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yokel

noun

  1. unsophisticated country person
L29193 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /ˈjəʊ.kəl/ / /ˈjoʊ.kəl/

noun

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.

  1. A person from or living in the countryside, viewed as being unsophisticated or naive.

    They love the scenery near their summer home, but have no desire to mix with the local yokels.

    “[…] 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.