country cousin

American  

noun

1. a person from the country or from a small town, to whom the sights and activities of a large city are novel and bewildering.

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country cousin British  

noun

1. an unsophisticated person from the country, esp one regarded as an object of amusement

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country cousin Idioms  

1. One whose lack of sophistication or rural ways may amuse or embarrass city dwellers. For example, The sightseeing guide geared his tour toward country cousins who had never been to a large city before. This term, which literally means “a cousin who lives in the country,” has been used in this figurative way since the second half of the 1700s, although the idea is much older (such persons were stock figures of fun in Restoration comedies of the late 1600s and early 1700s).

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Etymology

Origin of country cousin

First recorded in 1760–70

Example Sentences

Back in the day Northstar, a ski resort in the North Lake Tahoe area, was a country cousin to more hardcore Squaw Valley and Alpine Meadows.

From Los Angeles Times

There have been questions about the massive Coachella music festival, set for April 10-19, and its country cousin, Stagecoach, set for April 24-26, in Indio.

From Los Angeles Times

There have been questions about the massive Coachella music festival, set for April 10-19, and its country cousin Stagecoach, set for April 24-26, in Indio.

From Los Angeles Times

As to the nameless farmer, quite possibly a country cousin of earlier Aardman hero Wallace, he continues to cluelessly imagine that he’s in charge of this very antic farm.

From Los Angeles Times

The Griswolds spend the holiday in a garish way, especially when a country cousin pulls up in an RV.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• hick
• hillbilly