Us and other countries

[Libero]

FightingFat:

I think that Europe never hated America, it’s more the things carried out by the present administration that have been- and continue to be questioned.
Just look at the reaction Condi got on here recent visit here!

LOL - I have a friend who went to Blackburn for the protests, personally I didn’t see the point, it was merely a friendly visit…

 

[Libero]

Ani Ibi:

I have not noticed a lot of Canadians using the term “yank.”

Well, Canada was liberated quite a while ago… Australia are still unsure…

 

[Christus_Rex]

Libero:

LOL - I have a friend who went to Blackburn for the protests, personally I didn’t see the point, it was merely a friendly visit…

lol I should have gone and cheered for her

 

[Libero]

Christus Rex:

lol I should have gone and cheered for her

Cringes that would have been awkward, I can see it now

 

[Ani_Ibi]

Christus Rex:

Well I don’t know about Canada but I know Australia and New Zealand use Yank… I use “Yank” when speaking with Americans all the time, it’s just like you calling me a “Brit”. In no way derogatory WHATSOEVER. It’s practically affectionate; used jokingly between the Yanks and Brits. It’s not like calling the French “frogs”.

I have not noticed any Canadians using the term “Brit” or any other diminutive for nationality so, no, I can’t relate.

In any case I do not see a straight line correlation between “yank” and “American.” Were the yankees not from the North? And therefore does the term “yank” not exclude Southerners?

On the other hand, I can see a straight-line correlation between “Brit” and “British.” Would “yank” not be the equivalent of some other terminology commonly denoting the supposed penchant of English sailors for eating citrus fruit?

My point: with so much opportunity for inaccuracy and hurt feelings, why go there at all? Note: I do not intend this to be a rhetorical question. I wish to solicit answers. Those who commonly use national dimunitive terms: what are the reasons for adopting this practice?

We have by the way drifted off topic. So please also link your answers to how Americans are viewed by your country.

 

[JW10631]

The Lest, wherever it is, does not like the United States, be it the Liberal Party in Canada, the Socialists in Spain or Italy, the Social Democrats in Germany, etc.

Boo figgin’ hoo. There are a whole lot of Americans who don’t like the international Left, either.

Bush pushed for Turkey for the EU for political reasons. The EU will not admit them. Never.

 

[Christus_Rex]

I have not noticed any Canadians using the term “Brit” or any other diminutive for nationality so, no, I can’t relate.
**Really? **

In any case I do not see a straight line correlation between “yank” and “American.” Were the yankees not from the North? And therefore does the term “yank” not exclude Southerners?
It must have a different meaning outside the USA. Here it means anyone from America.

On the other hand, I can see a straight-line correlation between “Brit” and “British.” Would “yank” not be the equivalent of some other terminology commonly denoting the supposed penchant of English sailors for eating citrus fruit?
I don’t know what you mean… but I’ve just always known it as slang for “American”. To a Brit, a Yank is anyone of American descent. The word is derived from Yankee, which others have said refers to those from Connecticut and New England. Others have also said*** Yankee* is/was a derogatory term for northerners dating back to the American Civil War, but I don’t know whether it came from that usage (I doubt it). As far as any Briton is concerned it refers to Americans.
**
My point: with so much opportunity for inaccuracy and hurt feelings, why go there at all? Note: I do not intend this to be a rhetorical question. I wish to solicit answers. Those who commonly use national dimunitive terms: what are the reasons for adopting this practice?
**I don’t know… I have no problem being called a Brit Why should an American get offended being called a “Yank”? Maybe it’s because the use there is offensive? Well its not here.

The reasons for adopting a ‘name’ for a nationality… I don’t know, affection or dislike I suppose, and you could use them either way. I have no problem saying e.g. “Football (soccer to you Yanks)”, in fact I used those very words on this forum when replying to someone else about a match and when they replied and talked about football they said “Soccer (football to you Brits)” with a big smiley face next to it… the thing is, if you used Yank derogatorily here, it would just sound strange. It’s used in an affectionate way, “oh that’s my Yank friend”.
**
We have by the way drifted off topic. So please also link your answers to how Americans are viewed by your country.
**Generally, I’d say most Brits don’t like America/ns, and they think that they have an idiot for a president who went to war for oil. They’re stereotyped as as quite stupid and fat - oh and American girls are very stereotyped as Barbie dolls who like to go to parties and shop etc. They like Americans as people themselves though. The ones who say they “don’t like Americans” probably lump all Americans in with George Bush.
**

 

[aimee]

Christus Rex:

Well I don’t know about Canada but I know Australia and New Zealand use Yank… I use “Yank” when speaking with Americans all the time, it’s just like you calling me a “Brit”. In no way derogatory WHATSOEVER. It’s practically affectionate; used jokingly between the Yanks and Brits. I don’t know if others may use it derogatorily. For most, it’s not and it’s not like calling the French “frogs”.

Les Français n’aiment pas "frogs’

 

[Ani_Ibi]

Ani Ibi:

I have not noticed any Canadians using the term “Brit” or any other diminutive for nationality so, no, I can’t relate.

Christus Rex:

Really?** **

Yes. Really.
Ani Ibi:

In any case I do not see a straight line correlation between “yank” and “American.” Were the yankees not from the North? And therefore does the term “yank” not exclude Southerners?

Christus Rex:

It must have a different meaning outside the USA. Here it means anyone from America.

And you justify the cultural appropriation and reassignment of this term how exactly?
Christus Rex:

I don’t know what you mean… but I’ve just always known it as slang for “American”. To a Brit, a Yank is anyone of American descent. The word is derived from Yankee, which others have said refers to those from Connecticut and New England. Others have also said* Yankee* is/was a derogatory term for northerners dating back to the American Civil War, but I don’t know whether it came from that usage (I doubt it). As far as any Briton is concerned it refers to Americans.

So you don’t know the origins of the term, yet you justify the cultural appropriation and reassignment of this term how exactly?
Christus Rex:

I don’t know… I have no problem being called a Brit Why should an American get offended being called a “Yank”?

“Brit” refers to those of British origin. “Yank” refers to those of what origin exactly? Does that include all Americans? You say that it does. But the origins of the words say that it does not.
Christus Rex:

Maybe it’s because the use there is offensive? Well its not here.

The term “kanuk” is offensive in some non-Canadian regions. That is one reason – among others – that the term when used by non-Canadians is not acceptable in polite company.

Why should “yank” be any different?
Ani Ibi:

We have by the way drifted off topic. So please also link your answers to how Americans are viewed by your country.

Christus Rex:

Generally, I’d say most Brits don’t like America/ns, and they think that they have an idiot for a president who went to war for oil. They’re stereotyped as as quite stupid and fat - oh and American girls are very stereotyped as Barbie dolls who like to go to parties and shop etc. They like Americans as people themselves though. The ones who say they “don’t like Americans” probably lump all Americans in with George Bush.

“They like Americans as people themselves though.” Even though "they think that they have an idiot for a president who went to war for oil. They’re stereotyped as as quite stupid and fat - oh and American girls are very stereotyped as Barbie dolls who like to go to parties and shop etc. "

Would you say that the use of the dimunitive “yank” contributes to a diminished status attributed to Americans by some English? How genuinely affectionate can the gesture be if it serves to diminish a people, particularly as it appropriates the cultural significance of an American term and reassigns to that term an English cultural significance? One form of linguistic imperialism?

 

[Christus_Rex]

You are reading far too much into this Ani Ibi. In the UK, Yank just means an American. Simple. That’s it.

It’s not derogatory or diminishing. And I can’t believe you have never heard a Canadian call a Briton a “Brit”.

“Would “yank” not be the equivalent of some other terminology commonly denoting the supposed penchant of English sailors for eating citrus fruit?”
That is what I said I didn’t know what you were talking about.

I do know the origins, I gave them to you quite clearly. The origins of the word might say it only refers to some Americans… so? In the UK it refers to all Americans. Simple. Sometimes different places have different meanings (even in the UK itself). I bet there is a word in Canada which has a different meaning to the one in the UK.

Yank has been used in the UK for years and years… well before the 20th century… it has nothing to do with people’s perception of Americans today. Lots of Britons dislike America and what they see Americans as because they don’t like George Bush and they think he’s a warmonger and they think thats what all American people are like. However, they know that really, the people are nice even if they hate the administration. This view of warmongering America is based on misinformation and lack of facts.

I fail to see why giving you the stereotype of an American is derogatory. You’re saying that Britons haven’t got a stereotype? Well we have… we’re all posh, or Cockney, have afternoon tea etc. The American one is being fat (blame the billion McDonalds), dumb bimbo girls (Mean Girls etc? America is making these films!) etc. And you won’t find the people who DISLIKE America calling them Yanks. It’ll be the ones who LIKE America who use Yank.

If anyones guilty of “linguistic imperialism” surely its the Americans who had our language and then slaughtered its spellings.

P.S. and if it’s really THAT bad for the Yanks to suffer the word “Yank”, we’ll stop calling them “Yank” when they stop calling all Britons “English” or the Queen the “Queen of England”. Sorry Yanks!

 

[Liberalsaved]

Parts hate us, parts deeply disagree with recent decisions and wish to be able to be open with us about it, but cannot because our government currently likes to throw it’s weight in the world around quite a bit.

Either way, less of the world overtly hates us and wishes us harm than some would have you beleive. Similarly, less of the world thinks of us as a beacon of light than others would have you think. As with everything, there is an area that exists between the extremes of black and white.

 

[MikeWM]

Hmm… I don’t use ‘Yank’ both because I know the history and because I don’t really like the word. It is a common usage over here, but if you don’t like it, it’s only fair that we don’t use it here, imho.

Mike

 

[Petergee]

I should explain for those who are puzzled by Ani’s extremely loquacious overreaction here. The history behind it is that he was censured by the moderator in another thread months ago for his offensive and insulting language, whereupon he tried to accuse me of hating people from the USA because I referred to them as Yanks.

Yank is most certainly not an insulting term in Australia. It’s precisely equivalent to a Yank calling us “Aussies”. In fact it is a sign of affection when Australians shorten your name or nickname to one syllable. You would know an Aussie didn’t like you if he DIDN’T call you a Yank. The few Aussies who do hate Yanks would rarely if ever use the term Yank, they’d call them “US imperialists” or some such.

btw the origins of the term are nothing to do with hating the US or with the US Civil War. The term Yankee is much older than that. Etymologists generally consider that it originated in the 17th-18th century as a Native American corruption of the French word anglais, or possibly the Dutch term Jan Kees (“John Cheese”) to refer to the British colonists.

 

[MikeinSD]

I call people from Brussels “sprouts.” End up cracking myself up.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

Petergee:

I should explain for those who are puzzled by Ani’s extremely loquacious overreaction here. The history behind it is that he was censured by the moderator in another thread months ago for his offensive and insulting language, whereupon he tried to accuse me of hating people from the USA because I referred to them as Yanks.

Yank is most certainly not an insulting term in Australia. It’s precisely equivalent to a Yank calling us “Aussies”. In fact it is a sign of affection when Australians shorten your name or nickname to one syllable. You would know an Aussie didn’t like you if he DIDN’T call you a Yank. The few Aussies who do hate Yanks would rarely if ever use the term Yank, they’d call them “US imperialists” or some such.

btw the origins of the term are nothing to do with hating the US or with the US Civil War. The term Yankee is much older than that. Etymologists generally consider that it originated in the 17th-18th century as a Native American corruption of the French word anglais, or possibly the Dutch term Jan Kees (“John Cheese”) to refer to the British colonists.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

Petergee:

I should explain for those who are puzzled by Ani’s extremely loquacious overreaction here.

Did anyone say they were puzzled? Did someone appoint me to be your sock puppet? I can explain for myself if there is any need for explanation. Your attributing notions to me (or to others) that are in fact your own notions is not imho a friendly gesture.

Flamebait declined.

Petergee:

The history behind it is that he was censured by the moderator in another thread months ago for his offensive and insulting language, whereupon he tried to accuse me of hating people from the USA because I referred to them as Yanks.

Wrong.

I am not interested in being drawn into a discussion of moderator actions.

Again, flamebait declined.

Petergee:

Yank is most certainly not an insulting term in Australia. It’s precisely equivalent to a Yank calling us “Aussies”. In fact it is a sign of affection when Australians shorten your name or nickname to one syllable. You would know an Aussie didn’t like you if he DIDN’T call you a Yank. The few Aussies who do hate Yanks would rarely if ever use the term Yank, they’d call them “US imperialists” or some such.

Since I did not notice any sources given for these claims, I am assuming that you are an authority on this subject. Are you?

Petergee:

btw the origins of the term are nothing to do with hating the US or with the US Civil War. The term Yankee is much older than that. Etymologists generally consider that it originated in the 17th-18th century as a Native American corruption of the French word anglais, or possibly the Dutch term Jan Kees (“John Cheese”) to refer to the British colonists.

Again, sources?

What significance do the First Nations or Dutch origins of the term have on how Australians see the US?

 

[Melanie01]

Now if I want to be offensive…I see a Frenchman and say have you blown up any shipping lately in En Zed…this still angers me because of the arrogance of those**********

 

[Libero]

Christus Rex:

If anyones guilty of “linguistic imperialism” surely its the Americans who had our language and then slaughtered its spellings.

P.S. and if it’s really THAT bad for the Yanks to suffer the word “Yank”, we’ll stop calling them “Yank” when they stop calling all Britons “English” or the Queen the “Queen of England”. Sorry Yanks!

Oh everytime I see “pedophile” and all of those 'z’s grrrrr - hehe

 

[Vaclav]

Well, Canada was liberated quite a while ago… Australia are still unsure…

Canada still has a monarch, you might want to check into that and see who the Queen of Canada is

I’m not sure how this got so off-topic. “Yank” is British slang for Americans. Just like Americans call the Brits, or call everyone on the island English, even when they are Scottish, Welsh, or from Cornwall.

That doesn’t even include the travellers, Wee Frees, etc. Someone felt insulted that our British friends didn’t realise the difference between the Northern and Southern cultures in America, but did you know there is a vast difference between the Northern and Southern cultures in England? Talk to people in Liverpool and then Plymouth, or compare the booming Southeast with the Northeast - where they had race riots but a decade ago.

So, I think it is a bit unfair to point fingers and complain about lack of cultural respect or learned history. In my humble opinion, and feel free to attack me for it, it would do many Americans a great deal of good to learn more about other nations and lose some of that Ameri-centricism that many others find repulsive.

 

[Ani_Ibi]

Vaclav:

Canada still has a monarch, you might want to check into that and see who the Queen of Canada is

HRM Elizabeth II.

Vaclav:

Just like Americans call the Brits, or call everyone on the island English, even when they are Scottish, Welsh, or from Cornwall.

The English are English. The Scottish are Scottish. The Welsh are Welsh. The Cornwellians are Cornwellians. At least this is how it usually works in Canada. Folks here generally use the term “Britons” when discussing some of the ancient folks who lived on your island.

Vaclav:

That doesn’t even include the travellers, Wee Frees, etc. Someone felt insulted that our British friends didn’t realise the difference between the Northern and Southern cultures in America, but did you know there is a vast difference between the Northern and Southern cultures in England? Talk to people in Liverpool and then Plymouth, or compare the booming Southeast with the Northeast - where they had race riots but a decade ago.

Yes, I did know. But the thread is about how other countries see the US. So what is your excuse for thinking the American situation should be different from the English situation? Am I correct in assuming that you wish us to distinguish between Northern and Southern English culture?

If so, then why do you insist on saying that the “Yank” is British slang for Americans, thus implying that no linguistic imperialism is taking place? You want us to respect your North/South differences, yet you are above according the Americans the same respect. Is this not linguistic imperialism?

Vaclav:

So, I think it is a bit unfair to point fingers and complain about lack of cultural respect or learned history.

I merely raised the question of linguistic imperialism which so far allyall have managed to skirt. I think it is unfair for you to mischaracterize what I actually said and basically attempt to use me as a sock puppet for your own strawmen.

Vaclav:

In my humble opinion, and feel free to attack me for it, it would do many Americans a great deal of good to learn more about other nations and lose some of that Ameri-centricism that many others find repulsive.

Allyall in England, Wales, Cornwall, and Scotland just feel free to show us the way out of cultural centrism. How, for instance, do allyall handle yourselves when you immigrate to Canada which btw is not an English colony in spite of having an excellent monarch?
:tiphat: