Yellow hammer

Posted by ESC on February 23, 2009 at 13:21

In Reply to: Yellow hammer posted by Graham Cambray on February 23, 2009 at 12:06:

: : While growing up in the Midwest (central Illinois) I heard adults use the words "yellow hammer" to describe an unlikeable person, but I was (and still am) ignorant of the origin or exact meaning. I remember it was used in a context both economic - yellow hammers were poverty stricken - and implying social status - yellow hammers were "white trash" in the social pecking order - but it also could be used as a substitute for "idiot" or, in the Midwest flavor, a "dumb ****." I have no clue as to the reference of the color yellow, or the use of the tool imagery in "hammer."

: ----------

: I'm in the UK, and here it's a fairly common bird (see en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Yellowhammer). But having volunteered that information, I'm going to leave it to US experts to take this further. I do hope my contribution isn't a red herring. (GC)

****

Yellow hammer -- A name for the golden-winged woodpecker (Colaptes auratus). From the Mountain Range section of Facts on File Dictionary of American Regionalisms by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 2000). Page 420. I haven't found the other meaning yet.

• Yellow hammer ESC 23/February/09
  • Yellow hammer Graham Cambray 23/February/09
    • Yellow hammer Graham Cambray 23/February/09
      • Yellow hammer ESC 23/February/09
        • Yellow hammer Graham Cambray 23/February/09
          • Yellow hammer Victoria S Dennis 23/February/09