I came across a web site that offers what they call "white trash"
recipes. I don't know how to cut and paste so I can't give the URL but
it is called yumfood.net. They have recipes for Tatertot casserole,
Tuna loaf, a lot of things with saltine crackers (both savory and
sweet) and a whole lot of stuff that uses weiners. Someone in ths
group posted a recipe for "Hamburger Gravy" and it sounded to me like
what could be thought of as "white trash cooking" but it was
DELICIOUS. What comes to mind when you think of "white trash cooking"?
Here is a recipe from that site that I am going to try:

Corn Dog Muffins

1) Corn bread muffin mix
2) 1 cup milk
3) 2 eggs
4) 1 cup oil (seems like a lot)
5) 1 pack of paper muffin liners
6) 1 muffin tin
7) 1 package of the cheapest hot dogs money can buy

Mix muffin mix and other ingredients (except hot dogs)
Place muffin liners in muffin tin
Pour batter into muffin liners
Cut hot dogs in half and center in each muffin with the round end
pointing out
Bake until muffins are goldne brown

The Heap

To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race point
of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class" point of
view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we try and help them.
Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot about America. What do
Americans think about it?

>Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot about America. What do
>Americans think about it?

It's usually used ironically, with reference to a historical context, these
days, to refer to a concept of social class that no longer really holds. It
doesn't necessarily connote poverty as much as a radically independent
rejection of Brahmin social norms. The term "trailer trash" is a little more
current, with much the same nuance.

Neil

david wrote:
>
> To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race point
> of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class" point of
> view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we try and help them.
> Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot about America. What do
> Americans think about it?

It's essentially a joke, far less serious than you take it.

nancy

The Heap wrote:

> I came across a web site that offers what they call "white trash"
> recipes. I don't know how to cut and paste so I can't give the URL but
> it is called yumfood.net. They have recipes for Tatertot casserole,
> Tuna loaf, a lot of things with saltine crackers (both savory and
> sweet) and a whole lot of stuff that uses weiners. Someone in ths
> group posted a recipe for "Hamburger Gravy" and it sounded to me like
> what could be thought of as "white trash cooking" but it was
> DELICIOUS. What comes to mind when you think of "white trash cooking"?

A few months ago I was channel surfing and came across a cooking show
featuring white trash cooking. The hostess was a large women in poofed
hair and very tightly stretched pants making canap=E9s with cheese is a
spray can and other cocktail goodies usually available at corner stores.

"david" > wrote in message
news
> To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race point
> of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class" point of
> view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we try and help
them.
> Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot about America. What do
> Americans think about it?
>
>

My opinion.... There is a difference in being poor, being trash, or being
homeless. One can be poor, but still be decent--they take the trash out,
they do their, um, business in the toilet, take baths and brush teeth on a
regular basis, children in the family go to school, they behave
appropriately... White trash are those that don't take their garbage out or
bathe, or go to the bathroom in the toilet, etc--even though they could
afford to do better and know better and are physically and mentally able,
they don't because they're lazy . Then, there are homeless people, and they
may not be able to bathe, etc, but I don't tend to lump them with white
trash. I'm originally from a classic southern small town, and even there,
the term white trash is only used in reference to the kind of people
desribed above. It's by no means a blanket term used for poor people.

From my pov, being poor is no excuse for being lazy and filthy. I kind of
feel that unless a person is willing to try themselves to improve their
situation, no matter how much help, sympathy, etc, I give, then they're
probably not going to change. However, if a person is willing to do the
slightest bit to try to make things better for themselves, then I feel that
I should do what to help them. Sometimes, a person needs a little guidance,
or someone to give a hand or show them the way. But, if you show someone
and offer to help, and they still don't change or aren't willing to try...
you know...

Hopefully, I haven't upset anyone or anything... I'm sure this could be
quite a touchy subject.

Anyway, as far as the phrase "white trash cooking" i'm not a fan, as I think
it encourages food snobbery. My philosophy on food is you eat what you
want, I'll eat what I want. I think some people try to put others down
because they don't eat fancy food, or cook with cream of whateve soup, or
eat velveeta. Kind of the same way some people look down at people because
they don't wear expensive clothes or drive expensive cars...

"Nancy Young" > wrote in message
...
> david wrote:
> >
> > To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race
point
> > of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class" point of
> > view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we try and help
them.
> > Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot about America. What do
> > Americans think about it?
>
> It's essentially a joke, far less serious than you take it.

Fair enough. Hard for me to tell over here.

In article >,
(WardNA) wrote:

> >Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot about America. What do
> >Americans think about it?
>
> It's usually used ironically, with reference to a historical context, these
> days, to refer to a concept of social class that no longer really holds.

That depends on what you mean by "social class." I would argue that
class divisions are becoming more and more pronounced in the US,
although the boundaries are now determined less by ethnic/racial
criteria, and more by economic status and business affinities. We are
moving from democracy to plutocracy.

But this is probably not the forum to debate such matters.

--
Julian Vrieslander

"david" > wrote in
news
> To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race
> point of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class"
> point of view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we try
> and help them. Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot about
> America. What do Americans think about it?
>
>

David,

I'd disagree that "battler" just means poor people in general. A battler
need not be poverty stricken. The Macquarie Dictionary Book of Slang
(http://www.macquariedictionary.com.a...s@FF982909775+
0/-/p/dict/slang.html)
gives the following definitions of "battler" which I would agree with
from the everyday usage I'm familiar with.

battler
noun 1. a decent and fair person who struggles continually and
persistently against heavy odds; a doer. 2. Also, (little) Aussie
battler. a typical member of the working class in Australia. 3. a
conscientious worker, especially one living at subsistence level

I think the term "white trash" 1. does not have so much to do with how
much money the people have as to how they behave and 2. when used as it
was here with regards to cooking etc. is used in a joking manner.

The same sort of things go on here, regardless of how egalitarian the
country is supposed to be. I grew up (and still live) in the outer west
of Sydney which would make me a Westie to many people (though I'm not
necessarily uncouth and without culture, and I don't think I ever wore a
pair of Ugg boots outside the house, although I have worn flannelette
shirts - see definition of Westie below sig). I remember as a teenager
referring to people who lived on the other side of the harbour bridge as
Northie snobs - although I don't think I'd ever met any at that stage!!


Rhonda Anderson - proud to be a Westie <vbg>
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia


From The Book of Slang -
westie
noun 1. (Derogatory) a person from the western suburbs of Sydney,
usually characterised as being unsophisticated, uncouth, and typically
wearing certain distinguishing items of clothing, as flannelette shirts
and ugh boots. The word is applied negatively to any people living west
of one's own suburb, thus a Bondi inhabitant may call a person from Ryde
a westie, but Ryde inhabitants would not consider themselves such, and
instead apply the term to people from Parramatta, who in turn apply it to
people from Penrith, etc. --adjective 2. pertaining to a westie;
characteristic of a westie. Also, westy.

the 'mock apple pie'

Makes 1 - 9 inch pie

" Love apple pie, but hate apples? Your prayers have been answered! "

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon butter
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
16 double-wide soda crackers
1 (9 inch) pie shell


Directions

1 Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2 In a saucepan, combine sugar, water, butter, cream of tartar and cinnamon.
Bring to a boil, and continue to boil for 2 minutes.
3 Break 16 (double) soda crackers into pie shell. Pour hot syrup over.
4 Add top crust, seal and flute edges. Bake at 425 degrees F (220 degrees C)
for 30 to 35 minutes.
yumm yummm!




"The Heap" > wrote in message
om...
> I came across a web site that offers what they call "white trash"
> recipes. I don't know how to cut and paste so I can't give the URL but
> it is called yumfood.net. They have recipes for Tatertot casserole,
> Tuna loaf, a lot of things with saltine crackers (both savory and
> sweet) and a whole lot of stuff that uses weiners. Someone in ths
> group posted a recipe for "Hamburger Gravy" and it sounded to me like
> what could be thought of as "white trash cooking" but it was
> DELICIOUS. What comes to mind when you think of "white trash cooking"?
> Here is a recipe from that site that I am going to try:
>
> Corn Dog Muffins
>
> 1) Corn bread muffin mix
> 2) 1 cup milk
> 3) 2 eggs
> 4) 1 cup oil (seems like a lot)
> 5) 1 pack of paper muffin liners
> 6) 1 muffin tin
> 7) 1 package of the cheapest hot dogs money can buy
>
> Mix muffin mix and other ingredients (except hot dogs)
> Place muffin liners in muffin tin
> Pour batter into muffin liners
> Cut hot dogs in half and center in each muffin with the round end
> pointing out
> Bake until muffins are goldne brown
>
> The Heap

"david" > wrote in message
news
> To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race point
> of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class" point of
> view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we try and help
them.
> Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot about America. What do
> Americans think about it?


Oh bull - as an Aussie (now living in the USA) I heard the term "white
trash" used many many times over the years in Australia. Far more often than
"battlers".

"Rhonda Anderson" > wrote in message
.5...
> "david" > wrote in
> news > I'd disagree that "battler" just means poor people in general.

Well, I didn't mean poor people in general. Here's my point:
http://www.australianbeers.com/culture/batters.htm

"A Adams" > wrote in
:

>
> "david" > wrote in message
> news
>> To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race
>> point of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class"
>> point of view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we
>> try and help
> them.
>> Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot about America. What
>> do Americans think about it?
>
>
> Oh bull - as an Aussie (now living in the USA) I heard the term "white
> trash" used many many times over the years in Australia. Far more
> often than "battlers".
>

Just out of curiosity, what part of Australia were you in? I immediately
associate the phrase "white trash" with America. It's a term I'm familiar
with from American TV shows etc. Certainly not one I would use. Plenty of
other Australian terms that would mean the same thing <g> but I wouldn't
use "white trash" nor do I think I've ever had a conversation with
someone who used it.

"Battler" does get used, though lately mostly by politicians and
reporters I think <g>.

Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

"david" > wrote in news:TpFQb.26579$Wa.13863
@news-server.bigpond.net.au:

>
> "Rhonda Anderson" > wrote in message
> .5...
>> "david" > wrote in
>> news >> I'd disagree that "battler" just means poor people in general.
>
> Well, I didn't mean poor people in general. Here's my point:
> http://www.australianbeers.com/culture/batters.htm
>

OK, I was just going by what you wrote in the initial post which was

In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we try
> and help them.

Figured you meant all poor people! Sorry.

From what I had already thought "white trash" meant, and the definitions
several people have posted in this thread so far, I think we can safely
say that "white trash" and "battlers" do not refer to the same sort of
people!

Rhonda Anderson
Cranebrook, NSW, Australia

In article >,
Rhonda Anderson > wrote:

> Rhonda Anderson - proud to be a Westie <vbg>
> Cranebrook, NSW, Australia
>
>
> From The Book of Slang -
> westie
> noun 1. (Derogatory) a person from the western suburbs of Sydney,
> usually characterised as being unsophisticated, uncouth, and typically
> wearing certain distinguishing items of clothing, as flannelette shirts
> and ugh boots. The word is applied negatively to any people living west
> of one's own suburb, thus a Bondi inhabitant may call a person from Ryde
> a westie, but Ryde inhabitants would not consider themselves such, and
> instead apply the term to people from Parramatta, who in turn apply it to
> people from Penrith, etc. --adjective 2. pertaining to a westie;
> characteristic of a westie. Also, westy.

"Westie" is also used in NZ, meaning "From West Auckland" and with the
connotations above. We sometimes use the word "bogan" for the same type
of people, and that comes from Australia too.

Miche

--
If you want to end war and stuff you got to sing loud.
-- Arlo Guthrie, "Alice's Restaurant"

david wrote:
> To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race
> point of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class"
> point of view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we
> try and help them. Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot
> about America. What do Americans think about it?

The Aussie equivalent to white trash are the bogans, the westies, the
ferals, etc.
We're just as nasty and willing to degrade here too.

The only person I know that says 'aussie battler' are fools like Ray Martin,
waving from his palatial home in somewhere far away from the poor people
.....

--
something witty

david wrote:
> "Nancy Young" <> wrote ...
>> david wrote:
>>>
>>> To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a
>>> race point of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a
>>> "class" point of view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers",
>>> and we try and help them. Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says
>>> a lot about America. What do Americans think about it?
>>
>> It's essentially a joke, far less serious than you take it.
>
> Fair enough. Hard for me to tell over here.

oh come on, David !


--
something witty

A Adams wrote:
> "david" <> wrote ...
>> To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race
>> point of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class"
>> point of view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we
>> try and help them. Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot
>> about America. What do Americans think about it?
>
>
> Oh bull - as an Aussie (now living in the USA) I heard the term "white
> trash" used many many times over the years in Australia. Far more
> often than "battlers".

I think David thought he would be the only Aussie here, and be able to
create a land in his own image and fool the yanks in the process

--
something witty

Rhonda Anderson wrote:

> From what I had already thought "white trash" meant, and the definitions
> several people have posted in this thread so far, I think we can safely
> say that "white trash" and "battlers" do not refer to the same sort of
> people!


Here's my definition for what is "white trash" in the States:

They are people who most probably know how to act better but are simply too
lazy to try. They could improve their lot/behaviour but they choose not to.
They choose not to act with dignity.

And "white trash" doesn't necessarily mean poor people - there are plenty of
middle - class and wealthy people who exhibit white trash tendencies. I've
known plenty of white trash types who come from reasonably good homes, have
great educations, good jobs, etc. but they are still white trash. Why?
Because they engage in stupid/irresponsible behaviour, e.g. getting into
fights, drinking too much, engaging in a lot of emotional "drama", affairs,
being close - minded to new ideas and experiences. They are the types who
have to fire off a gun at midnight on New Year's Eve, always drive pickups,
let their snot - nosed kids run wild (because the kids are invariably a
product of several bad marriages, so why bother?), engage in grossly stupid
"Jim - bob" and "hillybilly" (to steal a phrase from Sheldon) behaviour,
etc. etc., etc....

They are a staple of the US South, but they are extant everywhere from the
wilds of Maine and upstate New York down to Texas and up to Washington
State...they's in city and country, suburb and town.

As an example, pretty much everyone white who lives in the state of Missouri
qualifies as some form of white trash. I used to go down to hang out in St.
Louis with some friends and I met absolutely *tons* of *** white trash, for
example. If you think hetero white trash is *bad*.....

Another good example of US white trash would be our current "President" Gee
Dubya Bush. White trash to the core, despite having all the advantages that
wealth and status can provide.

Bill Clinton was white trash, too, but he sought to rise above that level
and largely succeeded, e.g. excelling in school, going to an Ivy League uni,
being a Rhodes Scholar, exhibiting intellectual curiousity...although his
affair a la Lewinsky is a perfect example of stupid white trash conduct, as
was his cavorting with several other pea - pickin' Southron gals....

--
Best
Greg

"Gregory Morrow" > wrote in
message ink.net...
, always drive pickups,


I largely agree with your assessement of white trash, but the pick-ups?
What's wrong with always driving a pick-up? I know plenty of people who
always drive pick-ups, but aren't white trash...

"DRB" > wrote in message
om...
>
> "Gregory Morrow" > wrote in
> message ink.net...
> , always drive pickups,
>
>
> I largely agree with your assessement of white trash, but the pick-ups?
> What's wrong with always driving a pick-up? I know plenty of people who
> always drive pick-ups, but aren't white trash...
>
>

Piggy backing on my own post here...the other statement I don't agree with
is the "every white person in Missouri" one... I've met many people from
Missouri, and none of the them have struck me as being white trash. Have
you met everyone in the state?

DRB wrote:

> "Gregory Morrow" > wrote in
> message ink.net...
> , always drive pickups,
>
>
> I largely agree with your assessement of white trash, but the pick-ups?
> What's wrong with always driving a pick-up? I know plenty of people who
> always drive pick-ups, but aren't white trash...


Nothing wrong with driving a pick - up, but what I mean is people who won't
even consider any other kind of vehicle. Frex, one guy I knew in St. Louis
*had* to have a pick - up when he got a new vehicle. He commutes to an
office park in the 'burbs, often carries passengers around, and frankly has
no need for pick - up. He never hauls anything around in the bed of it, it
gets lousy mileage, has limited pax capacity, he doesn't use it for
recreation, so what's the deal? Totally impractical for his use, but is too
narrow - minded to even consider anything else. He's the type who, when
hearing someone is shopping for a new vehicle, automatically sez "What kinda
truuuck ya gettin'?".

This guy and others I've met have the same mentality about everything else,
e.g. food. Some of them used to come up here to Chicago and when we'd be
deciding where to go and eat, they'd immediately say "We ain't eatin' none
of that gook (Asian) crap or tapas or Eyetalian or German crap...we want
chicken fried steak and biscuits and gravy...". I mean, come on, Chicago is
a great food town, if you're that unadventurous why not stay home? So we'd
end up at some crap chain place or whatever. So much for trying to "educate
the palate" a little bit :-|

BTW, white trash types in St. Louis are referred to as
"Hoosiers"...somewhere I've bookmarked a good article about the etymology of
the word...will post it if anyone's interested.

--
Best
Greg

DRB wrote:

> Piggy backing on my own post here...the other statement I don't agree with
> is the "every white person in Missouri" one... I've met many people from
> Missouri, and none of the them have struck me as being white trash. Have
> you met everyone in the state?


Pardon me for being in a bit of a "hyperbolic mode" tonight....there are
indeed plenty of good folk in Missoura :-)

--
Best
Greg

david wrote:
> To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race
> point of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class"
> point of view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we
> try and help them. Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot
> about America. What do Americans think about it?

THIS American thinks of it as derogatory, exactly as ****** is derogatory.

Jill

jmcquown wrote:
> david wrote:
>
>>To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race
>>point of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class"
>>point of view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we
>>try and help them. Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot
>>about America. What do Americans think about it?
>
>
> THIS American thinks of it as derogatory, exactly as ****** is derogatory.
>
> Jill
>


I agree with you about the derogatoriness, and the "******" analogy.

And I think I probably grew up on the type of cooking referred to -- lots
of home-grown vegetables (cooked well done, or pickled), and lots of Crisco
shortening. And cheap cuts of beef. It's very closely related to the
"soul food" that poor black people supposedly eat.

We weren't all that poor and certainly weren't trashy, but were very frugal.

I wish I could fry chicken and fry yellow squash like my mother, even
though I can't eat that stuff very often.

Bob

"Gregory Morrow" > wrote in
message link.net...
>
>
> Nothing wrong with driving a pick - up, but what I mean is people who
won't
> even consider any other kind of vehicle. Frex, one guy I knew in St.
Louis
> *had* to have a pick - up when he got a new vehicle. He commutes to an
> office park in the 'burbs, often carries passengers around, and frankly
has
> no need for pick - up. He never hauls anything around in the bed of it,
it
> gets lousy mileage, has limited pax capacity, he doesn't use it for
> recreation, so what's the deal? Totally impractical for his use, but is
too
> narrow - minded to even consider anything else. He's the type who, when
> hearing someone is shopping for a new vehicle, automatically sez "What
kinda
> truuuck ya gettin'?".

Oh, those people... I'm from a pretty rural area, and most people either
farm, hunt, fish, or all three...

My ex-roommate--last year's roomie-- is a girl who'd be the last person on
Earth you'd expect to want a truck... Prissy as they come, from the SF Bay
area.. Yet, she told me that when she turned 16 she wanted a truck because
it would be cool...

> This guy and others I've met have the same mentality about everything
else,
> e.g. food. Some of them used to come up here to Chicago and when we'd be
> deciding where to go and eat, they'd immediately say "We ain't eatin' none
> of that gook (Asian) crap or tapas or Eyetalian or German crap...we want
> chicken fried steak and biscuits and gravy...". I mean, come on, Chicago
is
> a great food town, if you're that unadventurous why not stay home? So
we'd
> end up at some crap chain place or whatever. So much for trying to
"educate
> the palate" a little bit :-|

I know some people like that--they won't try anything new. Ever. I'm
notoriously picky, but I'll try most anything once, unless it has banana, is
an egg dish, or has some sort of "bad" part of animal--ie. i'm not about to
try a brain sandwich...

Since moving to CA for grad school, I've discovered Mediterranean and Thai
food--neither of which we have back at home (far far West KY). I learned
after trying it several times at several places, I'm really not a fan of
Indian food.

At home, the extent of "foreign" food is Mexican, Chinese, and The Olive
Garden... If you suggest to most that there is foreign food beyond these
choices, they make a face... My sister, who is in school at USC in LA, and
I were talking about this when we were home at Christmas and I wanted
Medterranean, but there was no place to get any.

You also have, in addition to the people who won't eat "foreign" food at all
or only eat a limited subset of ethnicities, the people who won't try food
if it's "fixed strange". Grilled vegetables, seafood, and grilled fish seem
to be popular foods that fall into this category. Now, as I said above, I'm
notoriosly picky. There are some things I just do not like--citrus flavored
meat and vegetables comes to mind--but I can honestly say that I don't like
something because I've actually tried it...

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 01:00:49 GMT, "DRB" >
wrote:

> My opinion.... There is a difference in being poor, being trash, or being
> homeless.

so true!

http://www.missouritrailertrash.com/page8.htm


Practice safe eating - always use condiments

zxcvbob wrote:
> jmcquown wrote:
>> david wrote:
>>
>>> To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase.

>> THIS American thinks of it as derogatory, exactly as ****** is
>> derogatory.
>>
>> Jill
>>
> I agree with you about the derogatoriness, and the "******" analogy.
>
> And I think I probably grew up on the type of cooking referred to --
> lots of home-grown vegetables (cooked well done, or pickled), and
> lots of Crisco shortening. And cheap cuts of beef. It's very
> closely related to the "soul food" that poor black people supposedly
> eat.

Yes, I hate the sterotypes. Plenty of us white folks
ate/eat "soul food". My father will not eat greens to this day because of
the connotation. I adore turnip greens (with little bits of turnip in them)
cooked with bacon, ham or salt pork.

> We weren't all that poor and certainly weren't trashy, but were very
> frugal.

Talking to a Scottish woman about frugal cooking is like talking to
yourself, Bob

> I wish I could fry chicken and fry yellow squash like my mother, even
> though I can't eat that stuff very often.
>
> Bob

I've never been good at frying chicken, although Robb Dabb's recipe had it
darned close to perfect. My problem is I'm afraid of frying; I was rather
badly burned when I was 21 and the chicken 'popped'. My blouse literally
fused to my chest. OUCH.

Jill

On Sun, 25 Jan 2004 00:08:53 GMT, "david" >
wrote:

>To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase. And not from a race point
>of view - couldn't give a hoot about that - but from a "class" point of
>view. In Australia we call poor people "battlers", and we try and help them.
>Even the phrase "White trash" to me, says a lot about America. What do
>Americans think about it?

Are there no Aussie terms for layabouts, ne'er-do-wells, the
"undeserving poor"?

The term *is* unfortunate, but I don't think it's any more an American
sin than the same in other countries and vocabularies. The "working
poor" might be the equivalent of your "battlers."

"Gregory Morrow" > wrote in
message ink.net...
>
<snip>
>
> They are a staple of the US South, but they are extant everywhere from the
> wilds of Maine and upstate New York down to Texas and up to Washington
> State...they's in city and country, suburb and town.
>
<snip>

And you'll find them all the way up in Canada, though the phrase "white
trash" is used much less up here. Come to think of it, a lot of people just
ignore that whole segment of society and don't refer to them in anyway at
all.

rona


--
***For e-mail, replace .com with .ca Sorry for the inconvenience!***

> Here's my definition for what is "white trash" in the States:
>
> They are people who most probably know how to act better but are simply
too
> lazy to try. They could improve their lot/behaviour but they choose not
to.
> They choose not to act with dignity.

I agree with this part.


> And "white trash" doesn't necessarily mean poor people - there are plenty
of
> middle - class and wealthy people who exhibit white trash tendencies.
I've
> known plenty of white trash types who come from reasonably good homes,
have
> great educations, good jobs, etc. but they are still white trash.

This is good too.



Why?
> Because they engage in stupid/irresponsible behaviour, e.g. getting into
> fights, drinking too much, engaging in a lot of emotional "drama",
affairs,
> being close - minded to new ideas and experiences. They are the types who
> have to fire off a gun at midnight on New Year's Eve, always drive
pickups,
> let their snot - nosed kids run wild (because the kids are invariably a
> product of several bad marriages, so why bother?), engage in grossly
stupid
> "Jim - bob" and "hillybilly" (to steal a phrase from Sheldon) behaviour,
> etc. etc., etc....
>
> They are a staple of the US South, but they are extant everywhere from the
> wilds of Maine and upstate New York down to Texas and up to Washington
> State...they's in city and country, suburb and town.
>
> As an example, pretty much everyone white who lives in the state of
Missouri
> qualifies as some form of white trash. I used to go down to hang out in
St.
> Louis with some friends and I met absolutely *tons* of *** white trash,
for
> example. If you think hetero white trash is *bad*.....
>
> Another good example of US white trash would be our current "President"
Gee
> Dubya Bush. White trash to the core, despite having all the advantages
that
> wealth and status can provide.
>
> Bill Clinton was white trash, too, but he sought to rise above that level
> and largely succeeded, e.g. excelling in school, going to an Ivy League
uni,
> being a Rhodes Scholar, exhibiting intellectual curiousity...although his
> affair a la Lewinsky is a perfect example of stupid white trash conduct,
as
> was his cavorting with several other pea - pickin' Southron gals....
> Best
> Greg

But you went too far with all this. White trash in food simply means plain
cooking. Ingredients from the local store. Nothing fancy. Easy to throw
together.
Anita

>That depends on what you mean by "social class." I would argue that
>class divisions are becoming more and more pronounced in the US

I agree that class distinctions are still with us and, in some situations are
more radicalized than ever; however, the criteria previously encompassed in
terms like "white trash" and "redneck" aren't particularly at issue in today's
concepts of class.

Neil

>Oh, those people... I'm from a pretty rural area, and most people either
>farm, hunt, fish, or all three...
>

oh my god...those horrible, horrible people...<sob>

"Fx199" > wrote in message
...
> >Oh, those people... I'm from a pretty rural area, and most people either
> >farm, hunt, fish, or all three...
> >
>
> oh my god...those horrible, horrible people...<sob>

And your point is?

Mine was these people--farmers, hunters, recreational fishers, etc.-- *need*
trucks to either haul farm-related things, their boats, or hunting gear. My
dad is a dairy farmer, who hunts in his spare time. Owning anything but a
pick-up would be pointless for him.

"Those people" refers to the ones who live in urban areas, never haul
anything, and never need it for recreation. The "my truck is a status
symbol" people...

I've always thought that one be fewer than three generations away from
at least one marriage between first cousins. White trash food is an
aquired taste - best aquiered (sp?) in childhood.

Lynn in Fargo
A Proud Member of the Working Poor

Oops! Mea culpa. That post should read:

I've always thought that [in order to be considered White Trash] one
[must] be fewer than three generations away from at least one marriage
between first cousins.

White trash food is an aquired taste - best aquiered (sp?) in
childhood.

Lynn in Fargo
A Proud Member of the Working Poor

DRB wrote:

<snip>

> You also have, in addition to the people who won't eat "foreign" food
> at all or only eat a limited subset of ethnicities, the people who
> won't try food if it's "fixed strange". Grilled vegetables, seafood,
> and grilled fish seem to be popular foods that fall into this
> category. Now, as I said above, I'm notoriosly picky. There are
> some things I just do not like--citrus flavored meat and vegetables
> comes to mind--but I can honestly say that I don't like something
> because I've actually tried it...

Good for you.
How else do you discover that for ** years, you've been missing out on
<insert new food sensation here>
Those close-minded people don't know what they're missing !
Vietnamese is one of my most favourite cuisines, and I remember when it
first came to my attention at about age 15. We were in a "big city" where
friends lived, and the host raved about this place, and ( to my disgust and
dismay ), the adults thought this would be a wonderful place to eat. I
considered feigning illness, but ended up going. Glad I did.

I eat sooo many different cuisines ( Australian cities tend to be very
multicultural ), and will try anything at least once ( remember that tastes
change, and so do cooking techniques etc ). I made a friend of mine eat
'scary' Vietnamese, and then 'really scary' Japanese, and she ended up
living in Japan for a year, and thanks me for opening her eyes
The funniest meal we had was with native Koreans in a Korean restaurant.
Their English was stilted, our Korean non-existant. They ordered for us,
then ordered completely different things for themselves ( we didn't know,
the table was set out like pot-luck ). A couple of times, we tucked into
the 'them' meals, which amused our hosts to no end. I guess we were eating
'gross' stuff, but it was delicious ! The picked seaweed/kelp was
interesting. It was a great meal, but I had no idea what I consumed that
night !

Frogleg wrote:
>
> Are there no Aussie terms for layabouts, ne'er-do-wells

dole-bludgers
( people on social welfare due to laziness and lies/deceit, rather than
genuinely being unable to work )

> the "undeserving poor"?

?? - um, 'poor people' ?

"lea b" > wrote in message
> A Adams wrote:
> > "david" <> wrote ...
> >> To me white trash is a horrible horrible phrase.

> > Oh bull - as an Aussie (now living in the USA) I heard the term "white
> > trash" used many many times over the years in Australia. Far more
> > often than "battlers".
>
> I think David thought he would be the only Aussie here, and be able to
> create a land in his own image and fool the yanks in the process

I agree with David. White Trash is not a term I have ever heard any
Australian use.

"Frogleg" > wrote in message

> Are there no Aussie terms for layabouts, ne'er-do-wells, the
> "undeserving poor"?

The nearest would be bludgers, spongers or scabs but those terms doesn't
only apply to the poor. These individuals can be as rich as Croesus but
they can still be considered or called bludgers, spongers or scabs. The
sort of behaviour that earns these titles tends to relate to how they treat
others. If they don't contribute but are tackers (of friendship, booze,
cigarettes or entertaining) then they will earn this epithet

The "layabouts" would probably in the past be called dole-bludgers (but
only if they received welfare payments). This term used to be very popular
amongst certain sections of society (usually lower middle or working class)
who used to be incredibly prejudicial in their comments about the jobless.
The term has tended to fall from favour over the last 5-10 years as the same
group of criticisers finally began to awaken to the fact that there had been
a dramatic change in the job market and there were now many more people
competing for far fewer jobs and that those fewer jobs tended to require a
better education than existed in most of the available labour pool.

In short, those who criticised started to find themselves in the same
situation as those they criticised and they started to change the way they
reacted and hence their choice of words.

> The term *is* unfortunate, but I don't think it's any more an American
> sin than the same in other countries and vocabularies. The "working
> poor" might be the equivalent of your "battlers."

Not necessarily, but more situation dependant. The battler term can also
apply to people who have consistently bad luck or ill health or in some way
continuosly fight to overcome adversity rather than just their financial
status. Most of our terms have, historically, tended to refer to attitude
rather than class or income but that is now changing fast and it is
beginning to become very much a money related thing.