Contemporary American idioms

In the United States, the word "Yankee" represents many different meanings in context and geography. Traditionally, Yankee usually refers to the residents of New England (in this usage, it can also imply the simple values of Puritans), but today it can refer to citizens from the states north of the Mei Mei Sen-Dixon Line. In New England, the word Dot refers to the old-fashioned New Englanders of British descent. The word WASP has been used since 1960' s, referring to the English ancestors of Protestants, including northerners and southerners, although its meaning often extends to white Christians in the United States.

The term "swamp Yankee" used in rural Rhode Island, eastern Connecticut and southeastern Massachusetts has a neutral meaning, referring to Protestant farmers and their descendants (relative to upper-class Yankees). Several writers have mentioned that the nose of old Americans mainly exists in the inland mountain cities of New England. The most distinctive Yankee food is pie. Mrs Beecher Stowe, an American writer, wrote in her book Old Town People that traditional social celebrations revolve around Yankee pies.

In the southern United States, the word "Yankee" is used to ridicule northerners (especially northerners who moved to the south). When politeness is really needed, it is called "northerner". As some southerners say, "Yankee refers to the northerners who come to the south and leave, and' damn Yankee' refers to the northerners who don't leave after moving to the south." Just as Scots and Welsh would feel humiliated if they were called "Englishmen", South Renye Fang in the United States doesn't like being called "Yankee", and many southerners in the United States prefer to be called "Southerners".

E b white summed up these differences as humorous maxims:

"For foreigners, yanks are Americans.

To Americans, Yankees are northerners.

To northerners, Yankees are orientals.

To easterners, Yankees are New Englanders.

For New Englanders, the Yankees are Vermont.

For Vermont people, Americans are people who eat pies for breakfast. "

There are many interesting variations of this epigram, such as changing the last definition to "people who use outhouses"

One of Mark Twain's most popular novels, The Connecticut American in Arthur's Court, popularized the word "Yankee" and changed it to the address of Connecticut residents. In some countries in the world, especially in Latin America, Spain, East Asia and other places, the word Yankee or Yanqui is sometimes used as a political insult related to anti-Americanism, and used in sentences such as "Yankee go home" or "We fight against the American enemy of mankind" (slogan of Sandinista National Liberation Front).

In English-speaking countries outside the United States, such as Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and Britain, the word Yankee is generally abbreviated as Yankee, which is synonymous with all Americans in spoken English. The word Ke Yan in London dialect evolved into a septic tank, and then became a new nickname for Americans, "Seppo or septic tank". These countries used this word to call American soldiers during the world war, and the American government was called Yankee. "Working for Yankee Dollar" is used to belittle those who "sell" themselves to American companies.

Yanquilandia (equivalent to "Yankeeland" in English) is a derogatory term for the United States in Spanish.

In Finland, Americans are usually called Jenkki, while Jenkkil? This word is used to address America.

/kloc-In the 9th century, the Japanese were called "Yankee of the East" and praised their diligence and courage in modernization. 2 1 century, Japan used the word yanké○ to refer to young villains, because they like to show off their dyed light hair. Although some people say that this word comes from the English word "Yankee", its etymology is controversial. The origin of this word is unknown. 1758, British general james wolf called his New England soldiers "yanks": "I can bring you two divisions of yanks." The British regard this word as a miscellaneous nickname, and the cartoon mocking American soldiers in 1775 is an example. "Pennamite-Yankee War" is used to describe a series of conflicts on a river bank in Pennsylvania since 1769, where "Yankee" refers to Connecticut citizens who claim ownership.

Jonathan Hastings, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, began to use this word around 17 13 to express his outstanding in a broad sense. The earliest theory about the origin of this word is that the approximate pronunciation of the word "English" by Indians from North America has been refuted by linguists.

The most convincing etymology put forward by the Oxford Dictionary is that it comes from the Dutch Janke, abbreviated as Jan (John in English), and is extended to address British or Dutch immigrants in New England. A famous (but unreliable) theory describes that Indians call all white businessmen-Jane Keyes by the simplest name they know. Another guess came from Jan Kass and "John Cheese" in Dutch cheese agriculture. Other guesses are that Dutch people from Upper new york used to address New Englanders who immigrated there. The last statement is obviously wrong. After the independence of the United States, settlers from New England moved to Upper New York. At that time, the word "Yankee" was widely circulated. Michael quinine and Patrick Hanks concluded that this word involves the Dutch nickname and surname Janke, which is translated as "Yankee" and "nickname of Dutch-speaking Americans in colonial times". According to its argument, the word also includes Americans whose mother tongue is not Dutch.

Yankee Doodle, which was popular during the American Revolutionary War, is one of the factors that influenced the popularity of this word. The American retaliatory Battle of Concord became a popular song at that time, and later became the state song of Connecticut.

Outside the United States, the word can be traced back to Sam Slick, a columnist of a newspaper in Halifax, Nova Scotia, with the number 1835. This character is an outspoken American, who brought fun to newspaper customers in the United States and Nova Scotia at that time and inspired old-school Canadians to become as smart and diligent as Americans.