Southern Illinois. So called derisively with reference to the supposed intellectual darkness of the inhabitants. The fact that Cairo is one of its chief cities helped the jest along.
1855. In that part of our beautiful State known as ‘Egypt,’ many of these ‘wise’ men have exercised their ‘squatter-sovereignty’ for the last forty years, dwelling, even now, in habitations as primitive as were those of the patriarchs.—Knick. Mag., xlv. 422 (April).
1860. The creed is pretty black in the north end of [Illinois]; about the center it is a pretty good mulatto, and it is almost white when you get down into Egypt.—Mr. Stephen A. Douglas, U.S. Senate, Feb. 29: Cong. Globe, p. 920.
1860. Egypt is almost wiped out, as a Democratic stronghold.—Letter to the N.Y. Herald, Aug. 13.
1860. Democracy can only flourish in such places as Egypt, where the majority are exceedingly illiterate.—Oregon Argus, Sept. 8.
1861. “Notes from cis-Atlantic Egypt.”—Knick. Mag., lviii. 172 (Aug.).
1888. The southern part of [Illinois,] popularly known as Egypt, is full of sand hills and jack oak.—St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Jan. 20 (Farmer).
[For remarks on Egypt as a place-name, see Notes and Queries, 10 S. x. 447; xi. 93.]
