In another thread Paul used the word "Yanks" for Americans. I am used to "Yankees" (besides the baseball team ) being northerners in the U.S. Do the Brits consider all Americans to be "Yanks"? What are other regional names for people?

Apart from the to-numerous-to-mention ethnic slurs, I presume?

Yes, I am thinking of Indianans being called "Hoosiers" or Wisconsinites being called "Cheeseheads". I am not sure if Chicagoans are called anything? Are there nicknames for Brits, depending on where you live?

To most Brits, a "Yank" is any American, regardless of the area in the US whence he comes. It's somewhat similar to the way Americans tend to refer to anyone from the British Isles as "English" -- as discussed in another thread.

Two regional nicknames in the UK that come to mind are "Scouse" for someone who comes from the Liverpool area, and "Brummie" for a denizen of Birmingham.

And Geordie from Newcastle. Then there's Poms and Limeys, both of which are synonyms for Brits.

Ros

And a Mick or a Paddy for an Irish person.

And Taffy for a Welshman though I think that the term is seldom used nowadays and was somewhat derogatory back when it was used. I remember a nursery rhyme which went:

Taffy was a Welshman.
Taffy was a thief.
Taffy came to our house
And stole a side of beef.

The second half has Taffy being caught and beaten in the head though I don't recall the words. And the last line is another clue that the poem is a bit archaic. When was the last time you had a side of beef hanging around your house?


Regarding the term "Yanks," it always astounds people from the deep south to be identified as such by British visitors. It's roughly the equivalent, to them, of referring to a very dark-skinned African-American as Caucasian in that their reaction is usually along the lines of "How could you possibly call me a 'Yank' when it's so obvious that I am not?!"

Newcastle are Geordies, those from Sunderland are Makems and from Hartlepool, they are monkey-hangers. Cockneys come from a small corner of East London. Tykes come from Yorkshire.

All Americans are Yanks.

On this side of the ocean, it's well known that "rednecks" are rural, often farmers and, generally speaking are fiercely conservative, flag-waving, gun-toting, pro-life, not-overly-educated residents of, ususally, the south and mid-west.

The term "white-neck" is not so often heard but is defined as "a redneck with long hair" (hence the lack of sun on the neck).

Graham, should you call a "redneck" a "Yank," his response very likely might be "Oh, yeah? Yank this!!"


(My God! Almost 3 hours gone and I'm not even out of the Questions & Answers section!)

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Americans tend to refer to anyone from the British Isles as "English" -- as discussed in another thread.

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No, arnie, talked about in multiple threads! I am so confused now as to where anything is...! However, I love the activity!

I am surprised at all of the names describing the Brits. CJ, really are there "white-necks" or are you pulling a fast one again?

I must say, if you call southerners "Yankees", I doubt that you will get a cordial reply! TrossL? You're from Atlanta; am I correct?

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Then there's Poms and Limeys, both of which are synonyms for Brits.

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I thought a Pom was a term used in Australia and New Zealand, meaning british immigrants there. Do folks in Great Britain also use the term? And does it include Brits living at home?

PS: Found that D.H. Lawrence gave this etymology in Kangaroo (1923):

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Pommy is supposed to be short for pomegranate. Pomegranate, pronounced invariably 'pommygranate', is a near enough rhyme to immigrant, in a naturally rhyming country. Furthermore, immigrants are known in their first months, before their blood ‘thins down’, by their round and ruddy cheeks. So we are told.

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But apparently there are conflicting theories, though, and there is no good evidence for any of the theories.

[This message was edited by shufitz on Fri May 16th, 2003 at 20:21.]

Pom to an Aussie or Kiwi means anyone from the UK. I don't think it nowadays specifically refers to immigrants, although that's how the word started out; I would be a Pom to them even though I live in the UK.

Michael Quinion's World Wide Words, as so often, gives some of the theories about the origin of the word.

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
CJ, really are there "white-necks" or are you pulling a fast one again?

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Most definitely. Having long hair (back in the not-too-distant past, anyway) was one of the few ways young rednecks had to rebel against their parents which, of course, is a universal teenage pasttime.

Speaking from experience, it can be very jarring to strike up a conversation with someone who appears to be of, let's say, a hippie frame of mind, only to hear him spout out the most appalling racist, mega-conservative, far right, neo-nazi B.S. The sickly nut, after all, doesn't fall far from the diseased tree.

The term isn't often heard as much now but that's more a reflection of the change in men's hair fashions.

I hear "yanks" here but usually as a ribbing from my "cannuck" cousins!

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The sickly nut, after all, doesn't fall far from the diseased tree.

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How true. I just hadn't heard that term before. I think rednecks are increasing exponentially. The recent debacle occurring in Texas is a case in point. The Texas Democrats fled to Oklahoma and New Mexico to avoid a redistricting vote that they would have lost. Here is my favorite tongue-in-cheek quote from an official in their neighboring state:

"Today, New Mexico Attorney General Patricia Madrid said lawyers for Perry asked her if Texas Rangers might be allowed to make arrests in New Mexico. Madrid, a Democrat, said no. 'Nonetheless,' she added in a statement, 'I have put out an all-points bulletin for law enforcement to be on the lookout for politicians in favor of health care for the needy and against tax cuts for the wealthy.'"

An Oklahoman is a Sooner, by the way, and that comes from a history where people tried to "get there sooner" to stake their land-claims.

By the way, sooner was originally a derisive term, but was adopted with pride by those being scorned.

The same is true of yankee and hoosier.

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Originally posted by arnie:
Pom to an Aussie or Kiwi means anyone from the UK. I don't think it nowadays specifically refers to immigrants, although that's how the word started out; I would be a Pom to them even though I live in the UK.

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Spot on. Wherever they are, they're Prisoners of Mother England. When they're they're here, the word Pom is normally heard as part of a phrase,prefaced by the word whining, or whinging. THe phrase developed from the charming habit so many expat Poms have of coming out here to live and then, upon arrival, and for decades there after, continually harp on at length about how much better things were back home. The phrase, and the practice it describes, are both now increasingly uncommon here.

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Originally posted by maxqnz:
Spot on. Wherever they are, they're Prisoners of Mother England.

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I'd heard that "Pom" arose as an acronym for "Prisoners of Mother England." But I also recall that that story is debunked. Max, can you expand on the story here?

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Originally posted by wordnerd:

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Originally posted by maxqnz:
Spot on. Wherever they are, they're Prisoners of Mother England.

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I'd heard that "Pom" arose as an acronym for "_P_risoners _o_f _M_other England." But I also recall that that story is debunked. Max, can you expand on the story here?

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I don't think the story is true - folk etymology, especially involving acronyms, is almost always dodgy. However, the expanded acronym, call it a back-formation I guess, is widely used here, largely to convey the deep affection and esteem in which Old Blighty is held here.

I was called a Yankee the other day, and it was mildly disturbing. I'm from Chicago, and I've always felt Yankees were from the East Coast, New England, New York, that general area. In Texas and the rest of the south, Yankees are evidently people from the North. Of course, I wouldn't see how a person from Texas could distinguish between, say, people from Chicago, Seattle, San Diego, etc., making a Yankee just about anyone who didn't have a Southern accent.

I responded, "Hey, I'm not a yankee", and the response was, "Illinois fought for the North in the civil war, didn't it?" Of course, to these people, Texas isn't even in the South! What I refer to as the "Deep South" is what they refer to as the South. I guess I find this so strange since my definition of the "South" is everything south of I-80, which people from Chicago will understand. If you don't, take a quick look at a map.

Of course, I've heard people refer to me as being from "back east", in Seattle, "out west", in New York, "up north" in Dallas, and "down south" in Minnesota. This is what you get when you live in middle of the country. Still, with no oceans for thousands of miles, you wouldn't think I would get called a Dutch Pirate.

This makes me think of my Uncle, who lives in NYC. He calls where we live "the country", even though it's the largest city in Ohio. We also often get called "Buckeyes" for the sports teams at Ohio State.

I feel like I've finally assimilated in the neighborhood where I work because someone said the other day "you rock, sistah!"

Well, I can top that, CW. When I was in grad school in San Francisco and got a job offer in Chicago, people from California said I was going to "cow country." It only showed how very ignorant they were!

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When I was in grad school in San Francisco and got a job offer in Chicago, people from California said I was going to "cow country." It only showed how very ignorant they were!

They certainly were. Cow country is farther north. Chicago is hog country.

Hmmmm...I thought "hog country" was in North Carolina.

I also recall that those from San Francisco would never say "San Francisco." They instead lived in "the City." There really are other cities. Annoying!

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They certainly were. Cow country is farther north. Chicago is hog country.

You've been reading Sandberg again, I see...

Asa, I didn't know number 23 for the Cubs was a writer...

Cubs? Hmmmm... The only Cubs I know anything about are the ones originally designed by C.G. Taylor, modified by Walter Jamineau, and sold by William T. Piper. They sold a lot more than 23 of them.

Perhaps Seanahan means the cub scouts?

I was referring to Ryan SandbErg, of the Chicago Cubs. Not to be confused with Carl SandbUrg, the famous Chicago poet.

They got cub scouts flying Piper Cubs in Chicago? Precocious tykes, they are!

The fact is, hogs really are quite smart. Remember 1984? (I really should read that again!)

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Originally posted by Kalleh:
The fact is, hogs really are quite smart. Remember 1984? (I really should read that again!)

How about Animal Farm?

Oh, of course! Sorry. I knew 1984 didn't sound right.

1984 doesn't sound right nowadays because we're LIVING IT!!!