# Origin of "Yankee"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-yankee/299177>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [April 13, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-yankee/299177 "2005-04-13T20:21:53Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pplepic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@pplepic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pplepic)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-yankee/299177/1 "2005-04-13T20:21:53Z")

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Old folks know that Jack Benny’s social security number was 1. Well, mine is 2, so when I tell you that the word “Yankee” is derived from the Chinese, “Yang Kwei”, = “Foreign Devil”, you can probably trust me. I don’t write often, but while I’m here, I beg to object to Cecil’s spaghetti sauce boast. I’m sorry to deflate the “Great One” but spaghetti sauce better than mine just does not exist. I can’t reveal my recipe because, as the CIA agent said when asked how many agents it takes to screw in a lightbulb, “If I told you, I’d have to kill you.”

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-yankee/299177/2 "2005-04-14T00:04:04Z")

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Locking duplicate thread.