Originally "hunkie," a variation on "bohunk," a derogatory term for Eastern-European factory hands and mostly used in midwestern cities. Became corrupted to "honky"(factory hand) in the late 20s-early 30s(see Mezz Mezzrow's REALLY THE BLUES). By the late fifties came to mean blue collar whites and by the sixties white people in general.
384👍 302👎