

You Appalachian Hillbillies have no such standing in a court of law.

tom

The National Park Service definition of an Ozark Hillbilly--From Donald Stephens' "A Homeland and a Hinterland" is: "an Ozarks upland male with a strong leisure ethic who spends his free time hunting and fishing from a plank-built gigging canoe."

[Wayne Harrison]

...a plank-built gigging canoe.

A slight aside...

Carbide lights are apparently great for frog gigging. I found out when I put a Premier Carbide Light up for sale on eBay one time and I asked the winning bidder if he was going to use it for caving and he wrote back and said, "No, frog gigging."

[caverbill]

You must now refer to us as: APPALACHIAN-AMERICANS.

The complete description is culturally challenged appalachian-Americans.

[kvart]

No matter how you fry that possum it boils down to one word.......

REDNECK!

[Teresa]

The carbides I have I got from my grandpa--he kept beagles, and used the lights coon-hunting. As you may know, the point of coon-hunting is to wander around in the dark all night and drink beer...not necessarily to shoot anything. Sort of like caving.