WAMU 88.5 : Metro Connection

Filed Under:

A Real Baltimore "Hon"

By: Cathy Duchamp // January 21, 2011
  
Play associated audio
comments
Charlene Osborne says she's a Baltimore Hon on the inside, even when she's not in character.
Cathy Duchamp
Charlene Osborne says she's a Baltimore Hon on the inside, even when she's not in character.

Baltimore is fighting over an identity people hold near and dear to their hearts: the Baltimore "Hon." A local businesswoman holds a trademark to the word "hon," and wants to control how and where it's used. But critics say "hon" is something you can't own; it's part of Baltimore's blue-collar culture. Cathy Duchamp heads out to find some real Baltimore Hons, to get a better understanding of the Hon persona.

Related Links

Arts & Culture

NPR

Fictional 'Mothers' Reveal Facts Of A Painful Adoption Process

After years trying to conceive, novelist Jennifer Gilmore and her husband decided to adopt. What they thought would be a relatively simple process was instead a long and painful one. In her latest novel, Gilmore channels these autobiographical experiences into fiction.

Food

NPR

How Genomics Solved The Mystery Of Ireland's Great Famine

Although scientists have known that a funguslike organism caused the potato blight that triggered the Great Famine in Ireland in the 1840s, they didn't know which strain was the culprit. But they do now, thanks to the genes in some 19th century potato samples.

Politics

NPR

Oregon's Cash-Strapped Counties Reject Public Safety Levies

Two Oregon counties have reportedly rejected property tax increases that would have funded law enforcement and public safety services. The counties once received federal timber subsidies, but those days are over — and now they're scrambling to pay for essential services.

Technology

NPR

How That 'Nigerian Email Scam' Got Started

You've probably seen it in your inbox before: Someone who claims to have come into a fortune needs your help. You can share in the profits — if you send along a deposit or your bank account number. Boston Globe correspondent Finn Brunton talks about the history of the "Nigerian prince" or "419" scam, which actually got its start long before email.

Leave a Comment

Help keep the conversation civil. Please refer to our Terms of Use and Code of Conduct before posting your comments.