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...
Pronunciation
[BAK-er barn]
Meaning & Usage
- A barn for curing tobacco (noun)
Mae:
Where’s the menfolk at?
Earl:
Still out in the baccer barn, checkin’ the sticks.
- A symbol of Appalachian & Southern farm life (noun)
Mae:
You ever work a baccer barn?
Earl:
About every summer growin’ up.
other spellings: tobacco barn, bacco barn, baccy barn, curin’ barn, hangin’ barn, and 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
Tobacco barns date back to early Appalachian and Southern farming, where tobacco was a cash crop. Families built specialized barns just for curing "baccer."
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."