Meaning
What does Trailer trash mean?
Trailer trash is a derogatory term used about less fortunate people who live in a trailer or in a mobile home.
It generally refers to poor white people living in such circumstances.
People choose – or are forced to – live in trailers or mobile homes both because it is much more affordable than any other flat, and because it makes it easy to move in case you must be flexible between jobs.
The people living in such places are often assumed to be high school dropouts, teenage pregnancies, drug addicts and generally misfits. Hence, “trailer trash”.
https://imgur.com/gallery/98Zrg
Origin
What's the origin of Trailer trash?
Trailers, as a living situation, became a thing in the 30’s, and their use as a living situation grew massively during WWII, due to the lack of housing for soldiers and sailors.
After the war, the trailer parks stood empty, allowing poor white people with no other options to purchase one. These less fortunate souls were often looked down on by the rest of society, and therefore called “trash”.
Spread & Usage
How did Trailer trash spread?
The term has been featured in country songs, such as Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Burn Down The Trailer Park”, and Toby Keith’s “Trailerhood”.
Famous rapper Eminem also mentioned the term in “Rap God”, referring to himself as the “white trash god”.
“Trailer Park Boys”, a humorous Canadian mockumentary shows us the adventures of a trailer parks inhabitants.
External resources
- Urban Dictionary – Trailer Trash