Just because I like country music, muddin, guns, and big trucks doesn't mean I'm a hick.

When I was a kid we lived on top of a mountain in a fairlyrural part of Pennsylvania.  Our home was surrounded mostly by forests andfarms.   However, it wasn’t uncommon tosee run down houses with livestock running amok on the property.  The yards of many of the homes were litteredwith broken down cars, machinery, furniture and all manner of stuff. 

All lot of folks around could easily be classified as whatsupposedly cultured individuals would call hicks . . . but they were mostly good,hard-working people. 

What exactly is a hick anyway?  Yeah, I know it’s a redneck . . . that’s notwhat I mean. 

What is the origin of the word?  Well, I wassurprised to discover that "hick" is nothing more than a 16th centuryfamiliar form of the proper name "Richard."

Way back then, the name “Richard” was considered a commoner’sname . . . not a name bestowed upon the boys of the upper classes.

That’s pretty interesting considering that the name “Richard”is derived from the Old English word “ric” meaning “ruler”. 

Richard is often diminutived to Rich, Richie, Rick, andRicket; from Rich you got Hitch and from Ricket you got Hicket. . . and then there’sHick and Dick from Rick.

“Dick”, of course, is not only linked with the name “Richard”these days.  But before “dick” becameassociated with the manliest of man parts, it was commonly used as a shortenedversion of the words declaration & dictionary and then came to be anickname for policemen.  

The origin of “dick”,as in the one-eyed-wonder-worm, is dubious but it wasn’t because some obscure “Richard”was being a wiener.  The word wasn’t usedin a derogatory fashion until the 1960’s . . . it’s probably some hipster bastardizationof the word.

Anyway . . . “hick” as used as a nickname is no longer inuse . . . unless of course you’re describing a country bumpkin.

Cocoa Banana Frozen Dessert

4 Ripe Bananas (Very Ripe Preferably)

2 Tablespoons Pure Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup

Peel the bananas and place them in a blender or foodprocessor together with the cocoa powder.

Add the vanilla extract and the maple syrup.

Blend until very smooth. Pour into individual custard cupsor small bowls and freeze till just frozen.