Where does the name come from?
Blue collar voters
Sorry I'm not much help with the etymological origin, but it comes from the distinction between "white collar" and "blue collar" referring to office-workers and manual-laborers.
In the US the term "blue collar" typically comes around in election season when candidates are trying to appeal to places like Ohio, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia where there are a lot of miners and steel workers. Aside from a swing demographic, "blue collar" is a term that is used to refer to people that are considered "salt of the earth."
Especially in the South (in my opinion) "blue collar" (or, sometimes, "the working man") is meant to be the positive variant of what many refer to as "rednecks" or, in the words of Hank Hill's boss on "King of the Hill," "backwater hicks." In a way they refer to the same thing, especially in the South, but "blue collar" has a bit more positive connotation. The reason, of course, is that "hick" or "redneck" connotates "lazy" while the simple definition of "blue collar" requires one to have a job.
In the US the term "blue collar" typically comes around in election season when candidates are trying to appeal to places like Ohio, Pennsylvania, or West Virginia where there are a lot of miners and steel workers. Aside from a swing demographic, "blue collar" is a term that is used to refer to people that are considered "salt of the earth."
Especially in the South (in my opinion) "blue collar" (or, sometimes, "the working man") is meant to be the positive variant of what many refer to as "rednecks" or, in the words of Hank Hill's boss on "King of the Hill," "backwater hicks." In a way they refer to the same thing, especially in the South, but "blue collar" has a bit more positive connotation. The reason, of course, is that "hick" or "redneck" connotates "lazy" while the simple definition of "blue collar" requires one to have a job.
For me it designates a manual labor job. White collar, on the other hand designates an office job, regardless of pay or region.
It probably stems from a distinction between denim work uniforms/jumpers or whatever and white button up shirts.
I'll just note that the term "blue-collar" is used in many contexts, not just in the context of voters. When no other noun is suitable, the noun used is "workers": white-collar workers and blue-collar workers.
Another frequent use of these terms is "blue-collar crime" and "white-collar crime". Blue-collar crime is things like mugging, robbery, assault, and so on... basically, street crime. White-collar crime is things like embezzlement, illegal insider trading, violating business regulations, etc.... basically, crime in the business world.
- Kef
Another frequent use of these terms is "blue-collar crime" and "white-collar crime". Blue-collar crime is things like mugging, robbery, assault, and so on... basically, street crime. White-collar crime is things like embezzlement, illegal insider trading, violating business regulations, etc.... basically, crime in the business world.
- Kef
<<Why? Since when do workers wear blue shirts?>>
January 1, 2002. The Blue Shirt Act was passed and mandates blue shirts for all workers. Noncompliance is punishable by a prison term of up to 25 years at the Soylent Green Wafer facility in Berkley, California. Subsequent convictions carry a mandatory sentence to *become* a Soylent Green Wafer.
January 1, 2002. The Blue Shirt Act was passed and mandates blue shirts for all workers. Noncompliance is punishable by a prison term of up to 25 years at the Soylent Green Wafer facility in Berkley, California. Subsequent convictions carry a mandatory sentence to *become* a Soylent Green Wafer.
<<Subsequent convictions carry a mandatory sentence to *become* a Soylent Green Wafer.>>
Hah.
Hah.
You don't really hear the term "blue-collar crime" though... It seems like the distinction in this regard is typically "white collar crime" and "violent crime."
You might hear it specifically to distinguish against white-collar crime, but yeah, you don't hear it very often outside that context.
- Kef
- Kef
<"redneck" connotates "lazy">. Does it?
I thought rednecks were just uncouth people, lacking in refinement, dressing in a provincial way.
I thought rednecks were just uncouth people, lacking in refinement, dressing in a provincial way.
No, rednecks refer to those particular people who are musically proficient, especially with the banjo.
Rednecks tend to people rural people from the South, but in one way or another they can be pretty much anyone who doesn't live in LA or NYC. It's a pretty loose term that tends to be a pejorative, but isn't always necessarily so.