Re: CHAT: silly names, prepositions

David Peterson wrote:
>
> In a message dated 3/23/01 2:25:43 PM, robert@APEXWOOD.COM writes:
>
> << You've got three good words in the name of your country (if we ignore
> "of", that is) that you can use, and the other two wouldn't cause as
> much trouble as "American", so there are other terms available. I agree
> that it's not deliberatly arrogant. I don't think the people who came up
> with the term said "How many people can we piss off today?" - but to
> outsiders, especially American outsiders (the real Americans) it seems
> especially arrogant. >>
>
> I'm sorry, you just have no basis.  This should really stop.  Someone already
> said there's a "United States of Mexico", because there is.  So, again, we
> can't use either "United" or "States" or "of", for that matter.  It remains
> that "American" refers to people in the U.S., "Southern American" is for
> people from the South, "South American" is for anyone from South America
> (though who on Earth would prefer to be called "South American" as opposed to
> the country they're from?), and if you've got a problem with it, it's your
> problem.
I'm not saying people would prefer to be called "South American" as
opposed to their nationality, but as a blanket term "South American"
means citizens of South American nations, no?

"South American States" - if "American" means "of the USA" then Texas
should be one, where as Brazil should not. But it's the other way
around.

Anyways, there may be a United States of Mexico. Granted. So there are
two countries that are "United States". There are more than two
countries that are part of America. For great justice, go with the
lesser of to evils, IMHO.

But, after all this, moot it is and moot it shall stay.

--
RJEH.

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