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

Answer 1

Because it rhymed with pony?

Answer 2

A macaroni was an Italian dandy. As I understand it the words are "Yankee Doodle came to town, riding on a pony, stuck a feather in his hat and called him macaroni" - doesn't really make it clear who stuck the feather in the hat, or whose hat it was - could even have been the pony's. Or the singer could have attacked Yankee Doodle with a feather. Or Yankee Doodle could have called himself (as in the French reflexive "il s'appelle") Macaroni

Answer 3

Back then, "macaroni" was slang for dandy/stylish, coming from a group called the Macaroni Club. The British regarded the colonists as a bunch of country bumpkins -- Yankee Doodle was such a hick that he thought he was making himself a "dandy" simply by adding a feather to his hat.

Answer 4

You can go to the "Wikipedia" and search "Macaroni". There is a section within that article called "Macaroni Fashion" which gives you the history of the song and where and what Macaroni has anything to do with Fashion, England, Americans and making fun of.

Answer 5

The hat is named macaroni not the feather

Answer 6

Because he used to own a parrot called Macaroni, and when it died he decided to stick one of it's feathers in his hat.

Answer 7

I've heard two explanations:

One, "macaroni" was mid-18th century slang for "hip" or "stylish"

The other, that "macaroni" is a corruption of "Ma Caroni", supposedly Italian for "It is dear to me". Unfortunately, "Ma Caroni" means nothing in Italian.

Answer 8

The HAT is a "macaroni"

Answer 9

Maybe because it was shaped like macaroni, that is a good question.

Answer 10

because it rhymed with pony, silly.