nona1

How about the song: 'I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy'.

BTilke

I have seen Yanks used in a negative way with increasing frequency in the UK media and in various British oriented forums.
Within the media, the Yank perjoratives come fast and hard mostly from columnists who are self-styled experts on America (and who are almost always ridiculously wrong).
I'm slightly annoyed that they're actually getting paid to write such dreck, otherwise it doesn't bother me: the dogs bark but the caravan moves on....

It would be nice if the Brits, Irish and Australians who toss the word Yank about so freely would bother to learn a little about the term.

Josser

Well, (takes wooden spoon and starts stirring) in the song "Yankee Doodle" the word is used in a pejorative sense.
It's mocking an American for thinking that sticking a feather in his hat makes him a macaroni, that is a fashionable dandy.

Heimdall

To paraphrase BTilke, I have seen the term "American" used in a negative way with increasing frequency in the UK media and in various British oriented forums. If we can't take criticism, then we are being oversenstive.

It's not the word, but how it is used, that makes it negative. The term "yank" can be affectionate just as easily as pejorative, depending upon the context.

All the above talk about what "yank" or "yankee" means in the US and Canada has nothing to do with what it means in the UK.

I think this thread has run its course, and this will be my last post.

audere_est_facere

Well slap me backwards and call me Doris! No one does moon-howlingly mental like an angry, baffled, yank.

If you don't like the word - never leave America, never look at media that isn't only for America. never see a film, especially a war film, and never ever under any circumstances try and tell me off. You daft yank you.

Now back to discussions of Horrids and why it's too expensive for yanks with their comedy money....

BTilke

Heimdall, it's not about being oversensitive, it's about reading rubbish pieces full of boneheaded generalizations about what Americans do, think, etc.. If a writer can't recognize diversity in the U.S., then it's a dead giveaway his (and it's usually his, not her) observations usually have no purpose other than promoting absurd prejudices and stereotypes.

Heimdall, just curious, exactly why did you link a mention of perjorative INACCURATE witterings about America with oversensitivity to criticism?

Padraig

BTilke wrote: "it's about reading rubbish pieces full of boneheaded generalizations about what Americans do, think, etc.."

I see. Have you considered how the American media portray the people of other nations?

BTilke

"I see. Have you considered how the American media portray the people of other nations?"

Glad to see the nursery school justification of "he does it too" is still alive and well.

At any rate, I was discussing the perjorative use of ONE particular word. Which particular slang word to describe the citizens of one nation is routinely used in a perjorative sense by American media?

audere_est_facere

"Mexicans". Just look in the lounge on any thread about welfare, immigration etc.

Also "cheese eating surrender monkeys" got a lot of use not so long ago.

"Yank" is only as perjorative as the intent behiond it - it can be affectionate, it can be rude. It's usually neutral. It is however universal in the UK - so either get used to it or don't come here or look at anything that involves any of us.

BTilke

Well, I suppose the Lounge loosely fits into the definition of media, but I'd like to know who's getting paid to make their posts and how can I get on that gravy train?

Cheese eating surrender monkeys? Can you please name the American print, electronic or broadcast columnists using that on a regular basis to describe the French--in supposedly serious articles?

Padraig

BTilke, methinks you are clueless.

I see that you now want to close discussion of US media down to supposedly serious articles. So let's be fair: limit discussion of European media to supposedly serious articles. Find the boneheaded generalizations there.

How many times do some people need to be told that "Yank" is not a pejorative term? The fact that it can be, and sometimes is, used in a pejorative manner does not alter that.

Similarly "Irish" and "Paddy" and "Mick" are not pejorative terms, but are sometimes used pejoratively. So what? I don't get mad about it. But perhaps that is because I am a grown-up person who sees other injustices or wrongs as being of much more importance.

Standing on one's dignity is a bad place to be, as it can make you look ridiculous.

chartley

Perhaps I have lost touch with modern English argot, but to me the word Yank (or yank) has a rather Second World War feel.

That was when it was said that the problem with the yanks was that they were:

over-paid
over-sexed
over here

It must have been the nylons and the peanut butter.

BTilke

The articles I referred to WERE serious. So I was being fair (by your definition).

I said I was annoyed people were getting paid to write such dreck, I was not bothered by the use of the word Yank. And I merely observed that its use in a perjorative sense had increased (in the dreck articles).

To reiterate: The dogs bark but the caravan moves on...

Padraig, your nursery school tactics are admirably consistent. First the "he does it too!" defense, next calling someone names.

ira

>...over the last 20 years. Today's prices (for Americans) are the worst I've ever seen.<

1985 was a good year. The USD was almost par with the GBP.

>.. you can get some things cheaper at Harrods .... during the sales in January and July..<

That's why one goes to Harrods, inn't?

>Many "suits" were putting away 2-3 pints . ...

A colleague of mine attended Manchester U. His faculty advisor took a liking to him and began inviting him to lunch regularly.

After a year of 2-3 Imperial pints (20 oz) a day for lunch, he had gained 80 lbs.

>..my husband ( a true blue Canadian who can consume large quantities of beer) was surprised that people drink so much at lunch time ...<

Ben Franklin discusses that in his autobiography. Instead of drinking beer, he bought 2 rolls - 1 for lunch, 1 for dinner - and saved a penny.

I think that there is a moral there.

>...it appears hill billies often refer to themselves as such but others should not do it ...

They are Mountain Williams.

>A Redneck would be very offended if he/she were called a Yankee.

One must be careful about referring to people as "rednecks". If you are one, it's OK, but if you ain't it's a fighting word.

>I wonder how some travelers here feel about the confederate flag waving ...

I believe that you are referring to the Battle Flag of the Army of Northern Virginia. It was not the Confederate Flag, also known as the "Stars and Bars".

>When someone tells you that the "yanks" tried to abolish slavery during the civil war for spite, that is a negative connotation.<

The words Yank, yank, Yankee, yankee, yanqui are entirely neutral. If "Northerners" were substituted in the above sentence, would you draw the same conclusion?

This is quite different from the list of words posted by someone else which are, in and of themselves, meant to be pejorative.

>I called an American mate (from Boston)a yank and he was offended, crikey he called me a limey git...

From my distant viewpoint in Georgia, I can't understand why someone from Boston would take offense at being called a yank - it's what he is.

OTOH, to be called a "limey git" is disparaging.

>Yankee Doodle went to town
A-riding on a pony.
Stuck a feather in his hat
And called it macaroni.

I have always wondered why the horse was wearing a hat.

>Similarly "Irish" and "Paddy" and "Mick" are not pejorative terms,...

What do the Irish have to say about, the last two words?

So, anyone had lunch at Harrods lately?

Padraig

BTilke wrote: "Padraig, your nursery school tactics are admirably consistent. First the "he does it too!" defense, next calling someone names."

I didn't call anybody names; I said that I thought you were clueless. You have done nothing to convince me otherwise.

I suggest that you put up or shut up: where is this "dreck" of which you write?

As to your claim that you were "not bothered by the use of the word Yank", then I have to wonder why you entered the discussion at all.

Nikki

Another fascinating lesson in the diversity of US people and opinion. I really had no idea anyone thought Yank was pejorative, but it appears that people in and from the South may view it quite differently.

And Padraig, back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and I was a law student working in a Boston criminal court, I was told not to use the term "paddy wagon". I was amazed to learn that people found it offensive and the reasons why.

Padraig

I wrote: "Similarly "Irish" and "Paddy" and "Mick" are not pejorative terms,..."
and Ira asked: "What do the Irish have to say about, the last two words?"

You just got the view of one Irishman!

Whether or not they are pejorative is a matter of tone and intent.

Padraig

Nikki, we Irish use the word "paddy-wagon" (generally one word here, sometimes without the hyphen). It's informal language, but regarded as quite neutral.

It has been adopted as a name by a tour operator. How might the Irish-Yanks from Boston feel about touring Ireland in a PaddyWagon?

Nikki

I can't speak for any Irish Yanks. I'm wondering whether my information was correct. I was told the paddy wagon was an offensive term because it was used to take poor drunk paddy off to jail.

I'm guessing that the Irish heritaged people of my acquaintance might enjoy a tour of Ireland with this name, and my very non-Irish husband would be happy to go along for the ride.

Padraig

Nikki, that's also my understanding of the etymology. I have just dug into my reference library, and can find neither proof nor disproof of the view.

I think the name PaddyWagon for a tour company goes down well because we Irish often laugh at ourselves.

[We have gone a long way from Harrod's.]