Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples log in dictionary. So do the british use the word cracker like americans do. Some believe its derived from the dutch word blute, meaning bare. The term its a cracker came about during the 70s from a tv program called the comedians one them whos. Im afraid the best choice would be british biscuit. A thin crisp wafer or biscuit, usually made of unsweetened dough. Christmas crackers were invented by thomas smith, a london pastry cook in 1846. Information about crackers in the dictionary, synonyms and antonyms. The latter explanation makes sense, because in piney. We invite you to browse through our store where you can find a wide range of british foods including english teas, cadbury chocolate, mcvities, walkers crisps and ribena to name a few. Cracker conveys history of bigotry that still resonates cnn. I found a box of cabin biscuits made in england at my local american grocery store, but when i opened it i found crackers. Cracker definition for englishlanguage learners from. K over which type of biscuit is best for dunking, so whether you prefer a simple digestive or a classic.
British penetration of the area began at zanzibar in the last quarter of the 19th century. After the new united states of america won the war, the spanish got florida back again from the british. Change your default dictionary to american english. Jul 18, 2004 his father worked for the british east india company, but he died when thackeray was just a boy, and thackerays mother sent him back to england to go to boarding school. These delightful christmas crackers are a british tradition.
Definition 4 is used as a neutral nickname or term of selfreference. Prawn cracker definition and synonyms of prawn cracker in. You simply will not find a better quality for cost christmas cracker on todays market. The term common cracker first appeared in print in 1939 but by then the large about the size of a ritz cracker today, puffed cracker was already a new england mainstay, sold since the early 1800s from barrels yes, cracker barrels were a real thing before they were a restaurant chain in general stores. A couple of years ago i was interviewing a singer in an american band over the phone, and i asked what his plan for the holidays might be. We talked for a little while about the specifics of his family christmas and i mentioned crackers, which turned out to be a festive. Men from east london are also commonly referred to as geezers. This is an online hypertext dictionary for sanskrit english and english sanskrit.
Associate professor of english, georgia southern college, statesboro. Initially, cracker was not a pejorative term, but ferris says it has become one, the equivalent of redneck. A term in southeastern united states english to describe poor white trash, derived from the scottish meaning of the verb to crack, which, in this sense denotes ostentation. They are a popular snack in parts of southeast and east. Crackers meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. You find in dictionaries oed for example that what the british call biscuit, is called cookie or cracker in america. Thats because a florida cracker is self sufficient. The war of independence pushed popular taste away from the british versions of words, and so the twicecooked item we all know and love became a cookie or a cracker, leaving the way clear for biscuit to be taken up in america as a word for a small sconelike soft bread, served either as a side dish or with gravy which is another term the.
The gifts include puzzles, masks, tools, tiny treasures, jewels, tricks and novelty items. A florida cracker usually has a rural upbringing, either on a farm or in a small town with plenty of woods and water for hunting and fishing and land for planting. Crackers make great snacks, whether youre topping them with cheese, dipping them in peanut butter or hummus or eating them straight out of the box. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racist slur against white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. British slang that will confuse anybody who didnt grow up in the uk. Looking for online definition of crackers in the medical dictionary. Crackers definition of crackers by the free dictionary. North american english, slang an offensive word for a poor white person with little education from the southern us informal a person who illegally finds a way of looking at or stealing information on somebody elses computer system. Theres no way your holiday table wont be popping if you have english christmas cracker place settings awaiting all of your guests. The british food depot is your fast and convenient store offering the lowest priced british foods online. How to make english christmas crackers american version. Cracker noun definition and synonyms macmillan dictionary. Also known as bonbons, resembling a big, filled sweet wrapper.
No cup of tea is complete without at least one or two biscuits to dunk in it. English definition, of, relating to, or characteristic of england or its inhabitants, institutions, etc. He missed his mother so much in england that every night, before he went to bed, he prayed that he would dream of her. We are constantly updating our database with new slang terms, acronyms, and abbreviations. I should explain to your lordship what is meant by crackers, a name they have. In 1888 the imperial british east africa company established claims to territory in what is now kenya.
Definition and synonyms of cracker from the online english dictionary from macmillan education. Mcwhiney uses the term to define culture rather than to signify an economic condition. It is used with disparaging intent and is perceived as insulting. Christmas crackers olde english crackers made in the usa. The islands were constituted by the treaty of paris in 1815 as the independent united states of the ionian islands under british protection. The definition, example, and related terms listed above have been written and compiled by the slangit team. Crackers make a loud noise when they are pulled apart and usually contain a small toy and a paper hat.
Various theories exists regarding this terms application to poor white southerners. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Because slang is casual language, some of these might not be appropriate for younger learners. Translation for cracker in the free english german dictionary and many other german translations. Cracker definition of cracker by the free dictionary. Given their name because of their staple diet of crackcorn, crackers were often hired by plantation owners in order to replace a slave in dangerous jobs. These examples are from the cambridge english corpus and from sources on the web. The epithet cracker has been applied in a derogatory way, like redneck, to rural, nonelite white southerners, more specifically to those of south georgia and north florida. The more expensive crackers hold higher quality gifts. Definition of crackers adjective in oxford advanced learners dictionary. The adjectival sense derives from british naval expressions referring to firecrackers in ones head, originally as hes got the crackers and then hes gone crackers before the present he is crackers.
Christmas crackers learnenglish teens british council. Although all poor whites were crackers, not all crackers were poor whites. History of christmas crackers olde english crackers. It has been taken as an offensive and derogatory term to people of caucasian or european descent and is. Cracker, the debut studio album by the american rock band cracker, released on march 10, 1992 crackers song, a 1980 song by barbara mandrell crackers. Information and translations of prawn cracker in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial slur used against white people, used. The online hypertext sanskrit dictionary is meant for spoken sanskrit. Crackers have been a traditional part of british christmas festivities and other celebrations since victorian times. The grant house in brevard county was transported by boat from jacksonville and erected on its site on the. See the full definition for cracker in the english language learners dictionary.
Information and translations of crackers in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial slur used against white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. And at walmart, we have a wide variety of delicious crackers, from saltines and cheese crackers to animal crackers and graham crackers. In 1890 and 1894 british protectorates were established over the sultanate of zanzibar and the kingdom of. Folk etymology claims the term originated either from their cracking, or pounding, of corn rather than taking it to mill, or from their use of whips to drive cattle. British east africa historical states, united kingdom. Do british people use the term cracker or biscuit to refer to a thin, crispy, wheatbased snack. Translation for crackers in the free english german dictionary and many other german translations. It was during a visit to paris, where he came across the bobbon, a sugar almond wrapped in tissue paper with a twist on either side of the centrally placed sweet. A very traditional thing that accompanies a typical english christmas dinner is the christmas cracker. A cracker is a xmas festive thing resembling a toilet roll covered with tissue and decorations the cracker has a small explosive which goes off when you pull it the cracker usually holds a paper hat,a token and a joke the joke is usually terrible hence the term a cracker of a joke.
A cracker is a hollow cardboard tube covered with coloured paper. Smith included a romantic message inside his early crackers which he marketed in britainas kiss. A cracker is a thin, crisp biscuit which is often eaten with cheese. Urban dictionary and our advertising partners set cookies on your computer to improve our site and the advertisements you see. Cracker definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Since its hard to find snaps in the us, jenny has adapted traditional english crackers to make snappy place settings that double as party favors.
Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. Proper usage and audio pronunciation plus ipa phonetic transcription of the word crackers. When modern civilization collapses, the florida cracker will be hunting, fishing, trapping and growing his own food. Jan 16, 2020 the adjectival sense derives from british naval expressions referring to firecrackers in ones head, originally as hes got the crackers and then hes gone crackers before the present he is crackers.
The term could have also derived from the middle english cnac, craic, or crak, which originally meant the sound of a. Olde english crackers specializes in quality, handcrafted luxury christmas crackers made with the finest materials and featuring quality gift contents. British food depot shop for british foods in the usa. Information and translations of crackers in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on. Synonyms for crackers in english including definitions, and related words.
Outside the middle east, it is sometimes served with tortilla chips or crackers. So weve made sure to include all the most popular british biscuits in our range. Cracker definition in the cambridge english dictionary. Crackers were poor white folk who lived in the south during the antebellum era. Similarly, malta was a british protectorate between the capitulation of the french in 1800 and the treaty of paris of 1814. The most widely accepted story is that they were invented in the mid1840s by a london pastry cook named tom smith, who came upon the idea while on a trip to paris where he witnessed the french holiday custom. Soda crackers by raymond carver the writers almanac with. Hummus ful pronounced is topped with a paste made from fava beans boiled until soft and. Use of the word in this sense often implies that the poor white person is regarded as bigoted, ignorant, or the like.
More than 60% of the worlds production of propylene is used to make polypropylene but it is also a key component of countless end use products. Cracker term cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a term for white people, used especially for poor rural whites in the southern united states. Crackers definition of crackers by medical dictionary. All definitions are approved by humans before publishing. Do british people use the term cracker or biscuit to. Party crackers are a british tradition dating back to victorian times when a confectioner started selling sugared almonds, each with a motto and wrapped in a twisted paper package, as love tokens. We use cookies to enhance your experience on our website, including to provide targeted advertising and track usage. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the cambridge dictionary editors or of cambridge university press or its licensors. Sense of computer cracker, crack, cracking, were promoted in the 1980s as an alternative to hacker, by programmers concerned about negative public associations of hack, hacking creative computer coding. This page explains what the slang term cracker means. Crackers definition in the cambridge english dictionary. He is a contributor for bbc america and has written for anglotopia. Carlyle definition, scottish essayist and historian. The high prices of slaves during the 1830s and 40s made it efficient to use a cracker rather than a slave.
Definition of cracker written for english language learners from the merriamwebster learners dictionary with audio pronunciations, usage examples, and countnoncount noun labels. Meaning of prawn cracker in the english dictionary. He is editorinchief of lost in the pond and loves nothing more than to share his articles with anglophiles, expats, and other interested parties on social media. Laurence is a british expat living in indianapolis, indiana.
North american english, slang an offensive word for a poor white person with little education from the southern us. From our linguistic research, weve confirmed that above all, british people are sarcastic, unsympathetic, and often rather. One day a jet of resin from the confectioners log fire burst into flame with a loud crack. It is sometimes used in a neutral context in reference to a native of florida or georgia see florida cracker and georgia cracker. British english, informal something that you think is very good, funny, etc. The christmas party album, an album by the british glam rock band slade. I should explain to your lordship what is meant by crackers.
661 733 809 565 909 331 1442 1345 1427 30 133 26 13 1437 592 83 825 758 1540 245 1379 1564 1063 525 1124 1273 1446 882 246 747 1052 571 4