Johnny Reb
Preserved but no longer current.
In the American Civil War a Federal name for a Confederate soldier — from the Northern point of view, a rebel. Joint, in U.S.A. slang originally meant a sordid place where illicit spirits could be bought and arunk, opium smoked, etc.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Johnny Reb” mean?
In the American Civil War a Federal name for a Confederate soldier — from the Northern point of view, a rebel. Joint, in U.S.A. slang originally meant a sordid place where illicit spirits could be bought and arunk, opium smoked, etc.
Is “Johnny Reb” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.