# Yankee Doodle Dandy

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankee-doodle-dandy/299132>\
**Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\
**Created:** [April 13, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankee-doodle-dandy/299132 "2005-04-13T15:19:05Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dotchan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@dotchan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dotchan)\
**Post date:** [April 13, 2005, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankee-doodle-dandy/299132/1 "2005-04-13T15:19:05Z")

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[The Master Speaks](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a2_260.html)

This is probably unrelated, but the Chinese have been calling foreigners “Yang Gui Zi” (Ghosts From Across the Sea) for a long time.

And correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the term also shortened to “Yanks” on occasion?

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**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\
**Post date:** [April 14, 2005, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/yankee-doodle-dandy/299132/2 "2005-04-14T03:20:00Z")

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> [@dotchan](#):
>
> This is probably unrelated…

Yep, very probably indeed! As noted in the parallel thread here.

> [@](#):
>
> And correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the term also shortened to “Yanks” on occasion?

Yep. And rhyming-slung to Tanks, Septic Tanks, Septics, and Seppos.