In order to understand the cracker jack origin story we need to know more about its unique history. When louis gave the popcorn to him, he yelled, cracker jack. In chicago, there are 2 legends of how crackerjacks originated. Association, along with several books cataloguing the prizes and discussing their history. I think they chose cracker jack prizes that symbolize wealth and. Crackerjack dictionary definition crackerjack defined. However, crackerjack was also a slang expression at that time that meant something very pleasing or excellent and that is more likely to have been the origin of the name. The cracker jack name and slogan, the more you eat the more you want. Some believe rueckheim may have come up with the name himself and sold people on the story. Why the monopoly player pieces thimble, top hat, etc. According to corporate lore, an early form of cracker jack was introduced in 1893 at the worlds columbian exposition, chicagos first worlds fair, by the candymaking firm of f. Legend has it that the name cracker jack came from a customer who, upon trying. Still the box has the familiar sailor boy saluting us with his trusty dog by his side.
In 1896 the name cracker jack was officially registered before then the snack had been called candied popcorn and peanuts and the familiarly sticky and sweet candy we know today was born. The most cracker families were found in the usa in 1880. Cracker jack caramelcoated popcorn and peanuts was, according to. Got its name cracker jack from a salesman who exclaimed thats a crackerjack. Cracker jack and the colonies i learned from a friend, correctly, that crackerjacks got their name from the snack food that features a sailor on the box. It is sometimes used in a neutral context in reference to a native of florida or georgia see florida cracker and georgia cracker. Game show sells some antique cracker jack prizes and, sure enough, the toy car is exactly the same as the monopoly car.
Social security administration public data, the first name crackerjack was not present. Coal cracker is from 1853 of persons, 1857 of machinery that breaks up mined coal. The actual origin of the name is somewhat of a mystery. Crackerjack definition and meaning collins english. Cracker barrel 1861 barrel full of sodacrackers for sale was such a common feature of old country stores that the phrase came to be used by 1905 as an adjective, emblematic of downhome ways and.
It was used to refer to poor whites, particularly those. Sailor jacks dog bingo was based on a real dog named russell, a stray adopted in 1917 by henry eckstein. Crackerjack synonyms, crackerjack antonyms merriam. Cracker jack started in 1871 on the streets of chicago. This is more likely to have been the origin of the name. Cracker jack got its name from a salesman who tried cracker jack for the first time. Meaning instrument for crushing or cracking is from 1630s.
The cracker jack mine is a underground mining operation. American writers jack london 18761916 and jack kerouac 19221969 were two famous bearers of this name. In 1896 the name cracker jack was officially registered before then the snack had been called candied popcorn and peanuts and the familiarly. We call my brother jamie, jman, jack, jacksamillion, and action jackson. What is the name of the cracker jacks mascot and his dog trivia question questions answer answers. It is also borne by the actor jack nicholson 1937 and the golfer jack nicklaus 1940. When someone says wow heshe is a real cracker jack. Cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a racial slur used against white people, used especially against poor rural whites in the southern united states. Crackerjack definition of crackerjack by the free dictionary. Actually the words cracker jack was a slang expression on those days, meaning something very pleasing or excellent. Crackerjack was the highestgrossing australian film of the year and received two afi award nominations, for direction paul moloney and the screenplay by mick and brother richard molloy. My son is little and we either call him jack jack, cracker jack, or jumpin jack and valentines day photos they will work for now, until he gets a little older. What is the origin of the brand names saran wrap and oral b.
The term crackerbarrel was first used in 1916, and it emerged from the country stores of the era. Meaning, origin and history of the name jack behind the name. Who invented cracker jack, the classic popcorn snack. History of the cracker jack company madeinchicago museum. Crackerjack entered english first as a noun referring to a person or thing of marked excellence, then as an adjective. In 1840 there were 4 cracker families living in illinois. The cracker jack label added the phrase a prize in every box in 1912, which may be the source of the confusion about the prize introduction date. A cracker jack by any other name the rueckheim brothers first started selling molassescoated popcorn at the worlds columbian exposition in 1893, and it was an immediate smash hit. Sailor jacks dog bingo was based on a reallife dog named russell, a stray adopted in 1917 by henry eckstein, who demanded that the dog be used on the packaging. What is the name of the cracker jack s mascot and his dog.
Illinois had the highest population of cracker families in 1840. Cracker jack mine near payson, arizona the diggings. It is possible the name you are searching has less than five occurrences per year. Slang a person or thing of recognized excellence 2.
Definition of crackerjack from the collins english dictionary. Websters new world college dictionary, 4th edition. One common misconception is that the name of the cracker jack dog derives from the wellknown childrens song bingo, or vice versa. Legend has it that the name cracker jack came from a customer who upon trying the treat exclaimed that really a cracker jack. All the way back to the age of shakespeare, at least. He is a real cracker jack when it comes to getting people to bid. What is the name of the cracker jacks mascot and his dog. By 1908, shortly before the last time the cubs won the world series, jack norworth. As the brothers loved the name cracker jack, they received a trademark for it under f. Listen to linze rice describe the chicago history of cracker jack.
It would also shed the now offputting germanness of its name rueckheim brothers was over, and the cracker jack company was born. This was about 36% of all the recorded cracker s in the usa. You may also know cracker jack as a snack of candied popcorn and peanuts. Wikipedia cracker, sometimes white cracker or cracka, is a usually racist disparaging term for white people, especially poor rural whites in the southern united states.
The cracker jack name and slogan, the more you eat the more you want, were registered in 1896. I was surprised to find that crackerjack is not australian in origin. Cracker, the old standby of anglo insults was first noted in the mid 18th century, making it older than the united states itself. John even has a theory why the specific player tokens were chosen. Crackerjack definition of crackerjack by merriamwebster. A term in southeastern united states english to describe poor white trash, derived from the scottish meaning of the verb to crack, which, in this sense denotes ostentation. Its sold in oldschool boxes which come in a three pack and although the primary consumers are young children, its invariably located on the top shelf of the supermarket isle. The knuckle, wrist, or ankle bones astragals of goats, jacks, game of great antiquity and worldwide distribution, now played with stones, bones, seeds, filled cloth bags, or metal or plastic counters the jacks, with or without a ball. The sailor boy image acquired such meaning for the founder of cracker jack, he had it carved on his tombstone, which is in st. The phrase crackerbarrel was inspired by the barrels full of soda crackers that were for sale in the countrys country stores. Cracker jack is an american brand of snack food consisting of molassesflavored, caramelcoated popcorn and peanuts, well known for being packaged with a prize of trivial value inside. The us term crackerjack has had a complicated history.
Cracker jack caramelcoated popcorn and peanuts was, according to company lore, named by salesman john berg, who exclaimed upon first trying the product. Claire, a florida historian and anthropologist who studies, er, crackers. Historically the site has been associated with the green valley mining district which is now part of the tonto national forest. A tasty treat consisting of popcorn, peanuts and a caramel candy coating. History of navy crackerjack uniform navy cracker jack uniform navy sailor uniform costume, provide an extensive uniform history of the navy, maritime services.
To maintain a proper rhyme scheme, norworth lazily namechecked his favorite confection in the lyricsbuy me some peanuts and cracker jack. Even more significantly, the central daytoday control of the business was finally handed off to the second generation, including fred rueckheim, jr. The sailor boy image acquired such meaning for the founder of cracker jack that he had it carved on his tombstone, which can still be seen in st. The official company history, 50 years of cracker jack, does not discuss the development or introduction of prizes. The caramelcoated popcornandpeanuts confection was said to have been introduced at the worlds columbian exposition 1893. Find 2,002 synonyms for crackerjack and other similar words that you can use instead based on 5 separate contexts from our thesaurus. In chicago, there are 2 legends of how cracker jacks originated. A german immigrant named frederick william rueckheim started selling his unique popcorn treat.
Animals brain teasers celebrities entertainment for children general knowledge geography history trivia hobbies humanities. History of popcorn and cracker jacks, whats cooking america. Apart from nicklaus, none of these famous bearers were given the name jack at birth. The cracker family name was found in the usa, the uk, canada, and scotland between 1840 and 1920. In fact, theres also a candlestick, which seems to be the model for the one in clue.
But it turns out crackers roots go back even further than the 17th century. That depends on which cracker you are asking about. The name derives from chackstonesstones to be tossed. Sailor jack on the cracker jack box was a real boy from. Its source is advertisements for the cracker jack snack, which from 1916 began to feature a uniformed sailor jack and his dog bingo and the term was taken up by us navy sailors themselves. Jack has been used for man since the mid1500s, as in jackofalltrades. Supposedly a salesman gave it the name when he tasted some and said, thats a crackerjack, using the thenpopular expression.