Baccer Barn
A "baccer barn" is a barn used to cure and store tobacco. In Appalachian and Southern farm life, families cut and hung tobacco stalks inside these tall, airy barns to dry before sale.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
I looked inside the 'baccer barn' plenty growin' up (at Papaw and Granny's), but never went in. Those are few and far between now. Hillbilly Dude Says...
I looked inside the 'baccer barn' plenty growin' up (at Papaw and Granny's), but never went in. Those are few and far between now. Pronunciation
[BAK-er barn]
Meaning & Usage
- A barn for curing tobacco (noun)
Mae:
Where’s the menfolk at?
Where’s the menfolk at?
Earl:
Still out in the baccer barn, checkin’ the sticks.
Still out in the baccer barn, checkin’ the sticks.- A symbol of Appalachian & Southern farm life (noun)
Mae:
You ever work a baccer barn?
You ever work a baccer barn?
Earl:
About every summer growin’ up.
About every summer growin’ up.variations: tobacco barn, bacco barn, baccy barn, curin’ barn, hangin’ barn, dryin’ barn
★ Baccer barns were tall with slatted walls or vents, letting air move through. Inside, long sticks of tobacco stalks were hung to cure for weeks. ★
Origin and Etymology
Tobacco barns date back to early Appalachian and Southern farming, where tobacco was a cash crop. Families built specialized barns just for curing "baccer."
Usage Notes
Common sight in Appalachian and Southern farm country. Many stand empty today as tobacco farming declined, but older folks remember the hard work of curing season.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "back-er barn." The middle "o" in tobacco drops out, same as in "baccer."