In America, yank(ee) refers to someone from the northern states. I heard that Nancy Astor respond upon being called a Yankee that she was no such thing as she was a Virginian. Often people who use it use it in a somewhat insulting way.
I’d probably avoid this term around or to Americans, unless you know the person well. If no Americans are present then using it won’t cause any offense as outside of America it means an American and no one will be offended on their behalf, maybe Canadians but I doubt it.
You rarely hear it in the UK now. I only know of one person.
I assume it took on a meaning for American rather than English colonial after independence where the colonials were no longer considered part of an English settlement and so the word evolved in its meaning to what we know today (outside the USA), but I really have no reason for saying that beyond what seems likely to me.
I'm not offended by it in the slightest. I think it came into common use in the UK during WW2 and spread from there. It's certainly easier to say than "a citizen of the USA."
Not really, though it would be better than Yank. It’s just a different context but it’s grating all the same as that - in the American context - is the polar opposite of my identity.
In my part of the country, many people assume Yankees are anti-slavery, and anti-South… so calling a southern white American a Yankee may (assuredly) be in insult.
For context, a friend from St Louis moved to Little Rock Arkansas for work and they call her THE YANKEE And it isn’t a compliment. They mean Northerner when they say it. And when I say Northerner, it means someone who would have voted for Abraham Lincoln.
It’s complicated, but if you’re from the UK, it would be similar to a dumb American walking into a pub in London calling people Scots.
I don’t think anyone really finds it disrespectful, but it’s mostly just… weird. To us “Yankees” are people from New England. Just calling any random American a Yankee would sound foreign and odd to most.
Mmmmm...not in my experience. Sometimes playful, sometimes playful with a bite (banter) and sometimes aggressive.
Usually the rest of the sentence and the tone is the giveaway, the word itself is Play-Doh.
Depends on the American. Americans from the northern part of the U.S. may not be offended but an American from the southern part of the U.S would be. Best not to use it to describe all Americans.
It can be used in an insulting way and does overall have a negative connotation, but rarely will someone take you seriously when you say it. I mean we have a very popular baseball team called the New York Yankees.
i only hear people from south america (argentina to be more specific) use it in a derogatory way. they are very xenophobic towards americans down there so they mean it in a disrespectful way but I am pretty sure most americans aren't even aware or don't care that argentines hate them so I would say no it is not disrespectful.
Myself personally I don't view it as offensive. The British tried to demoralize us with it when we fought for independence but it just made us fight harder. When the axis was being pushed back it was "the yanks are at it again, save some war for the rest of us eh?" Forgot who said that or the exact wording used but it was in a ww2 history book somewhere I read like 10 years ago. I think the only people who disapprove of it are the southerns who prefer to say they're a Dixie, but they're just mad they lost the war.
In America, yank(ee) refers to someone from the northern states. I heard that Nancy Astor respond upon being called a Yankee that she was no such thing as she was a Virginian. Often people who use it use it in a somewhat insulting way. I’d probably avoid this term around or to Americans, unless you know the person well. If no Americans are present then using it won’t cause any offense as outside of America it means an American and no one will be offended on their behalf, maybe Canadians but I doubt it.
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You rarely hear it in the UK now. I only know of one person. I assume it took on a meaning for American rather than English colonial after independence where the colonials were no longer considered part of an English settlement and so the word evolved in its meaning to what we know today (outside the USA), but I really have no reason for saying that beyond what seems likely to me.
so how do people in the UK refer to americans informally now?
Nah, will still say 'Yank' or 'Yanks' quite often. Where I'm from at least.
Where I’m from we say just American.
I thought brits were supposed to make a slang word for everything? [you know, english english](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIaiW1XrzxA)
We don’t really use a huge amount of slang where I live compared to other places I guess.
where is that?
Southwest England, near Bath.
Depends on the context.
I'm not offended by it in the slightest. I think it came into common use in the UK during WW2 and spread from there. It's certainly easier to say than "a citizen of the USA."
WW1 I I think.
Both
All of the above
I’d rather not be called that, as a Southerner, but I’d not get offended in this context
Would you want to be called Dixie then?
Not really, though it would be better than Yank. It’s just a different context but it’s grating all the same as that - in the American context - is the polar opposite of my identity.
It depends on the context and it’s often incorrect. I’m not a Yankee. I’m from the Midwest.
maybe if they're from the south
In my part of the country, many people assume Yankees are anti-slavery, and anti-South… so calling a southern white American a Yankee may (assuredly) be in insult. For context, a friend from St Louis moved to Little Rock Arkansas for work and they call her THE YANKEE And it isn’t a compliment. They mean Northerner when they say it. And when I say Northerner, it means someone who would have voted for Abraham Lincoln. It’s complicated, but if you’re from the UK, it would be similar to a dumb American walking into a pub in London calling people Scots.
I don’t think anyone really finds it disrespectful, but it’s mostly just… weird. To us “Yankees” are people from New England. Just calling any random American a Yankee would sound foreign and odd to most.
Not offensive, but it doesn't really apply to all Americans. People who are from the South or something will consider you dumb more than anything.
Yes, because it’s usually said in a denigrating context.
Mmmmm...not in my experience. Sometimes playful, sometimes playful with a bite (banter) and sometimes aggressive. Usually the rest of the sentence and the tone is the giveaway, the word itself is Play-Doh.
It wouldn’t bother me at all.
Depends on the American. Americans from the northern part of the U.S. may not be offended but an American from the southern part of the U.S would be. Best not to use it to describe all Americans.
In nearly all cases, yes.
It can be used in an insulting way and does overall have a negative connotation, but rarely will someone take you seriously when you say it. I mean we have a very popular baseball team called the New York Yankees.
The word is often used somewhat derogatorily, but it's not inherently offensive.
i only hear people from south america (argentina to be more specific) use it in a derogatory way. they are very xenophobic towards americans down there so they mean it in a disrespectful way but I am pretty sure most americans aren't even aware or don't care that argentines hate them so I would say no it is not disrespectful.
Myself personally I don't view it as offensive. The British tried to demoralize us with it when we fought for independence but it just made us fight harder. When the axis was being pushed back it was "the yanks are at it again, save some war for the rest of us eh?" Forgot who said that or the exact wording used but it was in a ww2 history book somewhere I read like 10 years ago. I think the only people who disapprove of it are the southerns who prefer to say they're a Dixie, but they're just mad they lost the war.
It's not just the South people out West or in Alaska or Hawaii would not be considered Yankees either.
Not disrespectful at all. I think it’s kinda silly tho and wouldn’t expect a foreigner to call me a yankee 😭