hayseed

hayseeds

A hayseed is an unintelligent country person, or a hick. You might be tempted to call your farmer cousin a hayseed, but your cousin would probably be upset.

The derogatory term hayseed is aimed at rural folks who aren't particularly urbane or savvy — it's a stereotype of someone who's comfortable in the country being awkward, bumbling, and unsophisticated, especially when visiting a city. This U.S. slang comes from the common 19th century saying that country people "have hayseed in their hair."