How yankee or rebel are you? (Savannah, Decatur: sale, groceries, gym)

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by arjay57

In the abstract "rebel" is just a noun but it is loaded with negative connotations when applied to southerners.

OK, but no one uses "rebel" to refer to southerners, at least not that I've ever heard...ever. To be brutally honest, most folks up north don't even think about the south, unless you've got a relative who's moved to south and you go to visit.

The remainder may think of southerners based on stereotypes from watching TV, through "Honey Boo Boo" or "The Dukes of Hazzard" or some other stereotypical show. If anything, there is a stereotype of southerners as a little slow, a little racist, and generally redneck. The civil war is forgotten. The images of the 1960s civil rights marches and beatings is more how many northerners remember southerners, but I recognize that's wrong and a stereotype that isn't reflective of today's realities.

[cislga]

I asked my GF, who is English, is she or anyone she was around referred to Americans as Yanks? Her response:

Yep. I was asked once, after living in America for some time, if my husband was English too. I answered that no, he was a yank: the response was a rather snooty "Oh, a northerner!" Up until hat point a yank to me meant "American", after looking it up after that exchange I realize that there is far more to the term.

She is married to a Greek guy and this exchanged happened in CA.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by neil0311

OK, but no one uses "rebel" to refer to southerners, at least not that I've ever heard...ever. To be brutally honest, most folks up north don't even think about the south, unless you've got a relative who's moved to south and you go to visit.

The remainder may think of southerners based on stereotypes from watching TV, through "Honey Boo Boo" or "The Dukes of Hazzard" or some other stereotypical show. If anything, there is a stereotype of southerners as a little slow, a little racist, and generally redneck. The civil war is forgotten. The images of the 1960s civil rights marches and beatings is more how many northerners remember southerners, but I recognize that's wrong and a stereotype that isn't reflective of today's realities.

We are probably more or less in agreement, neil. Of course words like Yankee and rebel have independent meanings that have nothing to do with the American civil war.

What I object to is when they are used (especially if applied to me) in that letter context. I was born in the south and have deep roots here, and am proud of that. But I'm not a "Rebel" nor do I call anybody a "damn Yankee." It's way past time to can that hogwash.

[Zanarkand A East]

Can you all hear me all the way back there in the 1800's?

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It's way past time to can that hogwash.

I agree.

I moved here because there are way more attributes that I like and appreciate about the area than things that I don't appreciate. The three that annoy me most are the horrible driving, the religion worn on some people's sleeves and the tone deafness around religion in general, and this desire by some to keep alive the civil war, the strife of the 1950s/1960s integration, and some imagined "wrong" done to the south by the north on both accounts.

I think most folks in urban and suburban southern areas are past the last one, but in more rural areas I tend to believe it's still alive and well. It's changing, but slowly.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by cislga

I asked my GF, who is English, is she or anyone she was around referred to Americans as Yanks? Her response:

Yep. I was asked once, after living in America for some time, if my husband was English too. I answered that no, he was a yank: the response was a rather snooty "Oh, a northerner!" Up until hat point a yank to me meant "American", after looking it up after that exchange I realize that there is far more to the term.

She is married to a Greek guy and this exchanged happened in CA.

did you just admit to having an affair with a married woman? i wouldn't put that on the internet bro!

[cislga]

I'm a woman, I refer to my friends as girlfriends or GF!
I'm stuck in 285 traffic right now, ugh! 285 is at standstill car fire!

[JoeTarheel]

Originally Posted by neil0311

OK, but no one uses "rebel" to refer to southerners, at least not that I've ever heard...ever. To be brutally honest, most folks up north don't even think about the south, unless you've got a relative who's moved to south and you go to visit.

The remainder may think of southerners based on stereotypes from watching TV, through "Honey Boo Boo" or "The Dukes of Hazzard" or some other stereotypical show. If anything, there is a stereotype of southerners as a little slow, a little racist, and generally redneck. The civil war is forgotten. The images of the 1960s civil rights marches and beatings is more how many northerners remember southerners, but I recognize that's wrong and a stereotype that isn't reflective of today's realities.

One big difference between the North and South is that loads of northerners have been moving south for decades, and this phenomenon is not reciprocated. I don't know that you'll find "most folks" here thinking about the North either unless they have a relative to go visit, but the fact that there are tons of transplants here makes it a little more front and center in daily life.

They may not use "rebel" to refer to southerners, but there are other derogatory terms that they do use often - so it's not all that different.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by cislga

I'm a woman, I refer to my friends as girlfriends or GF!
I'm stuck in 285 traffic right now, ugh! 285 is at standstill car fire!

yeah i figured that's what it was, i'm just messing with you.

[gentlearts]

Originally Posted by bryantm3

those of you who are ashamed to have anything higher than a zero aren't understanding the score correctly. 0 means you sound like you came from the backwoods of maine. 50% means a neutral accent. so those of you who are trying to show off that you don't have an accent... yeah, you do. it's just not southern.

by the way the use of the term 'dixie' has a lot of pejorative connotations, it would be better if they didn't use that term.

I am a Massachusetts girl who now lives in Savannah. I love and embrace the best of both areas, but I thought it was funny that the survey busted me as pure Yankee.