brer rabbit
Noun: A fictional character, a clever and cunning rabbit who is the protagonist in a series of folk tales. These stories were originally presented as being told by a character named Uncle Remus and were first published in book form in 1880 by Joel Chandler Harris. Brer Rabbit uses his wit and trickery to outsmart stronger opponents like Brer Fox and Brer Bear.
The word "Brer Rabbit" is used as a proper noun to refer specifically to this character from the Uncle Remus stories. It is typically used in the context of discussing folklore, literature, or cultural history. - In the story, Brer Rabbit avoids being eaten by tricking Brer Fox. - The tales of Brer Rabbit have their roots in African-American and Cherokee folklore.
- Archetypal Trickster: Brer Rabbit is often analyzed as a classic "trickster" archetype in literature and mythology, a clever underdog who survives through intelligence rather than strength.
- Cultural Symbol: The character and stories are significant in the study of American folklore and the transmission of African oral traditions.
- Brer (noun): A written representation of a dialect pronunciation of "brother," used as a title before the names of male animal characters in the Uncle Remus stories (e.g., Brer Fox, Brer Bear).
- Uncle Remus (noun): The fictional elderly Black narrator who tells the Brer Rabbit stories.
- Trickster figure
- Folk hero
While not idioms themselves, the character's famous escapades have entered common parlance as metaphors. - "The Tar-Baby story": Refers to a specific tale where Brer Rabbit gets stuck to a tar figure. It is sometimes used metaphorically to describe a no-win situation or a problem that gets worse the more one struggles against it. - "Throwing someone in the briar patch": From the tale where Brer Rabbit pleads not to be thrown into the briar patch, which is actually his home and means of escape. This phrase can describe a deceptive plea that results in the opposite of what is requested, ultimately benefiting the pleader.
- the fictional character of a rabbit who appeared in tales supposedly told by Uncle Remus and first published in 1880