racy of the soil

Alternative forms

 * racy of one's soil

Etymology
See senses 2 and 3. Popularised in Ireland in the slogan of The Nation (1842–1900) — "To create and foster public opinion in Ireland, and to make it racy of the soil" — adapted from a remark c.1837 by Stephen Woulfe.

Adjective

 * 1)  Deeply connected to a place, especially Ireland; indigenous.
 * 2)  Deeply connected to the land; rural or rustic; earthy.
 * 3) * 1924 Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not (Parade's End, Part 1) VI:
 * In the hedge: ... purple loose-strife. (That our young maid's long purples call and literal shepherds give a grosser name. So racy of the soil!)
 * 1) * 1924 Ford Madox Ford, Some Do Not (Parade's End, Part 1) VI:
 * In the hedge: ... purple loose-strife. (That our young maid's long purples call and literal shepherds give a grosser name. So racy of the soil!)

Usage notes

 * Modern use in Ireland is often ironic and implicitly critical of the outlook of nationalists who originally used the phrase in approbation.