The key difference between hillbilly and redneck is that hillbilly is a term that refers to a person from a backwood or another remote area, especially from the mountains of the southern U.S, whereas redneck is a term that describes an uneducated white farm laborer, especially from the South.
“Redneck” and “hillbilly” are both terms that have been used to describe people from rural, working-class backgrounds, particularly in the southern United States. These are often considered to be derogatory terms.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. Who is a Hillbilly
3. Who is a Redneck
4. Hillbilly vs Redneck in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Hillbilly vs Redneck
Who is a Hillbilly?
The term “hillbilly” is a term that originated in the southern United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Some consider it a derogatory term. It was originally used to describe people who lived in the hills and mountains of the southern United States, particularly in Appalachia. The term was popularized in the early 20th century through TV shows and movies that depicted hillbillies as uneducated, poor, and backward. The term is thought to have originated from the Scotch-Irish immigrants who settled in the southern hills and mountains in the 18th and 19th centuries. These immigrants were known for their distinct dialect, culture, and way of life, which was different from the more urban and coastal areas of the country.
Hillbilly often refers to people who live in the hills and mountains of the southern United States. It is often associated with the stereotype of people living isolated from mainstream society and who have a distinct culture. The stereotype of “hillbillies” is complex, as it includes both positive and negative characteristics. On one hand, they are perceived as independent and self-reliant people who hold on to their traditional ways and resist the changes brought by modernization. On the other hand, they are also often characterized as backward, uneducated, and violent. This creates a twofold stereotype, where they are seen both positively and negatively.
Figure 01: Cotton Sharecroppers in Hale County, Alabama
Who is a Redneck?
The term “redneck” is a derogatory term that originated in the southern United States in the late 19th century. It was originally used to describe working-class white people from rural areas of the southern United States who had sunburned necks from working outside in the fields. The term has been used to stereotype and demean these individuals based on their socioeconomic status and geographic origin.
The origins of the term are thought to be rooted in the 19th century when the rural southern United States was primarily an agricultural region. Many white working-class people were involved in manual labor, such as farming, which often required working outside in the fields. This led to sunburned necks, which became a visible marker of their social and economic status. Over time, the term “redneck” came to be associated with the stereotype of uneducated and unsophisticated individuals from rural southern United States.
What is the Difference Between Hillbilly and Redneck?
The key difference between hillbilly and redneck is that hillbilly is a term that refers to a person from a backwood or another remote area, especially from the mountains of the southern U.S, whereas redneck is a term that describes an uneducated white farm laborer, especially from the South. Based on the origins of the words, the term redneck describes someone who has been sunburned from working outdoors, whereas the term hillbilly describes someone who lives in the hills. While hillbilly is seen by some both positively and negatively, redneck is mainly a derogatory term.
Summary – Hillbilly vs Redneck
Hillbilly is a term that refers to a person from a backwood or another remote area, especially from the mountains of the southern U.S., whereas redneck is a term that describes an uneducated white farm laborer, especially from the South. This is the key difference between hillbilly and redneck.
Reference:
1. “Hillbilly.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
2. “Redneck.” Wikipedia. Wikipedia Foundation.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Frank Tengle, Bud Fields, and Floyd Burroughs, cotton sharecroppers, Hale County, Alabama” By Walker Evans – Via Library of Congress website [1]; high-res TIF converted to JPG, border cropped (Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia
I am an educated hillbilly who now,unfortunately ,lives in town.The difference between a hillbilly and a redneck is:rednecks are mostly country music listening, yee haw hollering, drunkards looking for a fight.Hillbilly’s feed rednecks to their dogs;)
Fake and gaaayyy
Utter BS at least from the hillbilly prospective. I’m an educated hillbilly and I love my brethren. They are not offended for being called one either. They helped America become free from the British and probably without them, America would not have succeeded. Just because they and I believe in freedom doesn’t mean we are backward. We just prefer live without being governed with out a good reason..
I’m a RedNeck Michael who unfortunately disagrees with you. Speaking only for myself, but I am pretty sure my brothers will agree with me, this RedNeck does like a lot of those things you talk about. I’m not looking for a fight though, but I will finish one if it’s brought my way. I also believe in respect and honesty and don’t want to be around any who doesn’t have it. If you’re a good honest person with strong core values, to me it doesn’t matter what color you are or where you are from, I’ll consider you a friend. If you don’t. You won’t want to be around me. There is a fight inside me brought on by how this country has turned away from those values, I’ll give you that. And there should be in everyone who holds those values dear and is ashamed of all the greed and dishonesty this country has become so accustomed to.
This is just wrong. I was trying to explain to someone why my family is hillbilly and not redneck. (He called a character in a book a hillbilly,after which we bantered about the difference.) No offense to the rednecks out there who take pride in the term. Go on and be rednecks, that is your right. But my family settled in the hills. I spent some time as a child up in those hills and I do not think they ever left me, even though we now live in up north in a place that has barely anything one could call a hill. I am still a hillbilly.
As for this ridiculous article. neither hillbillies nor rednecks can have the assumption of ignorance lumped upon them. I have multiple degrees, love learning, and have a high IQ. I follow in a significant if not long line of hillbilly kin who also have a love of education. Some never got degrees, but they were far from ignorant or uneducated. While I agree that many of my relatives lived so-called simple live, making their life out of the hills, do not mistake simple living with simple-mindedness.
Grammar correspondence course…invest.
I’m also educated, and come from proud Hillbilly stock-also educated. My understanding is hillbillies are from the Appalachian mountain area. But don’t confuse us with Arkies, Oakies, or RedNecks. Not the same at all!!
This person needs to do more research.
Whichever you prefer I don’t care. I’m Native American and Southern Proud. Hillbilly and Red Neck have meanings to ME and are probably different if yournt” raised the way I was first of all “hillbilly is someone who knows how to farm hunt ND live off the land. Redkneck is a farmer (thank them) who’s neck is red cause their ridding a tractor all day farming food and doesn’t use sunscreen but getting food to your local supermarket….. yada yada.
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Pure speculative tripe. City by birth, Hillbilly by choice. Have a degree in electronics with focus on computer engineering. Self educated in geology and jewelry making so where best to live than where semi precious materials are abundant. That’s more information than the author of this rubbish is willing to give. Who in their right mind would want to live in the city where stupidity is concentrated.