# Is "America" offensive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 31, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327 "2007-01-31T21:37:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/1 "2007-01-31T21:37:34Z")
So I’m from the United States of America. I happen to notice my country makes up part of a rather large continent called “North America” … and there also seem to be a vast quantity of countries that make up another large continent called “South America.” Yet it seems in the last few years, “American” has become completely synonymous with “from the United States of America.” (Sure, there has always been “The American Dream,” but it seems much, much more prevalent now than ever before.) Many people I ask about this think of it as a nickname for the larger title… but the liberal in me can’t help but see it as pure narcissism. When I say “narcissism”, I don’t mean people who use it are necessarily narcissistic, I’m talking about a cultural phenomenon as a whole. So if you regularly refer to yourself as “American” this isn’t an attack on you or an assumption about your held political beliefs or anything… it’s just an open question – “How did this all get started, anyways, and is it justified, irrelevant, or offensive?” I just can’t bring myself to call myself American or refer to my country as “America.” (unless it’s meant ironically, i.e., “Bureaucracy: It’s the American way!”) I know a lot of people NOT from the United States would probably approve of that… there’s a pretty popular Latin-American song called “Buscando America” (Looking for America) and he sure as hell isn’t talking about the U.S. ACTUALLY, I just remembered getting in trouble when I was kid with customs officials on the U.S. Canadian border. When they asked my nationality, I said, “American?” They just gave me a withering stare and repeated the question. So I can’t be _completely_ looney tunes on this! So what gives? Have I been brainwashed by the PC Gnomes? And more importantly… how do I identify myself if I’m not “American”? I usually say I’m “From the U.S.” because “U.S.-ian” sounds kinda awkward. The Spanish language has a lovely, as far as I know completely neutral term, “estadounidense” which means, in essence, “United Statsian.” Why don’t we have one of those? I’d at least like the option to be there. ---
**Author:** ![hey\_alright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/90ced4/32.png) [@hey\_alright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hey_alright)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/2 "2007-01-31T21:40:24Z")
I use American. I think it has been synamous with the United States for more than the last few years, particularly if you speak English. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/3 "2007-01-31T21:46:42Z")
> [@](#): > > I use American. I think it has been synamous with the United States for more than the last few years Well, to be fair, I’ve only been an adult for 6 years now, so I know very little about the history of this phenomenon and how long it’s been really going on. Anybody here who’s been around a few decades longer may wish to educate me further on this matter. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/4 "2007-01-31T21:48:42Z")
You COULD side-step it by saying you’re from the United States or from the US. Grammatically, that’s fine. “I’m French” “I’m Guatemelan” “I’m from the United States” I guess it lets the person fill in the blanks; the blanks that almost always get filled with “Ah, you’re an American!”. Although it’s not offensive in the strongest way, I can see how people would feel slighted. Love that Monroe Doctrine. PC Gnomes? Those distant cousins of the Underpants Gnomes? ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/5 "2007-01-31T21:50:02Z")
In English, the word “American” in reference to the US predates the foundation of the republic. Anybody who tells you not to use the term is a moron of the highest caliber. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/6 "2007-01-31T21:59:31Z")
> [@](#): > > In English, the word “American” in reference to the US predates the foundation of the republic. Anybody who tells you not to use the term is a moron of the highest caliber. So what you’re saying is, we are absolutely justified in using the term regardless of the motivations of the people who coined it? ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/7 "2007-01-31T22:42:02Z")
We had a thread about this not too long ago. If someone more proficient at searching can dig it out… ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/8 "2007-01-31T22:50:22Z")
“America” might be in the names of two continents, but we’re the only country with it in our name. And no one would ever refer to one of the continents as simply “America” – the north/south designation is pretty key. So IMO, there isn’t anything wrong with “America” being used as a short version of “The United States of America.” ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/9 "2007-01-31T23:11:23Z")
[QUOTE=Misnomer] [N]o one would ever refer to one of the continents as simply “America” – the north/south designation is pretty key. [/QUOTE] In some parts of the world, North and South America are thought of as component parts of one continent. The Olympic rings represent the five inhabited continents (America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa), in accord with the world view of symbol designer [Baron Pierre de Coubertin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_symbols#Olympic_emblem) of France. **olives** : You could always use the term _United Statesian_, although you may not want to, as I recall reading that it was favored by one of the Watergate conspirators (either Haldeman or Ehrlichman). [Here is a page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adjectives_for_U.S._citizens) of suggestions – see if any of the terms tickle your fancy. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/10 "2007-01-31T23:15:37Z")
I don’t quite understand. The proper name is the United States of America. You have no problem shortening it to United States. You do have a problem with shortening it to America. 😕 So you think we should call ourselves United States of Americans? ---
**Author:** ![Eltanin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Eltanin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eltanin)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/11 "2007-01-31T23:36:31Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] In English, the word “American” in reference to the US predates the foundation of the republic. Anybody who tells you not to use the term is a moron of the highest caliber. [/QUOTE] How can it apply to the United States if it predates their existence? It certainly was applied to the British Colonies, but it’s English etymology might predate even these: [from the Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. - this of course is giving the first use in Latin, and the first use in English isn’t clear from the entry] “_America_, the name of a land mass of the western hemisphere, consisting of the two continents of North and South America, joined by the Isthmus of Panama; freq. used also as the name of the United States of America; app. first used in M. Waldseemüller _Cosmographiae Introductio_ (1507) \< _Americus_, Latinized form of the name of _Amerigo_ Vespucci (1451-1512), Italian explorer who navigated the coast of South America in 1501.” ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/12 "2007-01-31T23:39:50Z")
[QUOTE=Sternvogel] In some parts of the world, North and South America are thought of as component parts of one continent. The Olympic rings represent the five inhabited continents (America, Asia, Australia, Europe, and Africa), in accord with the world view of symbol designer [Baron Pierre de Coubertin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_symbols#Olympic_emblem) of France. [/QUOTE] That’s fine. I just think of Europe, Asia, and Africa as one big continent. That is much more accurate than saying that North America and South America are. You can drive between Europe, Africa, and Asia freely if you have a little bravery. You can’t do that between North America and South America. > **[Driving a Citroen 2cv Through Europe to Africa](https://www.renault4.co.uk/europe-to-africa.htm)** ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/13 "2007-01-31T23:39:52Z")
[QUOTE=Loach] You have no problem shortening it to United States. [/quote] He should. We want to avoid confusion with the United States of Mexico. > [@](#): > > So you think we should call ourselves United States of Americans? USAians! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/14 "2007-01-31T23:43:31Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] That’s fine. I just think of Europe, Asia, and Africa as one big continent. That is much more accurate than saying that North America and South America are. You can drive between Europe, Africa, and Asia freely if you have a little bravery. You can’t do that between North America and South America. [/QUOTE] If you can’t, it’s simply a matter of there not being a road. Is the isthmus actually smaller than Suez? (Or whatever that piece between the Med and the Red Sea is called.) Now, Europe and Asia, I agree; they are certainly one continent. ---
**Author:** ![hey\_alright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/90ced4/32.png) [@hey\_alright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hey_alright)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/15 "2007-02-01T00:22:49Z")
[QUOTE=olivesmarch4th] Well, to be fair, I’ve only been an adult for 6 years now, so I know very little about the history of this phenomenon and how long it’s been really going on. Anybody here who’s been around a few decades longer may wish to educate me further on this matter. [/QUOTE] I’ve only been an adult for 4 years now, but I’m still pretty sure referring to people from the United States as Americans has been going on for a long, long time. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/16 "2007-02-01T00:29:46Z")
Didn’t we do this exact subject [three weeks ago](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=403063)? I think consensus was, that in everyday colloquial _English_ usage, “America” for “USA” is acceptable as a customary thing, and “American” for “USA-nian” even more so, but that in other languages/cultures there are their own rules. (…and while I’m here, in an entirely unrelated note, I’m getting really weary of the [christreturns.net](http://christreturns.net) google-ad…) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/17 "2007-02-01T00:42:23Z")
[QUOTE=Eltanin] How can it apply to the United States if it predates their existence? It certainly was applied to the British Colonies, but it’s English etymology might predate even these: [/QUOTE] The simple fact is that residents of what is now the United States were being called “Americans,” and the place they lived “America,” before 1776. That said, the term “America,” describing the country, is not commonly used outside of the United States among English-speaking people; the usual term is “the United States” or “the USA,” which are perfectly acceptable terms. However, “American,” to describe the people, is \*\*the only correct term \*\* in the English language for a resident of the United States or something particular to the United States. Terms like “usian” or “Unitedstatesian” are not words and make one look like an illiterate buffoon. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/18 "2007-02-01T01:25:26Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve only been an adult for 4 years now, but I’m still pretty sure referring to people from the United States as Americans has been going on for a long, long time. Okay, so you know more about history than I do. _shrug_ Thanks for, um… going out of your way to point out my ignorance. 😉 > [@](#): > > Didn’t we do this exact subject three weeks ago? Woah, sorry! I don’t believe I was here three weeks ago… but if I was, I apologize. Didn’t mean to resurrect an old topic. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/19 "2007-02-01T01:30:30Z")
[QUOTE=olivesmarch4th] And more importantly… how do I identify myself if I’m not “American”? [/QUOTE] Well, given that Shrub has decided that the cumbersome and pretentious-sounding ‘The American People’ is far preferable to the shorter, simpler, and smarter (IMHO) ‘Americans’, you could call yourself ‘one of The American People’. But if you did it near me, I’d have to smack you. ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2007, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327/20 "2007-02-01T01:37:46Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] That said, the term “America,” describing the country, is not commonly used outside of the United States among English-speaking people; the usual term is “the United States” or “the USA,” which are perfectly acceptable terms. [/QUOTE] I’ve heard lots of Brits use “America” as in “He’s from America.” I don’t know about other English-speaking peoples though. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-america-offensive/390327.md?page=2)