I've always wondered about the offense value behind the term "yank". Being British, I've never used it myself.
To my recollection there's an American team named "the yankies". Not that the team associates it self with the word, but if there's any American folk who still use this board, what are your thoughts on it?
"Stop looking at the walls, look out the window." ~ Karl Pilkington On Art
As an American, personally, I wouldn't like being called a "Yank", but it wouldn't drive me to arguing or fighting about it, just would prefer to be called an American. To each their own. It's comparable to calling an English person a Brit back in the day. Now it is a more neutral term, but a while back it was considered offensive to the British. Same as yank, it has over time become less derogatory.
shareThe term "Yankee" is meant to offend if coming from a Southern American(from the old confederate states) directed towards a Northern/Northeastern American. I moved from Michigan to Atlanta, GA when I was 10, and ended up living there 24 years. Was called "Yankee" or "Yankee Boy" all the time upon first arriving. Those using it weren't being nice. They'll often say it with a smile...but in a passive-aggressive manner. The American Civil War has never ended for a segment of the population in that region of our country...and still exists in our politics today. Watch "My Cousin Vinny" sometime and you'll know what i mean. It's portrayal is very accurate.
Coming from person in the UK? Totally different. Not offensive at all. It's a term we've used to describe ourselves in relation to the rest of the world. George M. Cohan's song "Over There"...was our countries WW I rally cry song declaring "That the Yanks are coming...the Yanks are coming".
Also, one of the songs our crowd sings while watching the US Men's National Team is "When The Yanks Go Marching In" just like the Hotspur fans do inserting "Spurs" for "Yanks". Both versions are borrowed from the song "When The Saints Go Marching In"...an old American jazz song.
btw...love your Pilkington quote. He's the Confucius/Plato of our times.
i think the only time it's offensive is to someone that's only been living in the south for one generation. that person would most likely consider himself a southerner, but others might call him a yank/ee to get under his skin and make him made. a true southerner would just laugh at the person calling him a yank.
shareI'm an American who lived in England for a few years. When called a "yank" as an intended insult, the word was generally preceded with "bloody"...which also means very little to Americans. I guess it just doesn't have the same sting as certain ethnicities feel with hearing their own ethnic slurs because there isn't some nationally sensitive event attached to it (war, slavery, genocide, oppression, etc.).
Side note: I played on a Saturday league football team, about half and half Americans and English. Our manager (English) attempted to file a claim of racism against a referee for referring to the American players as "you yanks". It didn't materialize.
I am familiar with the connotation but it isn't offensive to me nor is it bothering.
I need a girl whose name doesn't end in .JPG
Nope...
shareYES, because I hate the Yankees (the NY Yankees Baseball Team). Also because I know it's supposed to be offensive.
shareI lived in the UK for awhile and I don't particularly like the word, perhaps because I recognize the negative connotation behind it. To me, it's the same as calling a Japanese person a "Jap" or a Chinese person a *beep* Okay.. maybe it's slightly less offensive than *beep* but it doesn't carry the same warm and fuzzy feelings that the term "Aussie" does.
share