the SoL says “New York” to me much more than it says “America”. Things that say primarily “America” to me are:
The White House
Grand Canyon
Mt Rushmore
Redwoods
Yellowstone & Yosemite
Mississippi Paddleboats
Na Pali coast are more “Hawaii” to me than some hotels. Then again, they also scream “King Kong” and “Jurassic Park”
Freudian slip?
“Yank” and “Yankee” are weird words. We - that is to say, members of the tribe itself - have never frequently used “Yank” as a nickname, save for a World War II magazine for service men. (I believe it also printed pin-up photos as well, so maybe the name seemed appropriate.) But it is one of the oldest nicknames for an American, along with “Brother Jonathan”.
“Yankee”, though, always seems to be applied to someone else. There’s a saying that in the world, a Yankee is an American. In America, a Yankee is a Northerner. In the North, a Yankee is a New Englander. And in New England, a Yankee is a New Englander whose family has lived in their town for four generations. Certainly here in the South, “Yankee” is mildly disparaging.
Other than that, a Yankee is a member of New York’s American League baseball team.
I should say, a hated member of New York’s thrice-damned baseball team…
If one million a year visit the little creep’s tomb — suspended like Mohammed’s betwixt heaven and earth — ( Chateaubriand, his frenmeny considered it would have been more romantic to leave him where he died, in the Atlantic, but Chateaubriand, like others in that era, including Napoleon, too consciously romantic to be authentically romantic, was prolly just striking a pose ) whereas six million a year visit the Lincoln thing, I would suggest the latter wins.
Not that most of us want to compete in that contest.
Just in case someone doesn’t already know: Lincoln in entombed in Springfield, Illinois. The Lincoln Memorial is just that, a memorial. I don’t know how many visitors the tomb gets, but it’s certainly far fewer than the memorial.
Indeed, I had looked that up before the first post, as I hadn’t known the difference. A fine imperial affair, not unlike that of several asiatic dictators, such as Sun Yat-sen or his beloved brother-in-law and successor to the Republic, Chiang Kai-shek.
Like Lincoln, Chiang has not only that as a resting place — until the Chinas are reconciled, but don’tholdyourbreath — but a separate Memorial. Also in the same grandiose vein as the various mausoleums herein mentioned.
I could have said mausolea, but obscurity is only sometimes a virtue.
How much of an icon is Portland Head Light outside of Maine?
I don’t think Thomas Kinkaide is very popular outside the US.
The original quip by E.B. White is…
To foreigners, a Yankee is an American.
To Americans, a Yankee is a Northerner.
To Northerners, a Yankee is an Easterner.
To Easterners, a Yankee is a New Englander.
To New Englanders, a Yankee is a Vermonter.
And in Vermont, a Yankee is somebody who eats pie for breakfast.
Vermont seems like a lovely place to live.
It’s funny how some Americans view Hawaii as a place other than “The USA”. I’ve only ever been in Hawaii for 10 days, but it still amazed me how many mainlanders would say something like “When we get back to America…” :smack:
I agree that the Statue of Liberty is our most iconic landmark. That said, at my last job we had a steady stream of contractors coming over from India. They would stay a few months and then leave to be replaced by another Indian contractor. Usually within the first two weekends (if the weather was nice) all the newbies would take a road trip together to see Niagara Falls. Just a bunch of guys all heading off together to Niagara together. 
I never figured out what that was all about. Since they all had work visas, they had to stay in the U.S., on the New York side. I figure if I ever make it to New York, there are about 50 other things I’d rather see than the Falls.
The kind that your mother used to wear.
You should see how many Americans don’t know that New Mexico is part of the USA.
I asked Mrs Iggy, a Colombian, the one thing she wants to visit that signifies America to her.
She wants to go to New Jersey to see the bakery from Cake Boss. Go figure.
“Damn you to hell!”
The Twin Towers…were iconic.
Brother Jonathan is a new one to me.