Plural of cornball; people who make corny or old-fashioned jokes, or spherical candies made from popcorn and molasses.
From corn + ball, originally American slang from the 1920s. Corn came to mean 'unsophisticated' or 'rural,' while ball referred to the shape. The candy meaning emerged from the popcorn ball tradition.
The word 'cornball' perfectly captures American slang evolution—what was once genuinely rural and honest became code for something outdated or cheesy, showing how city dwellers mocked rural culture while rural folks were actually making delicious snacks!
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