This was officially Quentin Tarantino weekend in our household. Bravo was showing Jackie Brown, followed by Pulp Fiction, and we rented Kill Bill Volumes 1 and 2. Watching Bravo's version of Jackie Brown, however, I was mystified by the repeated references to melon farmers. Every five minutes, Samuel L. Jackson was calling someone this epithet, and I inferred from his inflection that it was not a term of endearment. For instance, there's a scene in which the characters watch a video about assault weapons. Jackson's character narrates the video, and when it gets to the part about the AK-47, he says this about it: "When you absolutely, positively, gotta kill every melon farmer in the room—accept no substitutes."

So what I want to know is, what's the problem with melon farmers? When did their profession become a pejorative term? Melon farmers are simple people, just trying to eke out a living, and I can't imagine what they could have done to deserve such a reputation. Besides, there was no indication that the people in the film being called this spiteful term had any connection with the produce market in the first place. It was a mystery. I decided it must be a matter of context, and maybe there was some explanation in Elmore Leonard's book on which the movie was based. I made a mental note to check this out first chance I got.

About that time, Jackie Brown ended and Pulp Fiction began. Imagine my surprise when it, too, featured abundant references to melon farmers! What's weird is that I've seen both of these movies numerous times, and I don't recall ever having heard this term before. I guess we owe a debt of gratitude to Tarantino for keeping us apprised of the latest trends in profanity.

When we got around to the rented movies, I expected yet more disdain for the agriculturally inclined. Needless to say, I was surprised and delighted that the characters in Kill Bill didn't refer to melon farmers at all.

Although they did use "motherf***er" quite a bit.