# Colloquial terms for citizens of (x) nation **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 24, 2010, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353 "2010-06-24T14:09:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Livardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/43a26b/32.png) [@Livardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Livardo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/21 "2010-06-24T18:24:30Z")
from reading a World Cup article I think they call Argentenians, Gauchos. ---
**Author:** ![Daithi\_Lacha](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/daithi_lacha/32/5430_2.png) [@Daithi\_Lacha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daithi_Lacha)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/22 "2010-06-24T19:19:24Z")
> [@An\_Gadai](#): > > Not really no. Depends on context though I suppose. My wife takes exception to it, but I know any number of Irish-Americans who proudly proclaim themselves to be “Big Dumb Micks!” ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/23 "2010-06-25T00:22:53Z")
South Africa = Saffer Scotland = Jock Wales = Taff ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/24 "2010-06-25T01:11:04Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > Brazil: Carioca Carioca is specifically for someone from Rio de Janeiro. If I tell my friends from Bahia that they’re “cariocas”, they’d correct me in a second. Some Brazilians in at least one of the southern states (Santa Catarina do Sul?) also go by gaúchos. Puerto Rico = boricua, borincano(a), borinqueño(a) Dominican Republic = quisqueyano(a) Both of these come from the Arawak (Taíno) names associated with those islands. Quisqueya for Hispaniola and Borinquén (Borikén) for Puerto Rico. I’ve heard of people from Mexico City being referred as “chilangos”, but when I used that term with my ex, he corrected me. I guess he didn’t like that term. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/25 "2010-06-25T01:22:45Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > Do Canadians ever call themselves Canucks? In circumstances where they’re not talking to people from other countries and making fun of themselves, anyway. Probably depends on which Canucks you are talking to. I would certainly call myself a Canuck in casual speech and it doesn’t bother me in the least if you Yanks down there call me a Canuck.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/26 "2010-06-25T02:45:15Z")
> [@KarlGrenze](#): > > Carioca is specifically for someone from Rio de Janeiro. If I tell my friends from Bahia that they’re “cariocas”, they’d correct me in a second. Pfft, they are like those yanquis from Atlanta… 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/27 "2010-06-25T02:46:26Z")
We also call ourselves Hosers or Hoseheads. I don’t think Freezerback ever caught on. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/28 "2010-06-25T04:27:14Z")
> [@pendgwen](#): > > Outside the deep south I’d be surprised to find anyone who considered it an insult. And Americans identify with it enough that it was used in a famous patriotic [song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbggEGUaE28) from WW1. Personally, I wouldn’t find it _insulting_, but I would find it _inaccurate_. I’ve always understood that Yankees are people from the northeastern part of the US. I’m a Westerner. I’m not a Yankee. Plus, I fucking hate the NY Yankees. I don’t want to be associated with them in any way. > [@](#): > > Some Brazilians in at least one of the southern states (Santa Catarina do Sul?) also go by gaúchos. I think you mean Rio Grande do Sul? ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/29 "2010-06-25T07:00:06Z")
Swedes: Herringchokers ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 8:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/30 "2010-06-25T08:50:17Z")
> [@Livardo](#): > > It’s definitely more of an insult in Spanish where if you hear Yanqui, they’re either talking about the New York baseball team or protesters being pissed about something, i.e. “Fuera Yanquis!” Nah, what with learning English and all we’ve been told we’re not supposed to use it any more, but for many people it just means “anybody from the USA”, no ill-will involved. I’ve heard exchanges like: - So, your son-in-law is English? - No, American. - American? What kind of American? Yanki or from Canada? (The son-in-law in question teaches English in Spain, specializing in Conversation Practice; the questioner looked to be well over retirement age, so I hope people from several Caribbean nations will forgive her for dropping them off the list of “English-speaking countries in America”) ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/31 "2010-06-25T09:46:05Z")
**Nava** , in his defense, he may have thought it was referring to just North America consisting of Mexico, Canada, and US. After all, you did say he was nearing retirement age… **Kyla** , thanks for the correction. My confusion is with those two southern states is that I know people from one state are called that way, yet I have a friend from the other state who doesn’t like being called that way. Just like friends from both states would deny being cariocas. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/32 "2010-06-25T09:57:20Z")
New Zealanders are Kiwis. English are Poms. In Australia, most of the States also have nicknames such as a Queenslander is a Banana bender, WA is a Sandgroper and a New South Welshman is an arrogant prick. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 9:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/33 "2010-06-25T09:59:49Z")
IIRC the Germans use Käse-Kopf as a mildly derogatory term for a Dutch person, it means “cheese-head”. Wisconsin folk are called that too right? ---
**Author:** ![JoseB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/joseb/32/1530_2.png) [@JoseB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseB)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/34 "2010-06-25T10:08:00Z")
And don’t forget that, in many, MANY South American countries, Spaniards are called “Gallegos”. Whether they are from Galicia or not. Apparently it has to do with Galicia (region in the NW of Spain) having historically been a source of much emigration towards America. A bit like Ireland, in a way… (similar climate, very rural, unbearable bagpipes…). ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/35 "2010-06-25T10:09:41Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Are you sure? It seems that the US Military published a magazine by that name during WWII. I would assume it was for all American service people, not just those that came from north of the Mason-Dixon line. [Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yank,_the_Army_Weekly) has more information on the publication. And there’s the comic book character, the [Fighting Yank](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fighting_Yank). (Note that all of the companies that published versions of the Fighting Yank have been American, and only one of the major writers of the characters has been British (Alan Moore, who wrote one of the later ones).) ---
**Author:** ![Scougs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scougs/32/3158_2.png) [@Scougs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scougs)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 10:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/36 "2010-06-25T10:57:50Z")
> [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](#): > > Scotland = Jock I find it insulting. It’s never used by the Scots to refer to themselves, and only used by the English in a derogatory way - even if only slightly. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/37 "2010-06-25T11:04:07Z")
But the Jockos and the Geordie Boys were the greatest comic characters ever to come out of Dundee! ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/38 "2010-06-25T12:36:32Z")
> [@Frodo](#): > > Paraguay: Guaraní > Brazil: Carioca I want to ask about these two, **Frodo** (or another South American who might know). I was under the impression that Guarani was the major Native ethnic group and language in Paraguay (spilling over into adjacent Brazil and Argentina), and appropriate only for Paragueños who were of ful or part Native descent – admittedly a large majority, but not synonymous with Paragueño. Likewise, I understood that “Carioca” meant “person from Rio de Janeiro, or at most the Rio/Guanabana metro area,” not Brazilian in general. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/39 "2010-06-25T13:13:15Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > I want to ask about these two, **Frodo** (or another South American who might know). I was under the impression that Guarani was the major Native ethnic group and language in Paraguay (spilling over into adjacent Brazil and Argentina), and appropriate only for Paragueños who were of ful or part Native descent – admittedly a large majority, but not synonymous with Paragueño. > > Likewise, I understood that “Carioca” meant “person from Rio de Janeiro, or at most the Rio/Guanabana metro area,” not Brazilian in general. The carioca thing I am not sure, other posters have said, and I think they are right that only Rio de Janeiro people are called that. The press in Argentina, and I believe other neighborly countries routinely refers to Paraguayans as “Guaranies”, without regard to their descent, the same as “Charruas” to the Uruguayans (also a Native ethnic group, this one mostly lived in Uruguay). I think is used semi tongue-in-cheek, you wouldn’t say “And now the Guarani ambassador will speak” :), but for example the newspapers will say “Great victory of the Guarani futból team” if they win a good match in the World Cup. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2010, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353/40 "2010-06-25T13:15:34Z")
> [@Polycarp](#): > > Likewise, I understood that “Carioca” meant “person from Rio de Janeiro, or at most the Rio/Guanabana metro area,” not Brazilian in general. Read above. It is not for Brazilian in general. As for Paraguay… well, they call their national team the “guaraníes”, so there’s that… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/colloquial-terms-for-citizens-of-x-nation/544353.md?page=3)