We are proud to be a "hoosier." The word most likely derives from the Anglo Saxon "hoozer" with "hoo" meaning hill or rise, and "zer" possibly referring to "shire." Thus the word hoozer seems to mean "one who lives in the hill country" or something like that. A charming idea and a charming, weird, absurd word. Too bad it was hijacked by the university sports teams. It does function beautifully as a chanted mantra at stadium events, we must admit...
Technically only the southern third of the state is hoozer country, as that is where the hills are, knobby old hoozer hills that only barely escaped the last great glaciers. We hoozers of the southern hills are outsiders -- wierdos who stay close to nature. We disdain the manners and customs of polite society and find our own way through the forests of chaos. We accept no authority and subscribe to no ideology. We are hill folk of the finest quality.
It is time to take the name Hoozer back.
No comments:
Post a Comment