croaker sack
Used in areas of the American South - as of 2009 - ranging from South Carolina, through Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and at least northern Louisiana. Indeed, the sack doubtless referred to the burlap bag used to carry the fish, but no one questioned now remembers that particular use. Today it's the word traditionally used, at least in the areas mentioned, to mean "burlap bag" and is used to carry whatever articles that are at hand. "Croaker bag" has never been recorded.
The entire crop of sweet potatoes was trucked to the farmers' market in croaker sacks.
Coal in small batches was regularly delivered to homes in croaker sacks.
Coal in small batches was regularly delivered to homes in croaker sacks.
croaker sack
"croaker sacks" were burlap bags / sacks used to hold frogs when caught. The burlap bags / sacks enabled the frogs to stay alive and damp while other "croakers" were captured (called frog gigging). According to an article I copied years ago, the central Florida county of Hardee was called "the frog leg capital of the world" during a part of the 1930's, because so many frogs were shipped from that area to France. I will try to locate the copy of the article for verification of the last sentence
The boys struggled to carry the heavy burlap sacks to the trucks. The sacks were called croaker sacks, because inside the sacks were dozens of frogs, each one croaking loudly.
croaker sack
A large, cloth bag used for holding croakers after you have caught them. You can carry the croakers home in the sack without being under the watchful eye of the game warden.
Paul lost his knapsack, so he carries his school books in a croaker sack.