Why did Yankee Doodle name the feather in his hat Macaroni?

Answer 1

Yankee Doodle
Why did yankee doodle stick a feather in his hat and call it macaroni? Back in Pre-Revolutionary America when the song "Yankee Doodle" was first popular, the singer was not referring to the pasta "macaroni" in the line that reads "stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni". "Macaroni" was a fancy ("dandy") style of Italian dress widely imitated in England at the time. So by just sticking a feather in his cap and calling himself a "Macaroni" (a "dandy"), Yankee Doodle was proudly proclaiming himself to be a country bumpkin, because that was how the English regarded most colonials at that time. But times have long since changed, and it is important to reflect on the fact that despite the turbulent early relationship between England and the American colonists, our two countries are strongly united.

Answer 2

The music and words go back to 15th century Holland, as a harvesting song that began, "Yanker dudel doodle down". In England, the tune was used for a nursery rhyme - "Lucy Locket". Later, the song poked fun of Puritan church leader Oliver Cromwell, because "Yankee" was a mispronunciation of the word "English" in the Dutch language, and "doodle" refers to a dumb person. But it was a British surgeon, Richard Schuckburgh, who wrote the words (in 1755) we know today that ridiculed the ragtag colonists fighting in the French and Indian War.

Soon after, the British troops used the song to make fun of the American colonists during the Revolutionary War. Yet it became the American colonists' rallying anthem for that war. At the time the Revolutionary War began, Americans were proud to be called yankees and "Yankee Doodle" became the colonists most stirring anthem of defiance and liberty. During Pre-Revolutionary America when the song "Yankee Doodle" first became popular, the word macaroni in the line that reads "stuck a feather in his hat and called it macaroni" didn't refer to the pasta. Instead, "Macaroni" was a fancy and overdressed ("dandy") style of Italian clothing widely imitated in England at the time. So by just sticking a feather in his cap and calling himself a "Macaroni", Yankee Doodle was proudly proclaiming himself to be a country bumpkin (an awkward and unsophisticated person), because that was how the English regarded most colonials at that time.

"Yankee Doodle went to town / A-riding on a pony / Stuck a feather in his hat / And called it macaroni. / Yankee Doodle, keep it up / Yankee Doodle dandy / Mind the music and the step / And with the girls be handy / Father and I went down to camp / Along with Captain Gooding / And there we saw the men and boys / As thick as hasty pudding / Yankee Doodle, keep it up / Yankee Doodle dandy / Mind the music and the step / And with the girls be handy / There was Captain Washington / Upon a slapping stallion / A-giving orders to his men / I guess there was a million / Yankee Doodle, keep it up / Yankee Doodle dandy / Mind the music and the step / And with the girls be handy"

Answer 3

After the macaroni club in England. This is an English song poking fun at Americans at the time of the revolution.

Answer 4

He didn't call the feather Macaroni, he called the pony Macaroni.

Answer 5

Because it went limp like a macaroni when he stuck it in his hat.

Answer 6

Kit-Kat beat me to it. I first learned of this while watching an HBO special, Assume the Position.

Apparently Yankee Doodle Dandy is one of our gay fight songs!

Answer 7

cuz Macaroni rhymes with pony!!

Answer 8

Because he was lonely on the road and needed something to do with his time.

Answer 9

It went limp when he put it in his hat and then he named it like his other thing that goes limp...IT REMINDED HIM THAT HE STILL HAD HIM OK?!

Answer 10

ARE YOU SURE, MAYBE HE CALLED HIS HAT THAT!!!