Boom chocka-locka-locka.
Dear Word Detective: I live in North Carolina and “Cackalacky” seems to be a synonym for the old north state (as well as a barbecue sauce.) I was wondering if it originally had meaning or was just a great nonsense word. — Caroline Sunshine.
Ah, North Carolina, the Tar Heel State, otherwise known as the Old North State, both of which are seriously strange nicknames. I had, I must admit, never heard North Carolina referred to as “Cackalacky” before I read your question. I initially suspected that it was, as you suggest, simply “a great nonsense word,” a silly name the locals had invented. After a bit of research, however, I discovered that there is quite a bit more to the story.
The first thing to note is that “Cackalacky” seems to be used as a nickname for both North Carolina and South Carolina. The second, and more productive, thing I’ve learned about “Cackalacky” is that there are a lot of people out there, especially at the University of North Carolina (UNC), trying to figure out where this “Cackalacky” business came from.
In a 2005 posting to ADS-L, the mailing list of the American Dialect Association, Bonnie Taylor-Blake pointed to the work of two UNC faculty members, Paul Jones and Connie Elbe, who have been searching for information on “Cackalacky” (also, according to Taylor-Blake, sometimes seen in the forms Cackalackie, Cackalack, Kakalak, Kakalaka, Cakalacky, Kackalacky, Cakalaka, and others).
There are a number of theories about the origin of “Cackalacky,” but, despite the efforts of folks at UNC, so far no one has been able to pin down its source with any real certainty. Such vagueness is not uncommon in cases of “folk speech,” which may pass from generation to generation by word of mouth for many years without ever being written down. This seems to be especially true in the case of “Cackalacky,” which was apparently completely undocumented in printed form until it was used (in the form “cakalaka”) in the lyrics to a hip-hop song by A Tribe Called Quest in 1991. Since that time, use of the term in hip-hop lyrics and on the internet seems to increased its popularity quite a bit.
One theory about “Cackalacky,” suggested by Glenn Hinson at UNC, traces it to “a capella” gospel groups in the American South in the1930s, who used the rhythmic (but apparently meaningless) chant “clanka lanka” in their songs. This theory seems plausible. Elsewhere, a South Carolina newspaper reported back in 2003 that Page Skelton, the inventor of “Cackalacky” brand hot sauce, believes the word may have come from a combination of “Tsalaki” (pronounced cha-lak-ee), supposedly the Cherokee way to say “Cherokee,” and “cocklaleekie,” a Scottish soup. That theory strikes me as deeply implausible. But both of those theories are preferable to the one that traces “Cackalacky” to “Kakerlake.” which is German for “cockroach” (although you folks down there do have those disturbingly large “palmetto bugs,” which are actually just jumbo cockroaches).
So as it stands right now, the origin of “Cackalacky” remains a mystery. But with the increasing popularity of the term, it’s entirely possible that someone, somewhere, will stumble across some historical material, perhaps an old newspaper or memoir, that puts the matter to rest.
Hi, Evan.
Thanks for your article on “Cackalacky” (and variants). I just thought I’d point out that we have a 1972 appearance of “Cackalacky,” which was used in a play. Also, “Calinky,” surely a close cousin, pops up in a 1974 work by James Michener. See below for more information. (I’m located still earlier forms of “Calinky” via Google Books, but — last time I checked — it was impossible to nail down precious bibliographic information.) — Bonnie
http://listserv.linguistlist.org/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind0808C&L=ADS-L&P=R2679
One thing that Dr Eble and Bland Simpson and I were able to recall but not document is that during the mid-1960s both Bland, who was living in Coastal NC, and me, living in Charlotte, heard the term Cackalack used. Those who used the term in both cases were enlisted men — Marines from Jacksonville or Soldiers from Fayetteville — who were unhappy about being stuck down here in Cackalack.
I’ve seen no written evidence of this usage, but would love to hear/see anything anyone finds.
I love Page Skelton’s hot sauce, but I trust his etymologies for which he has offered no evidence ;->
There is no “South” in Cackalacky.
Agreed. They’re always trying to steal our thunder.
In elementary school, we frequently watched an educational PBS show (1980′s) that referred to South Carolina as South Cackalacky. If memory serves it was a reference to a bird. At least that is what we were told.
I was born in 1950 and my grandmother schoolteacher often referred to our state as North Cackalacky. I’m sure she probably told me why, but I don’t remember. You mentioned the Scots and the Germans. That doesn’t help me since her German ancestors came to NC’s western part of the state in the 1600s, and my grandfather’s, ancestors were part of the first Scots to come here in the 1700s.
[...] alerts me that Word Detective is now on the case. Here. Dr. Connie Eble, Dr. Glenn Hinson, and in particular Bonnie Taylor-Blake offer good information [...]
[...] With Google at my fingertips, I quickly learned that Cackalacky is a nickname for Carolina, USA and for many things originating in the two states, North and South, though the origins of the word are a mystery. [...]
My family would take trips down to the Outer Banks of North Carolina when I was a kid in the 80′s. My dad always referred to it as North Cackalacky. I always thought it was one of his weird nicknames as he did that with everything. I was surprised to find out that this one at least was not invented by him! lol As my dad was born in 1941, I can only imagine that he heard it growing up in the 50′s and 60′s, as most of his pop culture references come from that time period.
http://www.shopcarolinagirls.com/South-Cackalacky-Tshirt-p/cgts04.htm
I don’t know why you say the Cherokee or Scottish language sources are implausible. We surely do have The Cherokee and the Scotch-Irish settled in our mountains, with many of us descended from them with other words and phrases enduring since then. Think “poke” for the word, bag. Don’t you think that is a possibility?
In any case, I grew up hearing my dad and grandfather using “North Cackalacky” as a synonym for North Carolina, often when trying to convey that we are in a remote, removed area from everyone else in the world. Still, it was always said with great warmth and pride.
As far as using it when describing South Carolina–well, they don’t count anyway. ;)
I’m a native Tar Heel (born 1961) and never heard this particular usage until about 10 years ago. I live in Western NC, and no one I knew ever referred to North or South Carolina by that term when I was growing up. I just assumed it was a recent slang invention… it would be very interesting if something more specific about its origins can be learned. Never heard of a native using it.
I was born in NC in 1968, my family got to the Carolinas in 1697. I have never heard anyone ever use the term Cackalacty or any derivation of that word.
In my experience, it has always been used by Northerners, in a slightly but not always sneering manner. Right after they ask if I have guns or know how to make shine.
I do not believe it is a term which came from the Carolinas.
I’m from S.C., born in 1961. First hearing the term in the late 80′s/early 90′s, from well-known wrestler, The JunkYard Dog, who repeatedly used the phrase. People in my neighborhood thought he started it. Then I thought it was a young, hip-hop thing.