It's been a long time since I've heard or seen anyone called a "rube". It's archaic and informal. You don't hear it much anymore. It carries the connotation of a "country bumpkin" and implies a lack of sophistication, education and culture. It's most typically been used in the past by people who fancy themselves as being a member of "high society" when they are in the company of those they consider to be beneath them on the social ladder. I think of it as a pretentious insult. A person is giving themselves a lot of credit by using it. It's the sort of insult that Frasier and Niles would use for their dad. I think you should know someone pretty well before making such a personal critique. I would like to know what prompted Thamel to resort to name-calling. Is it Fulmer's southern accent, or something more? At best, Thamel is being judgmental. At worst, he is revealing a bias on his part.
