Re: Exonyms [Re: English syllable structure]

On Sun, 9 Dec 2001, Adam Walker wrote:

> > > Just like there's really nothing we can do about the other rude things
> > > people from other countries call us like gringo, dabizi, gaijin (though
> > > those last two would include Aussies, too.)
> >
> >Yes, but `other rude'? You aren't telling me you're offended by it?
>
> Yes.  I'm telling you I am offended by it.  I'm not a Yankee.  I don't like
> the term even whenit is applied to people from the New England area to which
> it most properly applies.  If you'd grown up hearing the kind of preducial
> statement that word was usually included in that I grew up hearing,you
> wouldn't care for the word either.  To me, it belongs in the same emotional
> category as nigger and spick.
>
...which means you're likely from (roughly) rural Virginia or further
south.  As a Marylander, you get called both "Yankee" by that bunch, and
"Southerner" by the New Englanders.  Not that we haven't been confused
about the distinction ourselves - as one of the few states to supply
troops in great quantity to both sides of the Civil War (and the only one
to do so at Gettysburg).  Easiest way to confuse a Californian is ask him
whether Maryland is a Northern or Southern state.  (Actually, ask a
Californian and he'll probably reply, "Where's that?")

So am I a Northerner or Southerner?  Neither, I'm a Marylander.  But as it
came up in a discussion of our national soccer team - we have a name.
We're Yanks, and we're proud of it.

--
  Steve Kramer           ||           scooter (at) buser dot net          ||
  _____________________  ===================================================
 |  __/^\__        ,-^,|    "So I'm basically just like John Lee Hooker?"
 |/~       \_     {  / |
             \/\   |!  |     Mary Prankster, in response to criticism by
               /  / )  |___  an Ocean City nightclub owner that her music
              (_  \ \     /      was "just storytelling and swearing"
                ~v^  ?_,-'

Reply