marsh tacky

noun

, South Atlantic States (chiefly South Carolina and Georgia).

1. a small, sometimes half-wild horse of the coastal marshes.
2. Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a poor white living in the marshes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of marsh tacky¹

First recorded in 1830–40

Example Sentences

A little later every crest was surmounted by the comical figure of a marsh-tacky.

From Project Gutenberg