I’m finding it really interesting how the term ‘Folksy’ has been used recently especially around the current Presedential election campaign in the US. Just look on twitter for who’s talking about Folksy, it’s kinda interesting. Sarah Palin has become the flag bearer of a Folksy ‘way’ She is a Folksian! Maybe we should make her an honourary member if only for the great SEO work she’s done for us ?

image: jay pendergrass (via)

But this raises an interesting aspect of language and etymology, the history of terms and how their meaning changes. In the UK Folksy is tied up with folk music and ‘traditional’ cultural practices. Folksy in the US has far greater currency than in the UK and is used to denote an “earthy”, “of the people”, quality. This seems to be being used negatively in the campaign by the educated and political elite in the US where Folksy has been used as a rather derogatory term to mean “unsophisticated”. How do you see it? What does it mean to you?