Despite all the made-up
definitions here, "Hokie" is a real word. "Hokie" was originally coined by American turkey farmers in the 1930's.
Like all animals and including humans, turkeys consist of diverse populations of individuals with varying degrees of
intelligence, physical coordination, colors, etc.
The farmers noticed that about 2-3% of their turkey population consisted of members who were roughly 20% smaller than most other turkeys and these same turkeys frequently had physically deformations and less attractive feather color patterns. Surprisingly, these same turkeys were known to suffer mental
retardation and would frequently get themselves killed at young ages by engaging in such activities as drowning themselves in puddles of water or by repeatedly slamming their heads into the ground. And more shocking and rare in the animal kingdom, these same turkeys frequently attempted
homosexual activities with other turkeys. When these turkeys were slaughtered and cooked for human consumption, it was noticed that their meat was exceptionally bitter in taste and grainy in texture, thus making them very undesirable in the poultry industry.
These turkeys were called "Hokies".
From the history of the word and
understanding the Virgina Tech student population, it should be clear why the school adopted the Hokie as its mascot.
