Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. (also joskyn) a country bumpkin.

1803		W. Huntingdon Justification of a Sinner 45: No ploughman, nor joskin, nor whimsical head, / To touch Holy Orders must ever be led.
1811		Lex. Balatronicum n.p.: The dropcove maced the Joskin of twenty quid; The ring dropper cheated the countryman of twenty guineas.
1816		W.T. Moncrieff All at Coventry I i: Don’t you recollect my success in Old Joskin’s barn, when I played the part of the gallant Lothario with such fire that I melted even the very candles!
1828		‘Jon Bee’ Living Picture of London 15: The very sight of a countryman, either yokel or joskin .
1836		‘The Death Of Roger’ in Cockchafer 24: Only listen to me, and I’ll tell you a tale [...] concerning a joskin, – a tight little man.
1845		J. Lindridge Sixteen-String Jack 207: They were accosted by a country joskin of a fellow.
1855		Yokel’s Preceptor title page: A Joskin’s Vocabulary Of the Various Slang Words now in constant use [...] all the New Moves and Artful Dodges practised at the present day, in all the most notorious Flymy Kens and Flash Cribs of London! By which the Flat is put Awake to all the Plans adopted to Feather a Green Bird.
1859		Bell’s Life in Sydney 30 Apr. 3/3: He was accustomed to keep watch for the arrival of the country joskins when they come to town.
1865		Dickens ‘Dr. Marigold’s Prescriptions’ in All the Year Round 7 Dec. 4/2: They all set up a laugh when they see us, and one chuckle-headed joskin [...] made the bidding.
1876		C. Hindley Life and Adventures of a Cheap Jack 16: I was asked by the joskin of an ostler whether I wasn’t going to dress ’em now.
1882		Dly Dispatch (Richmond, VA) 1 Nov. 3/3: The detective [...] pointed out to the newspaper-man [...] a ‘joskin,’ a country man.
1885		Bulletin (Sydney) 28 Feb. 13/3: I served morn’n 20 years in the 50th – the old Die-hards. […] An it took two years o’ that afore I was passed for foreign service. An’ now we’re sendin’ out a lot o’ joskins that never wore uniform for a week runnin’.
1891		Bird o’ Freedom (Sydney) 4 Apr. 6/1: Come hither, thou stiff-necked and unbelieving generation of joskins.
1892		‘’Arry in ’Arrygate’ (Second Letter) in Punch 15 Oct. 169/1: I do like to hencourage the joskins.
1899		H. Hamblen Bucko Mate 23: Hey girls, I’ve caught a joskin. Here’s me cousin Rube come to taown.
1901		Boy’s Own Paper 25 May 531: They gazed around them with open mouths like country joskins at a city fair.
1912		Mills & Scott ‘All the Girls are After Me’ 🎵 Joe Joskins toddled up to London Town / He’d never been to the place before.
1914		Truth (Melbourne) 31 Jan. 6/3: The ice cream joskins down there has been known to let his ice melt away [etc.].
1938		D. Runyon ‘Lonely Heart’ in Runyon on Broadway (1954) 485: About all she has on this farm are a couple of cows, and a horse, and a very old joskin.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1959		W. Hall Long and the Short and the Tall Act I: It could be half a dozen Joskins like yourselves.
1999		Roger’s Profanisaurus 3 in Viz 98 Oct. 18: joskin, joskyn n. A yokel; a county bumpkin; a sheep shagger.

2. a foreigner, esp. one from the British Colonies.

1899

R. Whiteing No. 5 John Street 216: I see a joskin from the Collynies t’other dye – a sojer he wuz, felt ’at and a feather. White as you or me. I thought they was all black men.