Rube

/ruːb/ noun

Definition

A person from the country or rural area who is considered unsophisticated or easily tricked by city people.

Etymology

Short for 'Reuben,' a common name in rural areas. Emerged in American slang by the early 1900s as a term for country people.

Kelly Says

The term 'rube' reflects an old urban bias—people from cities assumed rural people were ignorant, when in fact rural people had deep knowledge of farming, animals, and land that city people completely lacked, showing how 'sophistication' is just familiarity with your own environment.

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