does the term "Yankee" offend you? (letter, street, name)
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So I've been browsing around the forum tonight, and happened to be reading through a bunch of the "Northerners feeling like outsiders in the South" threads that seem to overflow most of the forums in the southern states, and there seemed to be a common gripe given by Northerners, that of them being referred to as "Yankees". While no one explicitly stated that this bothered them, it was implied that this word carried a certain connotation to them that really bothered them. I'm curious as to whether people find the word offensive or not.
From what I gathered, many Southerners use the term as a simple descriptive term akin to stating "Californian" or "Pennsylvanian" and think nothing of it. Northerners however see the word as rooted in the Civil War and archaic and the usage of it seems to contribute to the longheld stereotype of Southerners as behind the times, and think of it as an offensive label, like a scarlet letter "Y" has been emblazoned across their chest. It seems to me that the word carries different meaning in different parts of the country.
I'm curious as to the position of others on this word. I grew up in an area that is geographically in the South but culturally very Northern (the DC suburbs) and as such, it's residents view themselves not as Southerners but as Northerners (or something in between) and oftentimes even make Southern jokes. So taking that into account, I too have a negative connotation with the word Yankee and if referred to as such, while it wouldn't offend me, it would sort of bother me. In other words, to answer my own poll, I'm sort of indifferent but leaning towards a "yes". I'm not sure why, but it is to me almost like a label of "outsider" as if to say "you'll never be one of us".
Last edited by dullnboring; 12-16-2006 at 07:15 PM..
I'm from California and lived in Virginia one year and they all called me a Yankee. I always thought only people from New England were Yankees, but I think southerners often call anyone who's clearly from outside the South Yankees. Although I don't have an accent discernable to most Americans, when I'm in the South, people think I have a "Yankee" accent...and no, I'm not offended. I love Southerners and the South and I love New Englanders too. I just freakin' love this country, all of it, and I don't care if I'm called a Yankee here and there
The term "yankee" is only offensive if you let it be so. I've been called worse things.
Just the other day I came across a card that some of my co-workers in NC signed just before my then fiance and I moved back to the Maryland/VA area. One of the women signed it.."Good luck and don't you become one of those **** Yankees when you get up there." This was over twenty years ago and I had to chuckle at reading it since we've been up here in the northeast 15 years now, at least
Have I become a **** yankee? I don't think so. What I have become is someone who, having grown up in the south, can appreciate another part of the country: the New England countryside, the beauty of the rocky coast, the culture, i.e. the frugality with money and with words.. (some natives aren't overly conversational, I discovered), but they're true blue. Not being conversational was something I felt embarrassed about when I was a tour guide part time during the summer. Some women came to me and asked why the gardener around a local landmark wouldn't respond to them. They were the typical tourists wanting to go around talking to everybody. Another time there was a busload from Atlanta. Nice folks, loved 'em. On the route, I pointed out the statue in the city square and explained that it was a tribute to our Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. One older woman piped up: "It's a monument to Southern marksmanship!" The whole bus got a good laugh and I did, too. It did remind me of the division that gets alluded to on such occasions, though. even in jest. People here take things in stride, though. Even LLBean married a southerner; or, should I say she married a yankee!
Well if you have lived in England, all Americans are called Yanks. The Rebs used to try to explain to them what a "Real Yankee" was. Don't even try, two people separated by a common language.
Many people still use Yankee and mean it in that Civil War era meaning. Especially those Rebs who supposely have pride over something. I could fool them because I can fake a good Southern accent. Tell them, "The South will rise again" and then after they get to grinning good, finish with "But only high enough to kiss the North's @ss". Do that and you are a real Yankee and they want the war to continue.
In New England, Yankees are real and everybody knows what they are. Not all White Gents are Yankees, you get that way by birth and habit or playing in NYC. Real Yankees are tight with the dollar, flint hard in opinion and won't give away the time of day.
If they are using Yankee in a general way, I take it more like they are trying to define themselves against the World in general. Many are confused what they are, they just don't want to be a Yankee. Some Canadians will call everybody south of the border a Yankee, instead of Friendly Southern Neighbor, usually they got some type of grudge about something up home too.
In short, I don't care what anybody calls me or what label they use, as long as they call me for chow.
Some Canadians will call everybody south of the border a Yankee, instead of Friendly Southern Neighbor, usually they got some type of grudge about something up home too.
Probably about your palm trees and nice warm beaches.
I've heard it used that up here and I've never heard it used that way.
The most popular way to describe your citizens in a rant or complaint would be to address them like this:
No. I have family in the South and when they visit they've always called us Yankees, even though some of them were born and raised in Philly. I hate the term "Cracker" though. To me that's the white equivalent of the N-word.
Yeah, Cracker is really bad. I'm an Afr. American female and would never dream of calling caucasion people that because even to us that's the equivalent of the N word.
But yet, I co-worker of mine, same race was amazed that they would call themselves "rednecks". She had never heard of Jeff Foxworthy - don't know which rock she crawled out from under. He only has a store down the street from the job, but I digress . . .
I told her that it's no big deal to them, it would be like Afr. Amer. people using the N word with each other (I don't support that by the way). But she was just floored by it and when she heard the word being said by someone to someone at the company Christmas party, I just started laughing.
I moved here from the North this summer and the word "yankee" doesn't even give me a second thought after heaing the word "redneck" all the time.
My father moved from New Jersey to southern Virginia 6-7 years ago, and Yankee is his nickname among his local friends. He thinks it's funny, and I have met them and they are really nice folks, so I am sure they mean no harm by it. As someone from NJ, I see the term Yankee as mildly amusing, and I would suspect the person using it might be a little "country," not that there is anything wrong with that.
Yeah, Cracker is really bad. I'm an Afr. American female and would never dream of calling caucasion people that because even to us that's the equivalent of the N word.
But yet, I co-worker of mine, same race was amazed that they would call themselves "rednecks". She had never heard of Jeff Foxworthy - don't know which rock she crawled out from under. He only has a store down the street from the job, but I digress . . .
I told her that it's no big deal to them, it would be like Afr. Amer. people using the N word with each other (I don't support that by the way). But she was just floored by it and when she heard the word being said by someone to someone at the company Christmas party, I just started laughing.
I moved here from the North this summer and the word "yankee" doesn't even give me a second thought after heaing the word "redneck" all the time.
Your post made me laugh! Shades of Kathi Griffin in your word choices. I like people with wit and humor, helps make the world go round
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A Southern Yankee
I've been called worse things. 
(some natives aren't overly conversational, I discovered), but they're true blue. Not being conversational was something I felt embarrassed about when I was a tour guide part time during the summer. Some women came to me and asked why the gardener around a local landmark wouldn't respond to them. They were the typical tourists wanting to go around talking to everybody. Another time there was a busload from Atlanta. Nice folks, loved 'em. On the route, I pointed out the statue in the city square and explained that it was a tribute to our Union soldiers who died in the Civil War. One older woman piped up: "It's a monument to Southern marksmanship!" The whole bus got a good laugh and I did, too. It did remind me of the division that gets alluded to on such occasions, though.
even in jest. People here take things in stride, though. Even LLBean married a southerner; or, should I say she married a yankee!
