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The Learning Kingdom's Cool Word of the Day for March 4, 1999
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Dixie [n. DIX-ee]
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The "Land of Dixie," or Dixieland, is the southeastern part of the
United States, those states that seceded as the Confederacy during the
Civil War. You might think the name is related to Jeremiah Dixon, the
surveyor who, with Charles Mason, established the "Mason-Dixon Line"
to separate the northern and southern states.
Actually, the word comes from the French "dix" (ten), although Mr.
Dixon's name may have influenced its evolution. A New Orleans bank in
the early 19th century issued ten dollar bills inscribed "dix," which
were called "dixies," and those bills became status symbols among
wealthy landholders. So the south was literally the "Land of Dixies."
The phrase "to whistle Dixie" (to fantasize about an unrealistically
optimistic future) is a reference to several Confederate war songs
about the "Land of Dixie." The most well-known one was written by
Daniel D. Emmett, a black man from the north.
The traditional Dixieland Jazz style of music is still popular:
http://www.thepeanutgallery.com/
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