Anyone know the origin of the term "Hoosier?" Webster's indicates that it might have come from an English term meaning something or someone of unusually large size. How does that relate to someone living in Indiana? Other sources I checked indicated only that a hoosier is a resident of Indiana. Any help would be appreciated......

Debbi Richard
Assistant Professor, Library Science
Dallas Baptist University

songcookie, it's nice to see you back.
Here's what the Word Detective has:

"Hoosier" is simply a nickname for a resident of Indiana, and has no other meaning. The origins of "hoosier" are, if not totally obscure, uncertain at best. The Oxford English Dictionary lets it go at "origin unknown," but elsewhere speculation abounds. "Hoosier" first appeared in the early 19th century, when Indiana was considered "the frontier." Throughout what was then "the West," any man who could outrun, out-drink and outfight any opponent was known as a "husher," from his ability to silence his foes. "Husher," in fact, was a common synonym for "bully" throughout the Western Territories. The bargemen of Indiana who plied their trade up and down the Mississippi were known as an especially combative breed, often turning their visits to ports such as New Orleans into impromptu mass boxing matches. It is said that the reputation of these bare-fisted ambassadors of pugilism earned the nickname "husher" for their home territory of Indiana. By the mid-19th century, the word had mutated to "hoosier," and, in a curious turnabout, had come to be a popular synonym for "hick" or "rube." Since the turn of the century, "hoosier" has lost both of its former connotations and been a neutral, if somewhat mysterious, term for anyone from Indiana.
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I only have to drive downtown and cross the Ohio River, to be in Indiana. I ought to know this. If I find out anything else, I'll post it.

do a 'google' of "hoosier origin" and you'll get a whole plethora of speculation, like this:

http://smith.hanover.edu/abssmithj.html

I seem to remember a Hoosier story relating to river bargemen. As I recall, Hoosier was a corruption of Who's there?, a kind of American waterways Ahoy!
Sounds like speculation, but the story has stuck in my head for years.

By the way, I assume Hoosier, the nickname, predates Hoosier, the kitchen cabinet. That would be too easy.

I went to an Indiana University and Ohio State football game at Indiana and in the student section there was a sign that said "Hoosier daddy?". Well, Ohio State won.