To the uneducated European ear, American and Canadian accents are the same which proves a source of much annoyance to my Canadian colleague who suffers the taunt of 'Yank' quite often.
I know that us Brits are referred to as Limey's which comes from the old British naval practice of supplying its sailors with lime juice to prevent scurvy. After weeks at sea knocking back the lime juice, they must of stank so the name is apt.
The origins of why the Brits call Americans (and some Canadians) Yanks is more of a mystery.
My Oxford English Dictionary seems to think that it is derived from the Dutch surnames "Jan" and "Kees" which were popular back in the settler days and may have been used as a reference to the settlers of New-York (New-Amsterdam at the time) who were Dutch. I have had it explained to me that while we call all Americans Yankee's, in America it is a derogatory term for a Northerner in much the same way that redneck is derogatory for an American Southerner. We keep things easy with our derogatory terms for our Northerners, we just call them Scottish.
Anybody know any other explanations for the Yank nickname?
15 comments:
Anybody know any other explanations for the Yank nickname?
Insert wanking joke here.
Ook ook.
PS: Tell a Canadian he sounds like an American and he'd probably want to kick the snot oot of you. But he wouldn't 'cause he's too polite.
Lol fez!
Nah lucy can't help ya there but we call you guys pommy's over here!
Ook ook!
Zoe XXX
I have heard it explained as Rhyming slang Fez. I only know 1 real-life actual Canadian and he is a nice man although i hope his taste in clothes is not typical of Canadians. Also, he does not look like the Mountie out of Due South, more the shame.
Zoe - I am not sure about why we get called Poms. New Zealand & Aussie accents are another one that is indistinguishable to us lot.
Pommy / Pom: Short for Poor Majesty's Bastard.
Courtesy of my cousin from Melbourne, Oz.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go mock some Canadians.
Ook ook.
Cody - you might want to consult with O'Tim about that......
Copy of post I left at KOTG.
I'm still going to stick by what I said. We have Teams, Companies (Yankee candle, Yankee quilt.) Restaurants (Yankee's) Songs, (Yankee Doodle Dandy) etc. My point is that it's not an insult if it's not insulting. It's like those idiot packer fans, back in the day, cheesehead was an insult. Now, some entrepreneur stuck yellow plastic foam on their heads and they proudly call themselves cheeseheads, and they are not insulted. The word has no power any more. That's the situation with Yankee. NO ONE MINDS BEING CALLED A YANKEE, NOBODY IS INSULTED BY IT. In my world, an insult must be insulting,
I guess I should have said that Cody is right, it usually isn't an insult, but sometimes, IT IS.
SHEESH! Bloody Seppo...
My Mississippi friend Seawitch has the definitive word on a Southerner's use of the word "Yankee".
Cheers, Cody! I'm not saying it SHOULD be an insult, just that I've heard him remark a few times about how it's still used as a derogatory term in the south, and he gets it even though he's been down there for over a decade.
It'll be two this November, Joe.
Not long after I moved down here I was painting houses with a fellow from Carlisle, England. I used to get a kick out of getting him to call southerners Yankees.
Yankee was derogatory -- the lyrics to "Yankee Doodle Dandy" (the version we know today) were written to ridicule the colonists. Rather than be demeaned by the song, however, the colonists adopted it and made it their rallying anthem. During the war between the states, however, the South started using it to describe the Northerners, once again using it as an insult. Even today, when you hear a Southerner use the term, it's not to be cute (of course, they're still fighting the war down there, in their own minds, and one day, damnit, they're going to win).
I am not sure about elsewhere but i think here it has just become a term for Americans in general much like aussies for the Australians.
Yeah, it's always been a term for Americans in general to you Limeys.
And not derogatory at all in England:
Those Yanks. Over sexed, overpaid, and over here!
;o)>
Now y'all need to shut up! Some redneck is going to come over here and find out that "Yankee" isn't hurting anyone's feelings! Then they'll start calling us something that really hurts...
Like... Dudes! Yeah, *wink-wink* that would hurt!
Post a Comment