Inspired by the thread on Southerners. You may be aware that the term ‘yank’ is common Brit (and Aussie) slang encompassing all Americans, of all states and ethnicities. It’s also where the term ‘seppo’ for Americans comes from in Cockney rhyming slang - ‘septic tank/yank’. But I’m referring specifically to the origin, since being compared to a tank full of shit is rarely well received.
Assuming I was using the term in a friendly or jovial way (i.e. in the thread title, not a pejorative) how would you yanks react? If I said it to a good ol’ boy down in Mississippi would I get a smack across the chops? Would a Californian be bemused? Would a New Englander roll his eyes?
You might get a different reaction in The South, where the double meaning of the term doesn’t necessarily pop into folks’ heads immediately. In CA, I think most people would consider it quaint. In New England? Funny, I from there, but I don’t really know how people would react. Personally, I would think it was fine.
I should point out thought that in rhyming slang there is not necessarily any association between the object being rhymed and the thing the slang is to apply to. “Bubble {and squeak}” is “Greek”, “titfer” {from “tit for tat”} is “hat”, “ginger {beer}” is “homosexual” and so on.
Which reminds me of a great piece of dialogue from the Alex comic strip, in which Alex and the uncouth Vince are at Glyndebourne, all dressed up for the occasion:
Alex: Should be a good perfomance tonight. Die Zauberfloete.
Vince: … Yeah…
Alex: “Magic Flute”, Vince
Vince: Fanks, Alex, I bought it specially
Part of the reaction would depend on generation. You’d be unlikely to actually get hit, but someone of my generation might well correct you, probably in a humorous tone. Younger generations might not say anything at all.
When I did off-shore oil-field surveys back in the day I was almost always the token ‘Yank’ in a crewful of ‘Brits’. I doubt that it would have mattered where in the U.S. I was from - we’re all ‘Yanks’. There was much more ‘banter’ about the varied characteristics and unseemly personal habits of Geordies, Scouses, Cockneys, et al. Not to mention pointed commentary about ‘Strines’ and ‘Froglydites’.
Regardless of the long hours and crummy working conditions, those were great days. Ollie Holgate, Alf Teal and John Appleby - I raise an ‘Old Peculiar’ to ya’.
I’d be amused. I’m originally from Pennsylvania, and Pennsylvania was a Union state (and we’re proud of our role in the Civil War), so technically I consider myself a Yankee. I associate the name more with New Englanders, though. But I’d accept the friendly intent of your greeting and wish you a “G’Day, Mate!”
I think, in the US, the term “Yankee” now means different things, depending on where you are from. If you’re from the south, probably anyone from the north is a Yankee. If you’re from the North, you probably only think of New Englanders as being Yankees. And when you get out West, the term is probably meaningless. (And let’s not get into the NY Yankees thing.)
As for “Yank”, to me it’s a completely different word, meaning “American”, but said only by non-Americans.
Which brings us to the word Yanqui, which although it sounds like Yankee, is actually Spanish for “Yank”, but also generally has a negative connotation. “Yank” can be neutral or negative, depending on the context.
Quote read somewhere, probably Readers’ Digest, at some point:
To a foreigner, a Yankee is an American.
To an American, a Yankee is a Northerner.
To a Northerner, is a New Englander.
To a New Englander, a Yankee is a Vermonter.
To a Vermonter, a Yankee is someone who eats pie for breakfast.
I did in fact do that today so call me a Yank(ee) all you want.
