The Boondocks is an American expression from the Tagalog (Filipino) word bundók (“mountain”). Tagalong is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by the ethnic Tagalog people, who make up a quarter of the population of the Philippines, and as a second language by the majority.
It originally referred to a remote rural area, but now, is often applied to an out-of-the-way area considered backward and unsophisticated by city folk. It can also refer to a mountain.
The Boondocks phrase was originally coined by the U.S. military fighting in the Philippine–American War (1899-1902). According to military historian Paul A. Kramer, the term originally had “connotations of bewilderment and confusion”, due to the guerrilla warfare in which the soldiers were engaged.
The dictionary definition says it is an uninhabited area with thick natural vegetation, such as backwoods or marsh. Also known as the boonies, it is a term that refers to a location that remains largely undeveloped for anything other than farming.
Since the middle of the 20th century, boondocks have been used to refer to sections of the country that remain uncongested and free from many of the issues associated with living in an urban area.
Persons living in rural areas often use boondocks as an affectionate term for their locale, noting the clean air, open spaces, and the perceived lack of crime and other vices that are often attributed to big cities.
Within this context, the boondocks are viewed as a desirable condition where the pace of life is less stressful and it is possible to engage in activities that promote a positive way of life. In other instances, it may refer to a lack of technology in the area. For example, a person who is used to utilizing a cable modem or some other broadband
application for connecting to the Internet may consider a remote area that is served by dial-up services only to be “in the boondocks.” When used in a derogatory fashion, boondocks is usually intended to imply an inferior status, rather than a difference in the type of geographical location.
Boondocks synonyms are boonies [slang], country, countryside, nowhere, sticks, exurbia, backcountry, backwater, backwoods, bush, frontier, hinterland, outback, up-country
wild, wilderness, like being in the middle of nowhere.
“Down in the Boondocks” is a song written by Joe South, with sampling from Gene Pitney’s “Twenty Four Hours from Tulsa”, and recorded by American artist Billy Joe Royal. It was a hit in 1965, reaching number 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. “Boondocks” is a song co-written and recorded by American country music group Little Big Town.
It was released in May 2005 as the first single from their second studio album The Road to Here. It became their first Top 10 hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. It was written by Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Roads, Phillip Sweet, Jimi Westbrook and Wayne Kirkpatrick.
“Out in the Boondocks” by Gerold Frank and James Horan. is a book written in 1923. It is twenty-one personal accounts from these men—stories told by the men themselves. They are the stories of men who have lived in hell and lived to tell of it. Here is Sgt. Albert Schmid was awarded the Navy Cross for his single-handed destruction of a flanking attack, during which he accounted for 200 Japs on Guadalcanal.
Here is Private Nicolli who was literally blown into the air like a matchstick and then, with a piece of shrapnel in his chest, helped a wounded comrade to the rear. Here is the story of a Marine gunner in a Navy dive-bomber, and the story of “the luckiest Marine in the Solomons” whose tonsils were neatly eliminated by a Jap sniper, and many others.
Resources
