patterroller

English

Etymology

Modification of patroller.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /patəˈɹəʊlə/
• (US) IPA^(key): /pætəˈɹoʊlɚ/

Noun

patterroller (plural patterrollers)

1. (African-American Vernacular, historical) A member of a slave patrol.
   • 1881, Joel Chandler Harris, The Tar-baby: And Other Rhymes of Uncle Remus‎, New York: D. Appleton:

     […] I'll break yo neck, I'll crack yo head / I'll wallop you twel I make you think / I'm de patter-roller, you wall-eyed slink!".

   • 1941, Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves‎, volume 16, Washington, DC: Library of Congress, →OCLC, page 248:

     One old fellow name John been a run-awayer for four years and de patterrollers tries all dey tricks, but dey can't cotch him. Dey wants him bad, 'cause it 'spire other slaves to run away if he stays a-loose.

   • 1982, A Girl Called Boy‎, Clarion Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 83:

     Where was that ditch? Tentatively she whistled the children's tune, “Run, chillen, run; the patterroller get you—"