Contemporary_uses Yankee

1 contemporary uses

1.1 in united states
1.2 in other english-speaking countries
1.3 in other parts of world

contemporary uses
in united states

the term yankee can have many different meanings within united states contextually , geographically dependent meanings.

traditionally, yankee used refer new englander descended original settlers of region (thus suggesting puritanism , thrifty values). mid-20th century, speakers applied word american born north of mason–dixon line, though specific focus still on new england. new england yankee might used differentiate. however, within new england itself, term still refers more old-stock new englanders of english descent. example:

irish have years complained of yankee discrimination against them.

—william f. whyte




there no civil rights groups then. federal government controlled bigoted yankees , irish banded against italian immigrant.

—fred langone




1 anomaly of era election of yankee republican leverett saltonstall governor in 1938, , saltonstall jokingly attributed high vote totals in irish districts south boston face .

—stephen puleo

in southern united states, term used in derisive reference northerner, 1 has migrated south. senator j. william fulbright of arkansas pointed out late 1966, word yankee still wakens in southern minds historical memories of defeat , humiliation, of burning of atlanta , sherman s march sea, or of ancestral farmhouse burned cantrill s raiders . ambrose bierce defines term in devil s dictionary as: n. in europe, american. in northern states of our union, new englander. in southern states word unknown. (see damnyank.)

a humorous aphorism attributed e. b. white summarizes following distinctions:

to foreigners, yankee american.
to americans, yankee northerner.
to northerners, yankee easterner.
to easterners, yankee new englander.
to new englanders, yankee vermonter.
and in vermont, yankee eats pie breakfast.

another variant of aphorism replaces last line with: vermonter, yankee still uses outhouse . there several other folk , humorous etymologies term.

major league baseball s new york yankees acquired name journalists after moved baltimore in 1903 (though officially known highlanders until 1913). regional sports rivalry between new york yankees , boston red sox can make utterance of term yankee unwelcome fans in new england, dedicated red sox fans living in northeastern united states.

the term swamp yankee used in rural rhode island, connecticut, , southeastern massachusetts refer protestant farmers of moderate means , descendants (in contrast richer or urban yankees); swamp yankee regarded derogatory term. scholars note famous yankee twang survives in hill towns of interior new england, though disappearing there. characteristic yankee food pie; yankee author harriet beecher stowe in novel oldtown folks celebrated social traditions surrounding yankee pie.

mark twain s novel connecticut yankee in king arthur s court popularized word nickname residents of connecticut. appropriately, state of connecticut s air national guard unit 103d airlift wing nicknamed flying yankees.

a 1950 film oliver wendell holmes, jr. called magnificent yankee.

the title of 1955 musical damn yankees refers new york yankees baseball team echoes older cultural term. similarly, book ball club echoes title of holmes film: magnificent yankees.

another name white elephant gift exchange yankee swap .

in other english-speaking countries

in britain, australia, canada, ireland, , new zealand, yankee, universally shortened yank, used derogatory, pejorative, playful, or colloquial term americans.

depending on country, yankee may considered mildly derogatory. in cockney rhyming slang yank septic or seppo (as in septic tank ).

in other parts of world

the slang yankee or yanqui (the same word spelled according spanish orthography) associated anti-americanism in parts of world, particularly in latin american countries , in east asia, , used in expressions such yankee go home or struggle against yanqui, enemy of mankind (words sandinista anthem). in spain, term yanqui used refer united states, in united kingdom or other english-speaking countries, whether colloquially, playfully, or derogatively, no particular emphasis on derogative use. case of use of ianque in portuguese-speaking countries , can case of many countries in spanish-speaking latin america. venezuelan spanish has word pitiyanqui, derived c. 1940 around oil industry petty yankee or petit yanqui, derogatory term profess exaggerated , ridiculous admiration united states.

during philippine–american war, filipinos referred americans yanquis , borrowing spanish term.

in late 19th century, japanese called yankees of east in praise of industriousness , drive modernization. in japan since late 1970s, term yankī has been used refer type of delinquent youth.

in finland, word jenkki (yank) used refer u.s. citizen, , same group of people jenkkilä (yankeeland) refers united states itself. not considered offensive or anti-u.s., rather colloquial expression. however, more commonly u.s. citizen called amerikkalainen ( american ) or yhdysvaltalainen ( united statesian ) , country amerikka or yhdysvallat. jenkki popular brand of chewing gum in finland, introduced in 1951 finnish company marketed american pop culture imagery.

the variant yankee air pirate used during vietnam war in north vietnamese propaganda refer united states air force.

in iceland, word kani used yankee or yank in mildly derogatory sense. when referring residents of united states, norðurríkjamaður used, or more commonly bandaríkjamaður.

in polish, word jankes can refer u.s. citizen, has little pejorative connotation if @ all, , use obscure (it used translate english word yankee in less formal context, such in civil war movies).

in sweden, word translated jänkare. word not negative expression, though can of course used such depending on context. when swedish person uses word jänkare, refers cars united states, used slang term u.s. citizen.

in hungarian, word jenki (pronounced yenkie ) slang term americans in general (or white american individuals) , carries no pejorative connotation.

in india, ice cream chain name yankee doodle popular during 1980s.

in indonesia, term jengki style (local spelling of yankee ) term post-war modernist houses popular there. called because of heavy influence american mid-century modern architecture.

joshua slocum refers in 1899 book sailing alone around world nova scotians being true yankees. may inferred, himself nova scotian, had pride in ancestry. yankee, in instance, form of praise instead of connoting form of derision, perhaps referring hardy seagoing people of east coast @ time.