Deep down (and even not so deep down – all the way up to just below the very top, in fact) I really didn’t think you meant it in the pejorative sense, TEd. But I have never heard the term ‘cracker’ applied to people in any other way. Used in the pejorative, it didn’t make sense to me in the context, and so my question arose from confusion more than anything else.

I’ve never heard of cracking corn to make liquor, although I knew corn could be used to make liquor – ‘good corn liquor’ and all that. I wonder if the song ‘Jimmy Crack Corn’ (“Jimmy crack corn and I don’t care. Jimmy crack corn and I don’t care. Jimmy crack corn and I don’t care, ‘cause the master’s gone away.”) refers to making liquor?