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hillbilly

- 3 dictionary results

hill⋅bil⋅ly

[hil-bil-ee] noun, plural -lies, adjective
–noun
1. Often Disparaging and Offensive. a person from a backwoods or other remote area, esp. from the mountains of the southern U.S.
–adjective
2. of, like, or pertaining to hillbillies: hillbilly humor.

Origin:
1895–1900, Americanism; hill + Billy
hill·bil·ly   (hĭl'bĭl'ē)   
n.   pl. hill·bil·lies Informal
A person from the backwoods or a remote mountain area.

[hill + Billy, a nickname for William.]

hillbilly 
"southern Appalachian resident," c.1900, from hill + masc. proper name Billy/Billie. As a type of folk music, first attested 1924.
"In short, a Hill-Billie is a free and untrammelled white citizen of Alabama, who lives in the hills, has no means to speak of, dresses as he can, talks as he pleases, drinks whiskey when he gets it, and fires of his revolver as the fancy takes him." ["New York Journal," April 23, 1900]
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