# What to call people from the USA, other than "Americans?" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 11, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031 "2017-07-11T19:59:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/1 "2017-07-11T19:59:08Z")
As I understand it, there is a (very small) minority of Canadians who consider the term “American” objectionable when used to refer to someone from the United States, as it implies that Canadians are not American. Certainly Canadians are from the North American continent as much as people from the USA are, and are 100% “American” in that regard, but for convenience there needs to be a term used to denote someone who is from the USA and USA alone. What would be that term? USA-ers? “Stater?” ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/2 "2017-07-11T20:00:31Z")
People from the USA are called Americans. End of discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Slash1972](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slash1972/32/6461_2.png) [@Slash1972](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slash1972)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/3 "2017-07-11T20:04:19Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > as it implies that Canadians are not American. That’s because Canadians are not American. They are Canadian. It’s kinda right in the name “Canadian” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/4 "2017-07-11T20:05:04Z")
Language is pretty efficient. If there is a need for a term, people think one up. Since there isn’t one, it would appear there is no need. It’s not like there has been some groundswell of people putting up words and having them suppressed by the Language Police. So if some Canadians are bent out of shape because of this, they should invent a word and see if it catches on. If not, then again, there is no need. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/5 "2017-07-11T20:06:09Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Certainly Canadians are from the North American continent as much as people from the USA are Too late to correct my typo: “Certainly Canadians from the North American continent _ **are American** _ as much as people from the USA are.” ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/6 "2017-07-11T20:06:14Z")
Canadians had to good sense to give their country a name. They should be proud of that foresight. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/7 "2017-07-11T20:07:47Z")
For clarification - yes, “American” to refer to someone from the USA works well at the moment. I’m just asking, if someone finds it objectionable, what the suggested alternative is, from their perspective. ---
**Author:** ![dofe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ba0ec/32.png) [@dofe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dofe)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/8 "2017-07-11T20:09:01Z")
I live in Seattle, visit Canada several times a year, and work with and have friends who are Canadian. Never have I met one who objects to the use of “American” to describe someone from the US. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/9 "2017-07-11T20:10:56Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Too late to correct my typo: > “Certainly Canadians from the North American continent _ **are American** _ as much as people from the USA are.” That’s far less certain. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/10 "2017-07-11T20:14:16Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > “Certainly Canadians from the North American continent _ **are American** _ as much as people from the USA are.” I don’t think you’d find many who’d say so. Canadians are North Americans, certainly, but they’re exactly as American as Brazilians. You need to submit to common usage on this one, friend. If you don’t like calling USers Americans, there’s always Yanks. I understand there’s a Mexican word, _estadounidensos_, something more specific than the _norteamericanos_ that covers both US and Canada gringos, if you prefer. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/11 "2017-07-11T20:15:36Z")
When I’m traveling I tell people I’m American, and it leaves little doubt in people’s minds… So I guess the identity of Americans is pretty unambiguously known around the world and no clarification is needed. I have not yet met a Canadian traveler who told anyone he was an American, but of course he is free to do so, but that is not considered a deception likely to further endearing oneself to the locals. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/12 "2017-07-11T20:16:29Z")
I will also accept “New Yorker”. ---
**Author:** ![Emiliana](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@Emiliana](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emiliana)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/13 "2017-07-11T20:21:45Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > For clarification - yes, “American” to refer to someone from the USA works well at the moment. I’m just asking, if someone finds it objectionable, what the suggested alternative is, from their perspective. Latin Americans can get a bit pissed off too. Norteamericano is often used to refer to people from United States, which doesn’t make literal sense since North America also includes Canada and Mexico. If I’m speaking of U.S. and/or Canadian Americans versus Latin Americans, I’ll sometimes use North Americans but there’s a legible context there. _Estadounidense_ means person from the U.S. but hardly rolls off even the Spanish-speaking tongue as far as I can figure since I rarely heard it used. Gringo is clear but doesn’t travel well. Yes, Canadians are Canadians, Mexicans are Mexicans, etc. but the U.S. doesn’t have exclusive claim to the term Americans. At least if we are speaking of the way language is actually used outside of the U.S. context. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/14 "2017-07-11T20:25:59Z")
People from Mexico, the USA and Canada are all “North Americans”. People from Brazil or Argentina are “South Americans”. People from the United States of America are “Americans”. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/15 "2017-07-11T20:32:49Z")
> [@](#): > > I understand there’s a Mexican word, estadounidensos, something more specific than the norteamericanos that covers both US and Canada gringos, if you prefer. Which is ironic, because Mexicans are also from the United States. ---
**Author:** ![Corry\_El](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecae2f/32.png) [@Corry\_El](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corry_El)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/16 "2017-07-11T20:41:08Z")
On a forum I used to frequent with a significant % of Americans and Canadians ‘USian’ was jokingly agreed on, by some at least. 🙂 IME some Canadians do have a thing about claiming the term ‘American’ is less than wholly owned by people from the USA. But they are wrong. People from the United States of America claimed the title ‘American’, in English, for their nationality back when all other New World European settled colonies were still colonies. Finders keepers. Neither Canadians nor Brazilians are ‘Americans’, no modifier, in the correct meaning of the word in English, nor is there any other single word for people from the USA. There could be a debate about usage in other languages of the equivalent word. For example you could argue it’s inappropriate to refer to Americans in Spanish as ‘Americano’ rather than ‘Norteamericano’, though there’s confusion in that Spanish locution as to whether it includes Canadians. ‘North American’ in English is a term for Americans and Canadians, despite Mexico and Central America being geographically part of the NA continent. But ‘Norteamericano’ is usually referring to just Americans. Anyway Spanish and English are different languages. In English, ‘American’ means of, from or pertaining to the USA. That’s not chauvinism but just the basic meaning of a word. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/17 "2017-07-11T20:46:04Z")
Canadians call people from the US Americans. Sure, there may be an occasional joke, but clearly you guys own that adjective. I get that I’m from the American continent, but I sure ain’t from America. Sent from my XT1635-02 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/18 "2017-07-11T21:04:31Z")
Tell you what. If some Canadians want to refer to themselves as Americans, I say go ahead. Good for you! Somehow, I don’t think there will be many takers. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/19 "2017-07-11T21:13:35Z")
I agree with the OP: calling USA residents “Americans” as a national demonym is a misuse of the word, even if it is very common usage. The engineer in me grates at the illogic of it. I’d support a new term. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2017, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031/20 "2017-07-11T21:30:41Z")
I’ll go along with it as long as we can call people from the British Isles UKoGBaNIans. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-to-call-people-from-the-usa-other-than-americans/791031.md?page=2)