Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- interjection A call to rally circus members in a fight.
- noun A fight between members of a circus and the general public.
Etymologies
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
The term originated in the 19th century when circuses were rowdy affairs and Hey Rube was the rallying cry to call all circus people to help in a fight with townspeople. It's not clear whether Rube in this term was someone specific or simply a use of the informal term rube (shortened form of Reuben) for an unsophisticated person from a rural area.
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