clodhoppers
Heavy work shoes; sometimes a jab at country folks.
Also called clod-hoppers.
Updated September 21, 2026
clodhoppers pronunciation
/KLOD-hop-erz/
Meaning
Most days clodhoppers means big, clumsy boots built for mud and fields. In porch talk it can also mean a rural person, usually with a little shade or self-ribbing. Either way the picture is the same: somebody who hops clods of dirt, not dance floors.
How folks use it
- “Wipe them clodhoppers before you come in; the porch is muddy enough.”
- “City cousins called us clodhoppers, and we wore the boots anyway.”
Origin and etymology
English slang from the late 1600s for a ploughman, built from clod (lump of dirt) plus hopper. By the 1830s it also named the heavy shoes farm workers wore. Rural American speech, including redneck talk, kept both senses.
Frequently asked questions
Is it only about shoes?
No. Shoes come first in everyday talk, but it can still mean a country person, friendly or not depending on the mouth saying it.