farmer n.2
1. (US) a derog. term for a peasant, an unsophisticated country person, whether an actual farmer or not.
| , , | ![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Sl. Dict. 131: Farmer [...] In London it is used derisively of a countryman, and denotes a farm-labourer, clodpole. Both senses are different from the general acceptation. |
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | St Louis Post-Dispatch (MO) 3 Dec. 17/7: ‘A farmer’ [is] any man who does not know anything, coming of course from the cockney contempt of the country and countrymen . | |
| Tales of the Ex-Tanks 349: It was fierce, the way I got jerked around for a farmer that time. | |
 | Words 285: In this country [...] ‘farmer’ is sometimes jocosely applied to a greenhorn, or to a person who has made himself ridiculous, particularly by awkwardness or stupidity [DA]. | |
| Job 30: ‘[Y]ou can’t expect them to give away all their profits to please these walking delegates or a Cape Cod farmer like Todd!’. | |
| Und. and Prison Sl. | |
| Asphalt Jungle in Four Novels (1984) 211: Now you . . . farmer! Get your hands up! | |
| Young Wolves 134: Those farmers. They coulda used that time better tryin’ to score. | |
| in Hellhole 141: And she’s such an old farmer, all she can think about is she don’t like my language. | |
| Dict. of Invective (1991) 192: As for country dwellers, in addition to hick, names and nicknames that have been used disaparagingly as generics include: [...] John Farmer (or John Family, John Hoosier, or simply John—or, for that matter, simply farmer). |
2. a stupid or unsophisticated person.
| Chimmie Fadden Explains 41: Mr Paul is a farmer – I don’t tink. Why he’s slick as dey makes em. | |
| ‘Politics’ in Sandburrs 96: On d’ dead! I was farmer enough to t’ink I’d t’ank him for bein’ me guide. | |
| Und. and Prison Sl. | |
| ‘Depend on Aunt Elly’ in Texas Stories (1995) 105: In his first fight there he gave away fourteen pounds against some farmer and cut him down in eight rounds. | |
| Vice Trap 16: Carroll was nothing but a big farmer at heart. | |
| Hy Lit’s Unbelievable Dict. of Hip Words 14: farmer – A square. | |
| Guardian G2 21 Aug. 4: I worked in a couple of those bars where you hustle champagne. They were business men, they weren’t naive farmers. |
3. (US black) recently arrived Southern farm workers who persist in their country ways despite the pressing sophistication of the Northern cities.
| Manchild in the Promised Land (1969) 178: They hadn’t been in New York long, and they didn’t know anything. Most of them were really dumb — farmers. | |
| Tales (1969) 14: Enty and Mazique are playing bridge with the farmers. | |
| Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.]. |
SE in slang uses
In compounds
(US) pumpkin pie.
| L.A. Times 9 Apr. 5: ‘Wake up,’ he cried, ‘one brown stone front, side of a funeral; two Irish lemons with all clothes on; plate of punk; an easy smear of axle grease and draw one in the dark, cap it all off with a farmer’s alliance.’. |
(US) illegally shot deer, butchered and eaten by its hunter.
| in DARE. |
(US) a short haircut that leaves a white strip of skin showing between the bottom of the hair and the tanned portion of the neck.
| Dr Cobb’s Game 359: A man with a farmer’s haircut and a plain, good-natured face. | |
| MJLF 10.150: Farmer’s haircut. A closely trimmed cut which leaves a band of light skin contrasting with the tanned portions of neck and face, especially above the ears [DARE]. | |
| Sudden Prey .n.p.: A bearded man came around the corner, Pioneer seed-corn hat pulled low over his eyes. He walked like a farmer, heavy and loose, and had a farmer's haircut. | |
| Aliens in the Prime of their Lives 194: A soft, pale, fat girl with pretty blond hair and a thin, pimply boy with a farmer's haircut. |
(US) 30 minutes fast.
| Rosanna 199: They were all in the carriage ready to go very soon after eight o’clock, farmers’ time, and that is always at least a half hour fast [DARE]. |
(US) illicitly distilled whisky.
| Down in the Holler 243: farm liquor: n. Ordinary homespun whiskey, neither aged nor artificially coloured. | |
| DARE 360: farmer’s wine, field whiskey. |
In phrases
to eat beef after grouse, considered a breach of etiquette.
| Jorrocks Jaunts (1874) 260: Before you attack the grouse [...] take the hedge [i.e. edge] off your appetites, or else there won't be enough, and, you know, it does not do to eat the farmer after the gentlemen. |