I'm very interested in this...I'm a Brit, but if I were an American I prob'ly would find it insulting to be called a 'yank' - although I can't work out why...
2006-12-02 06:39:34 · 15 answers · asked by Oeuf 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
No, not really. No worse than Pommie, Limey, Kiwi, Ozzie, Saffa, Canuck, Sassanach...
2006-12-02 06:43:33 · answer #1 · answered by barry-the-aardvark 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Define Yank
2016-11-02 06:21:32 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You are obviously not from the USA.
There was a war between the yankees of the Northern states against the Rebels of the south. Civil war, some of the old people in the south still have ill feelings against Northerners or yankees.
Many southerners refer to people who take over or are bosses.
As Yankees. A shorteren form of this is Yank. depending on how you use it in a sentence. It means a gunhoe, over bearing American bent on having his own way. Oklahoma calls them Yankees and it is not good. they say it wasn't about slavery it was about being a seperate country from the North. They didn't want the Northern states to have any say so over them.
They wanted to be a seperate country. { from the south.}
They told the North to mind their own business and leave us alone. Didn't work to good. They lost the war, but in their hearts they are still rebels. Those from the USA who don't know what that means is from the west coast California, or other west coast states.
2006-12-02 06:55:27 · answer #3 · answered by Steven 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Not particularly offensive. Americans have been known as 'yanks' or a shortened version of 'Yankee' since the American Revolutionary War, I believe.
I don't know the origin of the word, but I do find it interesting that a British citizen (our former enemy) would consider it may be offensive to us.
I wonder perhaps, if the word originated in the occupying British forces during that period? I have no idea.
Good luck anyway!
2006-12-02 06:48:17 · answer #4 · answered by Ouzinki 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well Brit is an abbreivation maybe thats why Yank sounds more insulting . Better than septic tank though
2006-12-02 06:42:45 · answer #5 · answered by mintycakeyfroggy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd prefer to be called an American. Yank can be a bit confusing. Yankee is traditionally a slur that Southerners have called Northerners. I call people by the names they prefer, I find it' s just the polite thing to do.
2006-12-02 06:45:48 · answer #6 · answered by pinacoladasundae 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm not sure that it is meant as derogatory, I can certainly think of more derogatory terms ( septic springs to mind)
But I do work with quite a few of "dem good ol boys" from the southern states and they don't like it. Something to do with da civil war, perhaps.
There are plenty of better ways to annoy them anyway!
2006-12-02 06:47:49 · answer #7 · answered by Not Ecky Boy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, I am an American-it does not bother me in the least. Maybe because I don't know why we are called yanks.
2006-12-02 06:43:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Occasionally...especially because some Brits mean it in a derogatory, "stupid, belligerent, over-indulgent American" manner. Being Irish-American, I was particularly wounded when it was used in this manner by the Irish.
2006-12-02 06:43:47 · answer #9 · answered by Krys Tamar 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would too. Southern born and southern bred. Yanks, Yankees, carpetbaggers not good terms in the South.
2006-12-02 06:44:50 · answer #10 · answered by Wise Old Witch 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
nope.
in he wwii song "over there" the "yanks are coming" to save your
butt has been the words to the song and a familiar world-wide
refrain for a long time ... and often, true enough. it works for me.
no worries ya bloddy limey! ;-)
2006-12-02 06:48:36 · answer #11 · answered by themountainviewguy 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋