Exploring the History, Literature, and Culture of the Tar Heel State
“The tasteless meaning of ‘tacky’ originated in the American South, where the word originally referred to a scrawny or broken-down horse…. “Within a few decades, ‘tacky’ had extended to humans, serving as a self-deprecating label for poor white Southerners who were identified with their equine counterparts. As a North Carolinian wrote in an 1836 letter … Continue reading “‘Tacky’: A study in upward mobility?”
“North Cack n. (Southern sl.) new school “1. North Carolina. (var. North Caclalacka/Cackalacky/Click/Clicky, N. Cee) “ex: ‘I’m about to make this run to North Cack.’ ” — From “Street Talk: Da Official Guide to Hip-Hop & Urban Slanguage” by Randy Kearse (2006) According to a feature in Saturday’s New York Times, “Mr. Kearse, 45, went … Continue reading “‘North Caclalacka/Cackalacky/Click/Clicky…’”
Even though we pride ourselves on our knowledge of the history and culture of “North Cackalacky,” when it comes to this unusual nickname, we’re absolutely stumped. We’d heard the name for years, and it seems to be pretty widespread, be we can’t figure out where in the world it came from. We tried the usual … Continue reading “Cackalacky”