corny etymology

Etymology

The word "corny" is believed to have originated from the 19th-century expression "cornfed," which meant "unsophisticated" or "simple." This usage stemmed from the idea that rural areas, where corn was a staple crop, were seen as backward places.

Over time, "cornfed" was shortened to just "corn," which retained its association with rural simplicity. In the early 20th century, the term "corny" came into use to describe something that was trite, unoriginal, or overly sentimental.

Meaning

Corny describes something that is:

  • Overly sentimental or melodramatic
  • Unoriginal or predictable
  • Trivial or lacking in substance
  • Humorous in a clumsy or unfunny way

Origin

The earliest known use of the term "corny" in the sense of "overly sentimental" appeared in a 1911 edition of the New York Times. By the 1920s, the term was being used in a more general sense to describe anything that was unoriginal, trite, or lacking in substance.

The usage of "corny" to describe clumsy or unfunny humor emerged in the 1930s. This usage may have originated from the idea that such humor was often found in rural areas, where it was associated with a certain level of simplicity.

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