yokel en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
First use appears c. 1812, possibly from dialectal German Jokel, diminutive of Jakob, cf. Yankee (“little John”) and jacquerie (“a peasant uprising”). Alternatively, from dialectal English yokel, yuckle (“a European green woodpecker”), itself probably a variant of hickwall.
Meanings
-
(derogatory, slang) A person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive.
I went to New York and bought myself a secondhand stretch limousine twenty-eight feet long, calculated to reduce the most blasé country-club sophisticates to bug-eyed yokels.
1985, Peter De Vries, chapter 6, in The Prick of Noon, Penguin, page 119:You may think that because you live in Brahmpur you have seen the world―or more of the world than we poor yokels see. But some of us yokels have also seen the world―and not just the world of Brahmpur, but of Bombay. […]
1993, Vikram Seth, chapter 8.6, in A Suitable Boy, London: Phoenix, published 1994, page 560:Some folk'll never eat a skunk, but then again some folk'll, like Cletus, the slack-jawed yokel.
1996, Cletus the Slack-Jawed Yokel (song), in: The Simpsons, 22 Short Films about Springfield (S07E21), first aired April 14, 1996“[…] my opinion at once is […] that this [robbery] wasn’t done by a yokel―eh, Duff?” “Certainly not,” replied Duff. “And, translating the word yokel, for the benefit of the ladies, I apprehend your meaning to be that this attempt was not made by a countryman?” said Mr. Losberne with a smile.
1838, Boz [pseudonym; Charles Dickens], “Involves a Critical Position”, in Oliver Twist; […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 181:"God damn and blast all you hamfisted yokels!" he was saying. "And you, sir, down there. Take that grin off your face and be more careful, or I'll have you clapped under hatches to sail with us today. Easy, there, easy! Christ, rum at seven guineas an anker isn't meant to be dropped like pig iron!"
1938 April, C[ecil] S[cott] Forester [pseudonym; Cecil Louis Troughton Smith], chapter V, in A Ship of the Line, Greenwich edition, London: Michael Joseph, published 1951 (February 1962 printing), →OCLC, pages 40–41:He eyed the story-teller with unspeakable wonder. His mouth was agape in yokel fashion.
1895 October, Stephen Crane, chapter VIII, in The Red Badge of Courage: An Episode of the American Civil War, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC, page 88:They love the scenery near their summer home, but have no desire to mix with the local yokels.
[…] and yokels looking up at the tinselled dancers and poor old rouged tumblers, while the light-fingered folk are operating upon their pockets behind.
1848 June 28, William Makepeace Thackeray, “Before the Curtain”, in Vanity Fair […], London: Bradbury and Evans […], →OCLC, page vii:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| yokels | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
yokeldom · yob · yokelry · yokelish · yokelism · wokel · local yokel
Synonyms
rube · hick · rustic · hunk · dubbo · hobnail · bogtrotter · peasant · rustic · honyock · culchie · hob · carl · corncob · country cousin · hick · country bumpkin · bucolic · provincial · hayseed · boor · joskin · yahoo · rube · country bumpkin · bydlo · bumpkin · hillbilly · churl · provincial · hog-rubber · cornhusker · hayseed · bogger · joskin · boor · clodhopper · promdi · yokel · woolly back · lob
Translations (89)
ja いなかっぺ (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · it rozzo (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · de Bauerntölpel (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · it bifolco (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · gl pailaroco (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · ro bădăran (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pl kindybał (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · de Tölpel (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · ro mojic (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · cmn 鄉下人 /乡下人 (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pa ਪੇਂਡੂ (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · la petrō (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · gl pailán (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · cs křupan (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · ja 田舎者 (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · hu prosztó (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · ca taujà (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · de Naivling (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pt campónio (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pa پینْڈُو (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · hu tahó (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · mk се́ланец (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · it buzzurro (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · ca pagerol (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pl ordynus (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · nl boerenlul (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · de Hinterwäldler (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · hu mucsai (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pl prostak (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · cmn 鄉巴佬 /乡巴佬 (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · it becero (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · tr maganda (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · da bonderøv (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · yi פּויער (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · gl pailana (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · it zoticone (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · it cafone (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · mk се́лјак (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · lv pāķis (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · gl paifoco (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · cs (venkovský) balík (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · sh seljak (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · eo kamparano (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · sh seljačina (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · yi גלאָמפּ (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · es chúntaro (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pt caipira (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · eo kamparanaĉo (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · it villano (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pt saloio (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · hu bugris (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · ru дереве́нщина (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · mi panekāka (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · es paleto (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · ka გაგრია (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pl gbur (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · it zappaterra (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · hu paraszt (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · gl pastrán (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · fi juntti (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · yi קליינשטעטלדיקע (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pdt Dommabua (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · fr manant (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · es gueishpo (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · it campagnolo (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · de Simpel (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · da bondeknold (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · bg селяк (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · de Hanswurst (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · hi देहाती (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · yi פּויערטע (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · fi maalaisjuntti (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · cs buran (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · hu suttyó (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · de Einfaltspinsel (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · ro țăran (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · es palurdo (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · bg селячка (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · cmn 土包子 (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · yi קליינשטעטלדיקער (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · fr plouc (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · nl boertje van buut'n (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · ka ტეტია (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · bg селяндур (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pl prostaczka (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · lv lauķis (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · pt labrego (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · it villico (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive) · hi गवार (a person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive)