Something corny, overly sentimental, or folksy and unsophisticated; a person who behaves this way.
American slang from the early 1900s, combining corn (associated with rural, unsophisticated America) with ball (suggesting roundness or wholeness). Corn itself became a symbol of rural American culture and lack of sophistication.
'Cornball' perfectly captures American slang evolution—corn went from just a crop to meaning 'hokey and cheesy,' which is why a corny joke is actually called 'corny' because farmers and rural folks were stereotyped as unsophisticated!
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